旅館產業專業知能

[文章分享] 10 likely reasons for your property’s poor performance (旅館績效表現差的十個可能原因)

10 likely reasons for your property’s poor performance

13 MAY 2016 7:07AM, Hotel News Now by Larry Mogelonsky

Let’s assess the reasons why hotel performance sometimes doesn’t exceed the expectations of the business plan.

一起來評估為何旅館的績效表現有時並未能超過商業計劃書的期望。

Through over 30 years of working with both independent and franchise-branded properties, I have regularly heard the phrase, “Ownership is disappointed with the results.”

在與獨立及品牌加盟酒店超過三十年共事的過程中，我經常聽到這句話：「業主對於營運成效感到失望」。
This opens a further discussion as to why top- or bottom-line financial data is not living up to the plan, which usually then leads to spending cuts in a mad dash to restore the profit and loss statement to some sort of fiscal profitability.
這倒是起了個深度討論的話頭：為何公司的總營收與淨利潤未能符合計劃。這樣的情況通常導致瘋狂削減開支以維持損益表上的一些財會利潤。

But why does this have to happen? In the packaged goods business—which was my vocation prior to entering the hospitality world—cutting expenses was rarely considered a primary solution to a brand’s challenges. Rather, management first focused on trying to understand why business was subpar by reviewing competition, pricing, distribution, promotions, advertising and even product enhancements. Often, the solution was to spend more, rather than simply cut and run.
但為何這樣的狀況一定要發生？我在轉行至旅館酒店業之前是從事包裝品業務，在面對品牌經營上的挑戰時，刪減支出很少被視為首要解決方案。反之，公司管理層級先把重點放在釐清營運狀況未達標準的原因，並審視產品競爭對象、定價、銷售管道、促銷方案、廣告曝光甚至是優化產品性能。而最終的解決方案往往是再多砸預算以增強產品各面向的能力，而非只是立馬砍成本。　

Oftentimes, you have to read the ‘note behind the note’ to fully understand how best to proceed. Accordingly, here are my top 10 reasons why owners are often disappointed with their property’s business results.
通常，你必須細讀要點背後的意涵以全然了解著手進行的最佳方式。因此，以下是我所列舉出業主時常對公司經營成效感到失望的前十大理由。
1. Unrealistic financial expectations(不切實際的財務期望)
“How’s business?” When asked this, how many times do you hear an answer that addresses a negative spread versus budget, but with strong performance over last year’s figures?
「最近的生意如何？」當被提及這個問題時，你有多少次所聽到的答案是對照年度預算卻未達標的報表，但卻比去年數據來得表現極佳？

I usually respond to this with something like “So, what’s the problem?” Fact is that rather than celebrate the success and learn from the results, management is depressed as they are below this supposedly critical budget expectation, and are, in effect, failing.
我通常回應這問題會說「那麼，問題在哪？」事實上，公司管理高層不會對今年眼亮的績效表示慶賀並從成果中學習，反而對於績效未達重要預算期望感到沮喪，於是，實際上仍舊算是失敗。

Dig deeper. Why was the budget set to that level? Was there some sort of magical revenue or bottom-line profit target that had to be achieved? And was the number properly substantiated, rather than just a ‘whim’ or ‘stretch’ to achieve some sort of milestone?
深入探究一下。為何年度預算被設定到那樣的標準？是有什麼神奇的營收或利潤底線的目標得要達成？而年度預算上的數字是否依據合理，而非只是一時念頭或曲解來達成公司里程碑之類的東西？
2. Failure to link spending with occupancy(無法依住房率規劃開支)
Any hotelier who does not believe that sales and marketing efforts directly correlate with occupancy is either unrealistic or simply naïve.
任何不信行銷與業務的努力與住房率有直接關聯的旅館從業人員是不切實與過於天真。

Yet, often in budget development meetings, I’ve seen occupancy increase between 1% and 2%—to pad resultant revenues—with zero increase in any sort of support program to match. In an era where our key performance indicators are so quantifiable, it seems incredulous that management authorizes and condones such behavior. Occupancy points can’t just be pulled out of thin air.
然而，我常在預算編列會議中看到，住房率增幅在1%至2%之間(用來浮報綜合營收)卻沒有任何相對應的支持計劃有預算上的增長。在身處主要績效指標全面量化的年代，管理階層會允許與容忍如此行為看起來是不可採信。住房率可不能無中生有。

