Clients
LRA works across industry verticals and on projects of various size and scope with one common thread - helping clients deliver exceptional customer experiences.
At LRA, we are very proud of the clients that we have helped. Our client list represents companies and brands large and small, globally-recognized and less well-known, all with the desire to differentiate themselves from the competition based on customer experience. The client relationships described in the following project capsules and case studies run the gamut from full Customer Experience Management engagements to more focused projects utilizing only one of our CEM solutions. Most client engagements come with a good story or two...as well as a satisfied client eager to discuss their LRA experience.
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Interested in learning more about LRA's Customer Experience Management solutions?
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Some of the most buzz-worthy brands in hospitality operate under the Starwood umbrella, and LRA helps ensure the buzz stays worthy, from Boston to Bangkok. The LRA Brand Assurance program makes sure the Sheraton Service Promise is kept, the Westin Heavenly Bed is truly celestial, and that W Hotels truly can deliver Whatever/Whenever. With an active role on each brand's standards committee, LRA ensures that the brands remain cutting edge and the individual properties remain just as sharp.
Ritz-Carlton Club
The name of the game in the luxury vacation ownership business is owner satisfaction and sales, and even a brand with the strength of Ritz-Carlton needs a little bit of extra insight into what elements of the experience drive those two outcomes. Ritz-Carlton Club turned to LRA to help better understand the valued elements of the prospect and owner experience and how those elements translated into happy customers, a steady stream of referral business and bottom-line growth.
Giorgio Armani
LRA has served in several roles in support of the international fashion icon, most prominently with the Giorgio Armani Café division, conducting mystery shops of the café experience at 14 locations across four continents. For this project, LRA recruits, trains and certifies independent contractors who are rigorously screened to fit the demographic profile of an Armani customer. More recently, LRA was called in to consult on the pre-opening of the flagship Giorgio Armani Hotel in Dubai, UAE, proving customer experience and fashion sense go hand in hand.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
The LRA - Hyatt relationship operates on several different levels. LRA's Quality Assurance & Mystery Shopping Group conducts Hyatt's QA program, a comprehensive site visit that scores service and facility elements for multiple brands, and conducts periodic service-only “Mystery Shops” for select properties in between QA visits. LRA's Research Group works with Hyatt on a variety of initiatives, including several high-exposure ad hoc research studies and an ongoing project with Hyatt Vacation Club to measure the efficacy of the sales process. The goal - identify the key drivers of purchase intent in order to convert interest into ownership.
ARAMARK
LRA works with multiple lines of business within the ARAMARK Corporation, a global leader in foodservice and facility management, on a variety of projects, ranging from the development and implementation of hospitality service standards and business processes, to conducting research programs, to the development of complex "Knowledge Base" websites. Within ARAMARK, LRA has worked with the Stadiums & Arenas, Parks & Resorts, Healthcare, Higher Education, Senior Living, Business Services, Conventions & Cultural Attractions and ARAMARK Harrison Lodging divisions.
ClubCorp
ClubCorp is The World Leader in Private Clubs, with nearly 160 golf courses, country clubs, private business and sports clubs, and resorts owned and/or managed worldwide. With that many assets, ClubCorp needs some assistance in ensuring the member/guest experience lives up to expectations and LRA provides that assurance at all of the ClubCorp golf clubs in the U.S. with a comprehensive mystery shopping program. From the pro shop all the way to the 19th Hole, LRA helps ClubCorp remain on par…or even birdie!
International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation (ISC) owns and operates 14 motorsports entertainment facilities throughout North America - including the iconic Daytona International Speedway, and runs the 19 NASCAR events held at these sites. With competition for the entertainment dollar at an all-time high, ISC works with LRA to measure the NASCAR race fan experience with a comprehensive post-race survey so as to ensure that fans come back for the next race, tell their friends...and the bleachers remain filled.
Grupo Posadas
Mexico's best-known hotel company was struggling with inconsistent service delivery across 80-plus properties and five brands. LRA developed a Mystery Shopping program to address the issue, but quickly realized that the deficiencies were primarily a result of inconsistent expectations. Working with the Posadas team, LRA helped overhaul Posadas' standards to create a guest experience "playbook." The result - "Prometeo," which consistently communicates expectations for guest service and turns mystery shopping data into immediate action-planning for improvement.
Station Casinos
With an increased emphasis on the lodging experience in Las Vegas, Station Casinos was interested in measuring the guest experience at its varied portfolio of hotel-casino properties in the Las Vegas market. LRA created an online system that generated a guest survey invitation upon checkout, allowing Station to gather immediate operational feedback to property-level operators and high-level oversight to corporate officers via a dynamic executive dashboard. LRA's advanced analysis provides longer-term strategic guidance, keeping heads in beds and the jackpots ringing.
