Sales & Marketing Services - Success Stories

La Posada Hotel, Laredo, TX - Establishing Brand Standards and Documenting Standard Operating Procedures - 2007

"HVS Sales & Marketing Services worked with our hotel to create and facilitate the development of our standard operating procedures. The process began by coaching us to develop our vision, mission and creed that allow us to support and launch our marketing message and sales initiatives. Throughout the process each department created task lists detailing the activities and policies in their respective areas. Under the direction of HVS Sales & Marketing Services, we were encouraged to test our vision, mission and creed to be sure we were developing standards that supported our sales and marketing messages and encourage the highest standards of guest service. For me it is important to know that the training that takes place in our departments directly supports our sales effort. I particularly appreciated the format HVS used to direct us through this process. Now each of our managers can use their task lists and Standard Operating Procedures as tools when reviewing their employees and even as a training tool for new hires."

Norma Villanueva,
Director of Human Resources,
La Posada Hotel - Laredo, Texas

Situation
As the only independent full service hotel in its market, La Posada needed to re-energize its service and marketing as it completed a $15 million renovation. As part of the Marketing Effort it was determined that the independent hotel needed to brainstorm and document its standards for operation and guest satisfaction. La Posada ownership asked HVS Sales & Marketing Services to assist in this effort with the ultimate goal of improving guest service.

HVS Approach
HVS spent time on property with the hotel's ownership, executive committee, departments heads and key staff to encourage the team to craft a Vision, Goal, Standards Document for their hotel and a Creed, to which each employee needed to commit in order to raise the hotel's standards and encourage buy-in from the entire staff. As the key executives wrote these components to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual, they asked all members of their respective departments to contribute to this effort. HVS continually prompted and motivated the departments to add and modify their own documents. Then each department was asked to document their task lists and policies/procedures needed to fulfill those tasks. HVS returned to the property, after it edited and assembled the departmental and hotel manuals to train each department to the SOP's and the process culminated with a ceremony/celebration for the employees to sign the pledge.