Successful Front Office Upsell Incentive Programs
Successful Front Office Upsell Incentive Programs
J. Marriott Jr., a foremost member of the hospitality industry, proclaims, "Motivate them,
train them, care about them, and make winners out of them. Theyll treat customers right;
and if customers are treated right, they'll come back." A well-organized Upsell Incentive
Program within Rooms Division can exemplify virtually every sentiment conveyed by J.
Marriott Jr. The essence of the program revolves around front office agents posing a
simple question to the customer: "Would you like a better room?" A positive reply can
yield added value to the customer's lodging experience, as well as prove lucrative for the
employer and employee. Financial benefits aside, the program can also engender a
confident departmental culture predicated upon knowledge of the product and its
consumer. This article intends to: First, explain the underlying principles of "Upselling"
and exhibit optimal lodging market segments for its utility. Secondly, dissect the benefits,
pitfalls, and training associated with an Upsell program. Lastly, based on the conclusions
drawn from the analysis, create a model Upsell contract between employer and employee
that entails regulation to maximize the benefits and minimize the pitfalls. Since Upsell
programs remain internal and specific to each hotel, the details and results associated are
proprietary and protected under corporate domain. Hence, due to the limited availability
of data specific to Upsell programs, testimonials and studies conducted in regard to
incentive programs in general are drawn upon. Furthermore, having orchestrated and
participated in successful Upsell Programs at multiple properties of a prominent luxury
brand, this author can personally detail insights in attaining practical conclusions.
What is a Front Office Upsell Incentive Program?
Upselling guests at the front desk directly relates to room availability at the time of
check-in. As an example, a guest arrives at the front desk with a reservation for a
Moderate category room at rack for $250 per night for three nights. If there remains
availability for an unreserved, clean Executive suite valued at $1500, the agent has an
opportunity to propose an upgrade. By standard definition, Upselling a product simply
warrants the proposal of a higher category than the one reserved. However, Front Office
Upsell Programs differ in that the agent has the autonomy to discount the rate of the suite
when an opportunity is recognized. Thus, the agent can offer a compromised rate of
$1000 per night. If the guest accepts the proposal, the additional revenue created would
be $750 per night or $2250 in total.