Chances are, you didn’t want to risk something unfamiliar. Going with the chain provided a consistent level of service and product you could expect.

The business did that by building and following systems. Every single time. Around the world. Procedures that specified down to the last detail how your experience was created.

Predictability is crucial for building loyalty. Nothing turns people off faster than experiencing great service the first time, only to be disappointed the second time.

Let me ask you: How do you provide predictable excellence?

(I’m looking to explore this subject a little deeper in the future. Do you know any great hotel operations experts I could talk with?)

Of course, the solution isn’t to avoid all forms of online interaction. Social media can serve as a powerful channel for your staff to serve guests.

The Internet marketing managers at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City have developed a web presence that shows what’s possible when social media is done right. Through a dedicated website, blog, Facebook fan page, YouTube channel, Flickr photo stream, and a Twitter account with over 3,000 followers, the hotel is able to build loyalty and attract attention using social media.

And then there’s the vast majority of hotels that have either a nonexistent or a mediocre social media presence. The problem there is that their social media campaign is so boring it doesn’t attract any attention: negative or positive. They’re simply not on the radar.

This is why a social media policy is so important

A good social media policy serves as a roadmap for encouraging your staff to take part in promoting your hotel online…but also serves as a safeguard against tarnishing your brand’s reputation. It recognizes that social media is by definition a personality-powered platform. It encourages your staff to actively participate in spreading the word about your organization online.

It’s not so much a set of rules as it is a written philosophy to clarify your engagement strategy.

The two parts of a good social media policy

In my mind, a social media policy should serve two functions:

1. Explain how to interact with others in social media
2. Provide guidelines on producing content for distribution

First, explain how to interact with others

Be a good listener. Take time to understand other’s point of view and handle criticism well. Accept that people will inevitably post negative comments at some point. Understand how to manage it, rather than avoiding or being defensive.

When replying to others, be honest and straightforward. Be conversational and avoid corporate jargon and rehearsed marketing pitches.

Before posting responses to challenging issues it may be helpful to get a second opinion from another employee. Make sure the response is appropriate before you post it — because once something is posted to the web, it’s usually on there for good. Where appropriate, have a system for including management in this process.

If you do not know enough about a situation, say so. But make it clear you will do your best to promptly investigate and take appropriate action.

Try to stay away from arguments that could damage your brand. At times, it can be best to take a complaint offline and settle things directly with the person who made the comment. You might assign a customer service or public relations specialist to bring a quick resolution.

Second, provide guidelines for producing social media content

Be careful that you do not disclose any private or confidential information.

Never smear your organization’s reputation. Social media requires you be honest, candid, and transparent. But as you do that, it’s important to avoid spreading unnecessary information that can lead to a bad reputation. Some things are better resolved within the organization… and don’t need to be shared with the world.

Consider putting together best practices documents for each of your major social media initiatives. For example…

• Blog — update biweekly, write about behind-the-scenes insight information that guests would find interesting
• Twitter — update three times daily, search queries to proactively reach out.
• Flickr — add new photos weekly, moderate comments and submit to appropriate groups.
• YouTube — add new videos bimonthly, cross post to hotel blog
• Facebook — update weekly, add photos and videos from other sites as appropriate, interact with fans

Use your good judgment in creating content.

Terry Moran, the ABC anchor who leaked Barack Obama’s “off the record” remark about Kanye West being a “jackass” certainly attracted a lot of attention, but may not have used good judgement in sharing that private conversation on Twitter. Apparently that’s what ABC News thought, and they had to issue a formal apology.

Avoid unnecessary rules in your social media policy

Don’t tie your people up in red tape. Unnecessary bureaucracy stifles the kind of creative environment needed for your organization to flourish in social media.

In most cases, less is more. Simple is best.

A few more things to remember

Protect yourself, but be careful of going too far.

Collaborate and involve your staff in writing your social media policy. Getting their input and feedback will help them take ownership and responsibility for it.