As a result of these increases to budget, false expectations are set. As another way of thinking about this, markets typically rise and decline in a smooth progression (just follow trended STR data). Increasing your occupancy implies that it has to come from somewhere. If the market is not growing substantially, that means it is coming from competitors. This indeed requires a marketing or sales effort. (STR is the parent company of Hotel News Now.)
由於這樣的狀況越來越常見於預算當中，所以不正確的預期表現也因而設定。換個角度想，通常市場的興衰是個平穩的過程(依循STR數據的趨勢就可看得出來)。增加住房率意味著它得要有個支持的源頭。如果市場並非呈現景氣大好的狀態，這表示這狀況來自於同業競爭者。而這確實需要行銷或業務方面的努力。(STR是 Hotel News Now網站的母公司)
3. Cutting into maintenance to meet operational bottom line (中斷年度保養工作以達到營運成本的底限)
Think guestroom soft goods can last another year or two without replacement? Towels not fraying too badly? Maybe you can cut one person from engineering or your landscaping staff? Trimming budgets for maintenance, soft goods replacement and other property investments all represent erroneous approaches to hospitality management.
還想著客房內的布軟物件能夠再撐到隔年或後年而無需更新替換？毛巾磨損得還不夠糟？或許你可以從工程部或園林綠化部門刪減一名人力？削減保養維修、更換布軟物件及其他酒店硬體投資的預算都代表旅館管理的錯誤方式。

Little by little, the cost savings are noticeable, first to staff and then to guests. It’s a slippery slope. Once you start cutting corners, any increase in maintenance shows a variance versus the previous year, making it difficult to reverse the decline. TripAdvisor comments often provide valuable, qualitative clues to the demise.
漸漸地，節省成本變得重要，先對員工開刀，再來就會殃及顧客。這是個滑坡謬誤 。一旦你開始便宜行事，任何保養工作的預算增加對照於去年是一項變異數並且讓逆轉刪減變得困難。旅遊評論網站TripAdvisor上的評比經常提供有價值且具質性的線索來終止這樣的狀況。
4. Weak senior team hiring procedures (弱的資深團隊招聘程序)
A hotel operates on service, and service is based upon a solid management team. These teams are not static; a degree of turnover is inevitable. Clearly new team members need to be hired.
一家旅館酒店是以服務為業，而服務是奠基於一個穩固的經營管理團隊。然而這團隊並非靜止不變，一定程度的離職是無可避免的。新團隊成員需要招募。

Solid hiring procedure typically starts with digging deep to find the best candidates. Once a potential candidate is found, time has to be invested to conduct team interviews, ideally with the candidate spending a full day in and out of the various departments. References must be checked in detail. It takes time, effort and competitive salary packages. After all, anyone who is great deserves to be paid accordingly.
穩固的招募程序通常以深度探訪為始，以期找到最佳成員候選人。一旦尋得一名潛在候選人後，經營團隊就必須投注時間在面試候選人上，現想狀態是花費一整天在不同部門間進行面談。候選人的相關參考資料必須詳查。這過程需要時間、精力與有市場競爭性的薪資福利。畢竟，人才值得聘以高薪，香蕉只請得起猴子。

Sure, there are many who are fairly adept at hiring the best and it is clearly demonstrated in their business performance. Skipping any step in the process generally leads to failure.
當然，有許多相當善於招募人才的專業人士，而這也明顯地展現在其事業的績效表現上。略去這程序上的任何步驟一般都會導致失敗。
5. Funding too much debt (累積太多債務)
Hotels are not banking machines. Hotel management should not need to focus their efforts on trying to cover inordinate interest payments out of cash flow. In doing so, decision-making and expenditure plans are often compromised.
旅館酒店並非是銀行業務機器。酒店管理階層不該把精力擺放在試圖從現金流中支應過度的利息支付。如果這麼做，決策與支出計劃經常要妥協。

Servicing debt is an understandable business expenditure. But debt financing is the owner’s responsibility, not the hotel manager’s. Accordingly, servicing excess debt is an ownership issue, not a property operations issue. Property management should not worry about anything post earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on the financial statements.

清償債務是個可以理解的事業支出。不過，債務融資是業主的責任，而非旅館經理人要扛。因此，清償超額債務是業主的課題，而不是旅館營運的課題。旅館管理團隊不該擔心在財務報表上任何在盈利後及稅息折舊及攤銷前的部份。(另有 EBITDA的說明)

6. Ignoring market conditions (忽視市場現況)
No hotel operates in a vacuum. Business is influenced by such factors as economic growth, exchange rate fluctuations, and regional government changes. In addition, competitive hotel activity and new property openings impact the marketplace. The best business plans can never fully predict all of these elements.
沒有任何一家旅館酒店是在真空環境下營運。商業活動是受到經濟成長、匯率波動及地區政局變動等因素所影響。除此之外，競爭酒店的活動、新開幕旅館也衝擊著酒店市場。就算再完美的商業計劃書也無法全然預測上述所列的影響因素。

