Hotel “Upgrades”

Most salespeople have to travel. We've seen some of the worst and some of the best while we've been on the road. I was reading USA Today the other day and I thought of all of you - my fellow road warriors. The article - part of the regular feature on Business Travel - that piqued my interest talked about the things we've lost as hotels "upgrade." Here are a few of the things I miss. Some you may remember...some you may not...

Brass Room Keys - Now we get high-tech swipe keys that only work when they're at the held at the right angle and move at the right speed. I guess it's cheaper when we forget to turn in the plastic key than the heavy, brass ones.

I don't know about you, but it's awfully nice when putting my shoes on isn't a wrestling match. Before hotels got rid of shoehorns, I could just slip on my loafers with ease.

Windows that open - Industry experts say that the problem here is liability. If a person can open a window, that means he can also fall out of it. Seal ‘em up and save a buck. I guess it probably lowers heating/air-conditioning costs, too.

Customer Service - My good friend Steve McCreedy talked about a tough time he had the other day when he was on the road. I can understand a company that saves money by getting rid of things like wake-up calls and brass keys, but never, ever, ever give up customer service. It's really the only thing that matters.

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