Shell Vacations Club
Shell, one of the leaders in the timeshare industry, felt the need to take a deep dive into the prospect sales experience to identify what elements of that experience motivate prospects to purchase...and how effectively are their sales offices executing on those needs. LRA designed a dual-mode research project, conducting a prospect study on the sales experience to identify the key drivers of purchase, and then deploying a mystery shopping program to the field to measure execution and help action plan for improvement.
Intercontinental Hotels Group
The relaunch of a brand is enough to keep even the most confident hotel executive up at night - when the brand is an industry icon such as Holiday Inn, the process calls for an extra layer of assurance to make certain the new brand is performing on all cylinders. IHG turned to LRA to provide a comprehensive brand evaluation program for all Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties in the EMEA and AP regions; the results were so powerful that this one-time initiative transformed into an ongoing program for all IHG brands in EMEA and Asia Pacific.
Stowe Mountain Resort
With a $100 million capital improvement campaign yielding a new base area and five-star resort hotel, Stowe is transforming its business from a "ski mountain" to a full-service "resort." Stowe realized that a transformation of that nature doesn't occur with the facilities alone - it requires a shift in the service culture and orientation of the organization. LRA is working with Stowe to measure the Stowe guest experience and employee engagement, and use the related analysis to ensure that this ongoing transformation is a smooth ride, for clientele old and new.
Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts
When Sol Meliá, the twelfth largest hotel chain in the world, announced a strategic plan centered around "enhancing the value of its brands [and] repositioning the brands on a higher level," they recognized that defining the internal brands would be as important as marketing externally. Meliá contacted LRA to run six distinct "brand boot camps" for each of the company's hotel brands, where the desired brand image was translated into a distinct service philosophy and brand and operational standards - the foundational elements of a distinct, differentiated and branded guest experience. With the rollout of the new brand standards, LRA currently conducts Sol Meliá’s global Quality Assurance program, conducting evaluations at each of 300-plus properties worldwide.
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has set its sights on not only being the airport of choice for Bay Area travelers but the “gateway to the United States” for those passengers and airlines flying into the U.S. via the West Coast. SFO asked LRA to help assess the traveler experience at the airport and make prioritized recommendations for improvement via a study that integrated exploratory research from travelers and a site evaluation by an LRA travel consultant. SFO embraced the findings and is planning enhancements to the traveler experience that will keep the airport ahead of the crowd.
Madison Square Garden
The “World’s Most Famous Arena” embarked on an ambitious $500 million physical renovation plan and decided they want to renovate the fan experience to match. LRA conducted an extensive evaluation of the “current state” fan experience and help design, implement and reinforce a branded customer service program at the arena. Progress is measured via a Team Member survey program and extensive mystery shopping at MSG and its “sister” facilities – Radio City Music Hall, Chicago Theater and Beacon Theater. LRA helps keep the “Circle of Service” turning at MSG.
Foxwoods Resort Casino
With the development of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Foxwoods Resort Casino has been in pedal-to-the-metal growth mode. Thus the need to thoroughly capture "voice of guest" feedback to ensure that the top-notch Foxwoods guest experience was being delivered consistently across a rapidly-growing enterprise. LRA designed and launched a post-visit online survey instrument that provides both immediate guest feedback and a long-term blueprint for the optimal guest experience, allowing Foxwoods to focus on the jackpot - satisfied guests and continued growth.
Choice Hotels
Faced with dipping guest satisfaction scores and seeking to elevate the public perception of its brands, Choice Hotels turned to LRA to implement a Quality Assurance program to reinforce its brand standards. Today, LRA consults with more than 6,500 properties representing seven different brands throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, providing Choice's corporate team with a consistent measure of franchise performance and each property with a blueprint for improvement.
Accor Hotels
Accor Hotels is one of the leading global hotel companies, with more than 4,000 hotels representing 11 brands located in 90 countries throughout the world. This far-flung enterprise relies on LRA to ensure the proper guest experience is being delivered for a range of brands across a variety of locales. For one, LRA provides the Global Quality Assurance program for Sofitel Luxury Hotels and provides training for property management on how to use all of the company performance data to drive improvements; in addition, LRA conducts brand compliance audits in Asia and the UK for Novotel, Pullman and Mercure. In the United States, LRA has worked with Sofitel and Motel 6 on the Green Key Global Eco-Rating program, helping each of these brands understand that “green” and “quality” go hand in hand.
Philadelphia Marketplace/PHL
Philadelphia Marketplace is the collection of 140-plus retail and food and beverage outlets that beckons travelers at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and has helped the airport rocket up industry passenger satisfaction studies. LRA and Philadelphia Marketplace have partnered on an innovative performance enhancement and professional development program that meshes mystery shopping, training and coaching in the field and leadership development, all for the purpose of making those passing through PHL say “now that’s an airport I wouldn’t mind getting stuck at.”