But good plans provide a conservative cushion, right? Remember this important rule: pricing is market-driven, not property-driven.
可是好的商業計劃書仍舊是個穩當的緩衝器，對吧？要記住這個重要規則：定價是市場導向而非旅館導向。
7. Relying on online travel agencies for a greater and greater portion of revenue (越來越依賴線上旅遊訂房網站對營收的貢獻)
Everyone knows that Expedia, Priceline and their cadre of brand sites deliver volume. But at what cost?
每個人都知道智遊網、Priceline及其品牌分支能帶來訂房量。然而，要花費的成本是多少？

Commissions paid to OTAs dig directly into the bottom line. It’s a vicious circle: the more OTA volume you gain, the less funds you have to support business on your own. Where does it stop? True, OTAs help offload excess inventory and are great for finding trial customers, but at some point you must make a big push for direct bookings.
付給線上旅遊訂房網站(以下用OTA代替)的佣金會直達旅館營運的底線。這是個惡性循環：從OTA所帶來訂房量越多，你能自行運用來支持事業的資金就越少。這循環會在哪終止？確實，OTA能幫忙分擔過多的房間庫存，並且在尋找新客群有莫大幫助，但就某個層面而言，你還是必須要大力推廣旅館方的直接訂房。(另可參考此篇文章 )
8. Ignoring technology (忽視科技發展)
You would surprised at how many hoteliers still don’t recognize that mobile devices are imperative. Just look at Apple share prices. Those valuations did not come from computers; they are based on iPhone sales.
你可能驚訝於仍舊有很多旅館業者不認同行動裝置對於旅館業是極為重要的。只要看看蘋果公司股價就知道。這些估價並非來自蘋果電腦，他們其實是根據 iPhone的銷量。
But technology goes beyond mobile. We are in the midst of a revolution with many new and ingenious ways to enhance both productivity and performance through technological advancement. If you’ve missed the annual Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference tradeshow for more than a couple of years—or if you have never attended—you owe it to yourself to tour the exhibits and investigate the myriad technological advantages available for your property.
然而科技不僅限於行動通訊。我們身處於時代變革之中，而此變革是經由科技進展以新穎且精巧的方法來提高生產力與績效表現。如果你已錯過多次的年度「旅館產業科技展覽會暨研討會」(或者你從未參加過)，那麼你欠你自己一次機會去參訪這些展覽以及研究可運用於自家旅館的各種優勢科技。(2016年6月20~23日已在美國紐奧良舉行，2017年6月26-29日將在加拿大多倫多舉辦)
9. Forgetting that marketing is more than just digital (忘記行銷方式不光只有網路數位而已)
Sure, search engine optimization programs, Google Adwords, re-targeting and social media are critical. But true marketing is a multi-faceted affair.
的確，搜尋引擎的優化方案、谷歌廣告推播、重定向廣告及社群媒體都很重要。不過，真正的行銷是多面向的事務。
Public relations, trade shows, travel agent programs, local community activities, sponsorships, customer relationship management and traditional advertising can all play an important part in growing awareness and business development. Too many hoteliers believe that all solutions to their problems will be solved by simply building a new website. This is valuable but only the starting point, though, and much more is needed.
公共關係、商展、旅行社人員方案、當地社區活動、贊助廠商、客戶關係管理與傳統廣告都能在提昇關注程度與事業發展上扮演重要的角色。太多旅館業者深信他們所有問題的解決方案是在於建立新網站即可。這想法是有用的，但僅限於一開始，畢竟，還有很多部份需要著手進行。

10. Ownership’s failure to clearly communicate goals (業主無法清楚溝通營運目標)
An owner’s responsibility is to clearly define what is important, both in the long term and in the short term. Most asset managers and general managers are capable of achieving the goals that are established for them. However, if these senior decision makers do not have a crystal-clear idea of what the owner’s vision is, then the ensuing results rarely deliver.
業主的責任在於清楚界定營運短期與長期的重要事項。大部份的物業經理人及總經理都能達成設定給他們的目標。然而，如果這些資深決策者對於業主的願景沒有清晰的想法，那麼後續的結果很難傳達出去。

About the author


Larry Mogelonsky is the founder of LMA Communications Inc., an award-winning hospitality marketing agency. He’s also a member of Cayuga Hospitality Consultants, G7 Hospitality and Laguna Strategic Advisors. He has published three books including “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?”, “Llamas Rule” and “Hotel Llama”.

* 「派屈克，這文章真生硬且沉重耶…」想要治標不治本？那就放個水晶吧！來自康熙購物台的搞笑片段  XD。

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