Training your staff in general guest service principles carries over to online and social media participation. It’s one of the best investments that you can make — from a management and marketing perspective.

More resources

If you’re in the process of planning your social media strategy, here are some cornerstone articles I’ve written about social media marketing fundamentals:

• Lessons in building your hotel’s internet fanbase
• 5 tips for turning social media traffic into sales
• Beating Negative Hotel Reviews: An Action Plan for Proactive Reputation Management
• Creating a hotel social media management routine

[Photo credit: earcos]

As of July 2009, The Egerton House Hotel is currently the number one guest-rated London hotel on TripAdvisor.  I recently met Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotel Collection, to try to understand how it got there.

This group runs a stunning 4 of TripAdvisor’s top 6 London hotels at present, including the Egerton House.  It’s an enviable position to be in.

But the focus here is on the Egerton House: this is after all the current “number 1″  and was also the venue of our meeting.  How did a relatively unsung and small (30 bedrooms) hotel make it to the top of the charts?

Before revealing some answers, let’s peek at a few recent TripAdvisor guest comments which have lifted the Egerton House to top spot:

The above comments clearly highlight that staff at the Egerton House possess bucketloads of character and charisma.

From what Mr Raggett told me this is not accidental.

They consciously recruit “characters” with personality and flair.  So for example you have Antonio at the hotel’s bar who is famous for his martinis.

Head Barman Antonio struts his stuff at the cosy Egerton House bar

Then there is Alex who not only checks you in but may also sing at your table!  There’s also friendly Murat – one of the managers who cheerfully showed me around the hotel.

All the staff I ran into had a calm and relaxed attitude.  This isn’t always the case in luxury hotels which often have an overbearing formality in the air.

The staff here seem to be driven by an expectation of success rather than a fear of failure.  This frees them to be themselves and excel.

I also noticed that the hotel cultivates a distinctly cosy and intimate atmosphere – helped by its small size.

It’s a place that doesn’t stand on ceremony and is rather a hotel where guests can simply chill out, unwind and feel pampered.

Mr Raggett told me that although great effort is made to recruit the “characters” described above, continuous training is equally critical.

There is a focus on “TNTs” (“Tiny Noticeable Touches”).  So for example, guests’ favourite drinks and newspapers are remembered, their favourite music arranged in advance in their rooms and so on.

Training is also tailored to the hotel’s specific needs and driven by continuous “mystery shopping” rather than generic standards.

This – as well as the emphasis on personalisation – echoes the approach taken by Claridge’s.  And to the extent that you can usually stay at the Egerton House for a few quid less than Claridge’s, it offers good value.

Rooms at the Egerton House have a comfy, traditional style

When I walked around to see some rooms, I found them nice but fairly standard fare for a luxury hotel.  They were immaculately presented but I don’t think you’d choose this hotel on the strength of its rooms alone.

For me the hotel’s main asset is the intimacy and warmth conveyed by the surroundings and above all the staff.  It’s a unique establishment run by a talented team with great attention to detail.

With only 30-odd rooms to supervise they know the hotel inside out and obviously feel comfortable and confident within its walls.

The manageable size also makes it easier to deliver unusually consistent performance.  And I think that this consistency and the hotel’s special intimacy are what make it a deserved number 1 on TripAdvisor.

Location-wise, Knightsbridge is one of London’s upscale neighbourhoods and very close to Harrod’s, so it is perfect for shopping trips. You’ll come back to the hotel bar with your pile of shopping bags to be greeted by one of Antonio’s G&Ts or martinis!

Rajul Chande writes about London hotels on his blog, LondonHotelsInsight.com

Josiah’s update 30 July 2009: At the time of the article’s writing, the Egerton House was #1 in London. TripAdvisor rankings change weekly, and the hotel is now at position #3. However, the two hotels that overtook it are sister properties under the same management – which makes this article’s lessons still very important.