News & Resources
Press Releases
Baymont Inns & Suites Retains LRAWorldwide to Help Enhance Brand Performance
New Performance Scorecard to Measure and Improve Guest Satisfaction and Loyalty
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin/HORSHAM, Pennsylvania; July 2, 2001 - Baymont Inns & Suites, a leading mid-priced segment hotel brand, announced today that it has retained LRAWorldwide, to design and implement a customized brand assurance program to measure and enhance all aspects of the brand's performance as a basis for improving guest satisfaction, brand loyalty and hotel profitability. LRAWorldwide is a leading global provider of specialized quality assurance, brand performance, customer satisfaction and related consulting services.
"During the past two years, we have successfully transitioned our brand from the economy to the mid-market segment," said James Abrahamson, Baymont Inns & Suites president and chief operating officer. "Our focus has been on upgrading properties and installing new systems, and we now are ready to implement the sophisticated tracking and systems necessary to measure our performance and provide a roadmap to enhance our brand integrity and performance."
Abrahamson said that LRA will provide leading edge training and associate development programs to allow Baymont to continue improving service to help the company achieve its goal of being best in class in the mid-priced segment. "This program goes beyond the standard checklist approach many hotel brands use today," he said. "We use performance measurement as a proactive tool and a training resource. Rather than catch associates doing something wrong, we strive to make it right the first time."
"Our goal is to help Baymont ensure consistency and excellence in product and service delivery through a comprehensive brand assurance program," said Robert Rush, president and ceo of LRAWorldwide. "We are creating proprietary programs to align the brand's promise, corporate values and culture with Baymont standards, training initiatives, performance measures, reporting and learning in the field. Baymont's clear objective is to become best in class in their category, and these processes will help Baymont achieve that goal."
LRAWorldwide also will introduce an innovative quality assurance program and design and deliver training programs to enhance Baymont product and service excellence, as well as help coordinate the brand's overall training activities. In addition, LRAWorldwide and Baymont will deploy a multi-dimensional performance measurement index, called the Baymont Balanced Scorecard. It will aggregate all of the key Baymont hotel performance measurements, including quality assurance audits, guest satisfaction surveys, employee surveys, consumer affairs, and Smith Travel Research STAR data; which will be cross-referenced to financial performance.
Abrahamson said that the scorecard will give the brand a total picture of each individual property and the system as a whole. "Accurate performance data will enable us to provide the appropriate guidance to our own general managers and franchises and enhance the brand experience at all levels for our guests," he said. "The scorecard also will allow us to track and reward superior performance and target training to areas where individual properties need the most help."
Rush said that each component of the Scorecard index will be tailored to Baymont and its customer base. "We will integrate each segment over time and build in the appropriate systems and training components to enhance brand performance," he noted. "When fully implemented, it will be as comprehensive as any program in the industry."
About Baymont Inns & Suites
Baymont Inns & Suites is a division of the Milwaukee-based Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS). The company currently operates or franchises 183 Baymont Inns & Suites in 30 states and seven Woodfield Suites. The company's movie division includes 482 movie screens in the Midwest and a family entertainment center in Wisconsin. Its Marcus Hotels & Resorts division owns or manages 11 hotels and resorts across the United States. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.marcuscorp.com.
About LRA Worldwide, Inc.
LRA Worldwide, Inc. is a leading consulting, organizational development and research company that specializes in Customer Experience Management (CEM). LRA helps companies and brands design and deliver the optimal customer experience across all key touch points using an integrated suite of services that measure and improve service quality, customer satisfaction, employee performance, loyalty, customer advocacy and profitability. LRA specializes in "operationalizing the brand" - turning brand promise and customer strategy into operational reality. LRA's CEM practice areas include CEM Strategy Design, Standards Development & Content Management, Organizational Development & Training, Research and Quality Assurance & Mystery Shopping; these are either deployed together in a strategic manner to continually monitor and improve the customer experience or deployed individually to address a specific tactical client need.
LRA's clients include some of the world's leading companies and brands, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, the PGA TOUR, Albertsons Supermarkets, the NBA and First Niagara Financial Group. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.LRAworldwide.com
# # #
