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Summit Hotels and Resorts newest Quality Assurance Programme to be branded QXL
Outsourcing destined to take Summit's Brand to new levels
LONDON, U.K./HORSHAM, Pennsylvania; April 26, 2002 - Summit Hotels & Resorts, the luxury international hotel collection, has announced the appointment of U.S. based company LRA Worldwide to conduct an audit of all Summit properties measuring service levels and 'ambience'. This is the first time that Summit has outsourced its quality assurance programme, which will be branded QXL – Quality and Excellence.
LRA Worldwide will implement the QXL programme across Summit's entire portfolio of 160 hotels worldwide - ensuring that the standards of member hotels are consistent and predictable. In addition, hotel staff will benefit from the training and development opportunities created by a regular inspection and feedback process.
Summit has outsourced the QXL programme as part of its on-going campaign to champion the independent hotel and offer a real alternative to the chains. Global chains aim for consistency through the implementation of identical operating standards and product at each property. Summit's member hotels offer individual experiences, with consistency achieved through quality and excellence of service. QXL will independently ensure that high standards are maintained across the group.
Geoff Andrew, Managing Director of Summit Hotels & Resorts remarked, "We are committed to providing our many guests around the world with memorable and distinctive experiences with all Summit hotels. The QXL programme was designed to support our team's efforts to build a world-class brand. QXL encompasses a rigorous inspection and assessment of all key elements of our member hotels, in order to ensure that our hotels meet and exceed the brand's best-in-class hospitality standards."
"We are extremely pleased to be assisting Summit Hotels & Resorts on this important project", said John Roberto, Executive Vice President of LRA Worldwide. "Summit's QXL programme will help ensure excellence in product and service delivery through a comprehensive brand assurance programme. Every element that influences a guest's satisfaction with a Summit hotel will be carefully inspected and measured as part of this process."
About Summit Hotels & Resorts
Summit Hotels & Resorts is a collection of over 160 luxury, independently-owned hotels located in more than 125 city centers and resorts worldwide. Each individual Summit hotel member has an established reputation as among the world's finest hotels, reflecting the best of local culture and offering exceptional service and facilities. Summit Hotels & Resorts provides its hotel members with global sales, marketing and reservations services, including worldwide Internet distribution and cutting-edge technology services tailored to the hotel industry.
Guests enjoy additional benefits with Summit Hotels & Resorts, such as frequent-flyer miles through its partnerships with 12 international airlines, as well as with American Express and Avis car hire.
Summit Hotels & Resorts is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chicago-based IndeCorp Corporation, a privately held, for-profit, shareholder-owned company designed to protect and sustain independent hotel brands in the global marketplace.
For more information, visit Summit's web site at www.summithotels.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
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