FLIK International
FLIK, a division of the international food service giant the Compass Group, provides high-end and innovative corporate dining, catering and food service to businesses and conference centers throughout the Northeast. LRA has built a comprehensive brand assurance and management program for FLIK that helps operators deliver the promised “Platinum Service” and corporate stakeholders rest easily knowing that great food, great service and great people are not just a marketing tagline.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The PANYNJ, which oversees LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports, was faced with the realization that travelers really had a choice - i.e., regional airports and Southwest. In response, the PANYNJ set about engineering a more pleasant travel experience and employed LRA to help design that experience - from the vendors to the gate agents - as well as measure its delivery via a comprehensive site audit and mystery shopping program. Though preconceived notions are hard to change, travelers are voting with their feet and their votes. Both travel volume and traveler satisfaction scores are on the rise.
Read the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Case Study
The PGA Tour's Tournament Players Clubs
With course supply far out-driving demand, the TPC embarked on a strategy to differentiate its clubs. LRA's research indicated that immaculate greens and ornate clubhouses were a must...but expected, and that service interactions - beginning at the bag drop - were the real drivers of an optimal golf experience. With that information in hand, LRA helped TPC reengineer the service elements of the golf experience, integrate guest/member satisfaction metrics into management compensation scorecards and help each individual course action plan towards increased revenue.
Carlson Hotels Worldwide
This global hospitality giant recently restarted its LRA Quality Assurance program for the Radisson brand in the United States, proving that the prodigal client can return! This time, they brought friends, as LRA will also be conducting Quality Assurance and Brand Compliance audits for Radisson Blu and Park Inn throughout EMEA via the Carlson-affiliated Rezidor Hotel Group in Brussels, Belgium.
WCI Communities
Luxury homebuilder WCI invested a great deal of time and money in re-branding around the "lifestyle" provided by a WCI home. The company quickly realized, however, that the "internal brand" - i.e., the infrastructure and training required to fulfill that expectation of "lifestyle" - needed the same care and attention. LRA worked with WCI to develop that internal brand and the optimal customer experience - from the first sales call to the first tee - and how to implement and measure it across 35-plus communities to ensure the "lifestyle" is being delivered, each and every day.
Dallas Cowboys
When you open a new $2 Billion stadium – as the Dallas Cowboys did this past fall – it comes with some outsized service expectations. LRA delivered its tested “Building Relationships” training program to the Cowboys premium seating sales and service staff to make sure each and every premium seat holder at Cowboys Stadium feels like a billion bucks. “Building Relationships” has helped more than 30+ professional sports teams strengthen their relationships with their most valuable customers.
Dover Downs
As one of the major employers in Dover, DE, the hotel-casino-racetrack complex was troubled by high employee turnover and the negative impact it was having on its reputation as an employer. LRA designed and implemented an online employee engagement study. The analysis of the key drivers of employee engagement and Dover's rapid response to employee needs stood in stark contrast to past efforts and yielded in immediate jackpot - decreased turnover, the related decrease in recruiting, hiring and training costs and a restored image as an employer of choice.
Preferred Hotel Group
The Preferred Hotel Group provides sales and marketing support for a global collection of distinctive hotels under four brands – Summit, Preferred, Boutique and Sterling. For the consumer, with the Preferred Hotel Group designation comes a peace of mind that the property in question shares the PHG commitment to excellence. LRA serves as PHG’s partner in ensuring that excellence globally; the comprehensive Quality Assurance evaluation at each affiliated property ensures that a Preferred Hotel lives up to its name.
The Grand Opera (Wilmington, DE)
The “patron experience” had long been taken for granted at performing arts venues and arenas, with the assumption that the only thing that matters is taking place on the court or stage. With increased competition for consumer’s discretionary income, however, venues like The Grand Opera are using LRA’s PatronView ™ to measure the patron experience immediately post-event across all operational “touch points” in order to better understand venue performance, patron needs and how to keep the seats filled.
Churchill Downs Incorporated
The iconic home of the Kentucky Derby felt the need to elevate its customer experience on two fronts. For one, renovations at the namesake track created some big-ticket premium seating areas and the accompanying big-ticket customer expectations. Secondly, the company had acquired a number of additional high-profile racetracks...but didn't know how to create a branded "Churchill Downs" customer experience. LRA helped CDI facilitate the creation of the "Aspire" Guest Service model, implemented the related training across the enterprise, and runs an ongoing mystery shopping program to measure compliance.
Pestana Hotels & Resorts
Pestana Hotels & Resorts is one of the top 100 hotel companies in the world, providing its guest 4- and 5-star hotel and resort experiences in cities and beaches throughout Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and Cape Verde. LRA helps Pestana to measure and enhance the guest experience on an ongoing basis, conducting a post-stay guest satisfaction and loyalty survey. The program allows Pestana management to react to survey results in real time and prioritize big-picture investments in the guest experience based on what is most important to their guests.
