In terms of value for money, UK hotels are among the worst in Europe, with only those in Denmark and Norway keeping us from the bottom of the likeable league. In Britain, according to online booking agency hotel.info, Coventry gives you the least bang for your buck.
If you want the very best value for money, the company says, you should head to the Czech Republic, Portugal or Poland, while the best of British are to be found in Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool.
Guests booking through hotel.info are asked to rate their experience on a scale of one to ten – the higher the mark, the greater the perceived value. Czech hoteliers racked up an average score of 8.13 points, while their UK counterparts managed only 6.92.
Of course, it’s all very subjective. One guest’s idea of value may be very different from another’s; hotel.info’s clients may just dislike the UK; “average” scores mean nothing – there are some truly naff hotels about, but they don’t feature in the rankings because no-one books into them.
Even so, while the numbers might not add up, the underlying premise of the study raises some interesting issues, and not just for those in the hospitality industry.
At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, “value for money” is not the same as “cheap”. That infantile daub stuck on the fridge door may have cost next to nothing, but many a parent would argue that it is intrinsically more valuable than anything that Picasso ever knocked out.
While “price” is simply matter of maths, “value” involves an emotional connection, and in the business context that means going the extra mile. There’s a world of difference between keeping your customers satisfied, and making them happy.
Personally, I can’t stand prawn crackers, but I’m invariably pleased (although not as pleased as the dog!) when they arrive – free of charge – with our Chinese takeaway order. That drink “on the house” is always welcome. Cheerful check-out staff make my day.
In business terms the cost is negligible, even non-existent, but the potential benefits are enormous.
This month marks the start of the third year of Ryanair’s “Always Getting Better” campaign. In 2014, chief executive Michael O’Leary publicly renounced his disdain for the budget airline’s hapless passengers, and promised to adopt a more user-friendly approach.
Profits soared. Even Mr O’Leary claims that he had never known that “being nice” could be so lucrative. Few of us are in the same financial league as the Ryanair boss, but there is a very obvious lesson to be learnt, an example to be emulated.
If hotel.info’s assessments are to be believed, the UK’s hospitality sector should take note – and so should everyone else. Barrister or barmaid, welder or waiter, accountant or acupuncturist, all should wake up to the fact that the term “value for money” has a second connotation.
You provide the value, and there’s a strong chance that your clients will provide the money…
Editor’s note: For further information, please contact Simon Scarborough on 07801 571357 or at simon@simonscarboroughassociates.co.uk.