On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Rob DelliBovi, Owner and CEO at RDB Hospitality Group. He shares his insights on why micromanagement is underrated when it comes to delivering exceptional service because consistency is key. We discuss the strategies Rob’s company uses to provide added value for travelers and suppliers, and Rob shares an amazing example of collaboration in the travel agent world he’s experienced recently.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- What strategies Rob’s company, RDB Hospitality, uses to provide added value for travel consumers and suppliers
- How the travel industry has shifted towards green initiatives, like offering rewards for reduced housekeeping, and why this is important
- Why micromanagement and direct access to clients is vital in delivering exceptional service in the travel and hospitality industry
- Collaborations that Rob has been involved with, including his recent experience of rallying travel agents to fight airline initiatives to encourage travelers to book direct
- Why everyone should use a travel agent rather than rely on online booking sites
Delivering Exceptional Service
I love that at the core of Rob’s philosophy is an unwavering commitment to exceptional service—every time. He discusses why today’s high-end clients are willing to pay a premium for personalized and efficient service they can rely on and how understanding and implementing attention to detail sets RDB Hospitality apart from traditional agencies.
We discuss why focusing on being taken care of and quickly resolving any issues is vital to keeping clients satisfied. Rob adds that the expectation of stellar service is foundational in maintaining client loyalty and promoting repeat business.
Staying Informed in an Ever-Changing Industry
Rob highlights various ways his team keeps abreast of the latest trends and developments, including trade shows, familiarization trips, and webinars, to ensure their customers have the best experience possible. We also discuss how the workforce shortage impacted the hotel experience immediately after the pandemic and why staff shortages are fortunately no longer a problem across most of the travel industry.
The Key to Success
Rob stressed the significance of controlling the travel process to ensure successful outcomes. With so many opportunities for discrepancies that can seriously negatively impact a client’s experience, micromanagement is crucial. He shares the importance of managing every aspect of a client’s journey, from the initial booking to the final check-out.
This control extends to intimately understanding client needs, ensuring that service levels remain high. This dedication to managing operations efficiently and meeting customer expectations is a cornerstone of RDB Hospitality’s success.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.rdbvip.com/
- LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robdellibovi/
- LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rdb-hospitality-group/
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Sandy Borowsky, Owner of Starr Bus Charter and Tours, about her journey in the tour industry as a third-generation owner and woman-owned business. She shares why technology is so important to running an efficient and profitable business and how working with competitors has led to business growth for everyone.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- How Sandy utilizes technology for efficiency and communication in her family-owned tour business
- How Sandy navigated through the company’s down-trending group department and found fresh solutions post-COVID
- Why Sandy believes that communication, honesty, and forthrightness are keys to successful partnerships
- The role technology plays in helping Starr Bus Charter and Tours overcome challenges, including rising fuel costs
- More about Sandy’s new business, College Break Bus, and how big things start from taking just one tiny step
Embracing Technology for Efficiency and Growth
I loved hearing Sandy Borowsky’s thoughts on using new technologies to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate business growth. We discuss her experiences with integrating technology and leveraging platforms like Slack to make communicating with her team simpler and quicker and why it’s so important to seek advice and recommendations from industry connections, vendors, and even competitors when weighing up which new tech tools and platforms to bring into your business.
Adapting to Industry Changes and Overcoming Challenges
As always, on the show, I’m interested to hear about the challenges faced by my guest experts in the travel industry. Sandy’s insights on the adaptability and creativity required to overcome challenges in the motor coach niche, including rising fuel prices, will be useful to many others. Her reflections on the 2008 recession and how it reshaped Starr’s approach to technology and efficiency are a useful lesson in how to learn from the past and remain agile in your business going forward—especially when times are tough.
Collaborative Partnerships and Efficient Business Practices
We dig into some of Sandy’s strategic collaborations with industry peers and how they demonstrate the importance of honest communication, trust, and embracing healthy competition as drivers for successful business relationships. Sandy shares her perspective on recognizing the value of collaboration with competitors and local companies and how they help build mutual growth and foster innovation within the travel industry.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.starrtours.com/
- LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-borowsky-61a89/
- LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starrtours/
We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, accessible destination marketer and board member of NYC Tourism + Conventions, who explains why it’s so important to create inclusive experiences for everyone with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. Lakshmee shares specific actions that any destination or attraction can take now to make themselves more accessible and provides practical advice on becoming more welcoming to people with a wide range of abilities.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- How destinations can create a great inclusive experience for all their visitors
- Why visible representation for people with disabilities is crucial in marketing campaigns
- What destination marketers can do to engage with local disability advocates for a better understanding of barriers and challenges within their cities
- How businesses and DMOs can create an inclusive internal culture to support employees with disabilities
- Why the social justice movement has influenced the way destinations think about welcoming visitors
- Upcoming projects and collaborations Lakshmee has planned to showcase inclusivity in travel
Engaging with Local Disability Advocates for Inclusive Destinations
Lakshmee advises destination marketers to actively engage with local disability advocates to better understand their cities’ barriers and challenges. She emphasizes the significance of learning from locals’ experiences and the idea of providing positive experiences for all visitors, regardless of their abilities.
Lakshmee goes on to shed light on the size and value of the disabled population as a market segment within the travel and tourism industry—and why understanding this is a crucial step towards recognizing the needs of this demographic and tailoring travel experiences to be inclusive and accessible.
Creating an Inclusive Internal Culture for Employees with Disabilities
We dig into why travel and tourism businesses and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) should foster an inclusive internal culture that supports employees with disabilities. Lakshmee stresses the importance of both internal culture and marketing representation, as well as providing accessible information externally. She highlights the lack of widespread knowledge about disability inclusion, the challenges of finding accessible facilities in the community, and how the social justice movement has significantly influenced the discourse around disability inclusion and accessibility.
A Holistic Approach to Inclusivity and Collaboration
Lakshmee shares her experience as a NYC Tourism + Conventions board member and discusses the importance of collaborating with various organizations to showcase inclusivity and accessibility for people with disabilities. We talk more about the need for a deeper and more sophisticated inclusivity work, moving beyond performative actions.
Resources:
- Website: www.accessibletravelnyc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakshmeelachhmanpersad/
We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!
This summer, I’m sharing five powerful life lessons I’ve learned since graduating high school. So join me as I discuss the importance of adopting appreciation over expectation, choosing faith over fear, managing self-talk, directing focus to cultivate positive energy, practicing radical self-belief, and find out how they can shape and enhance your personal and professional life, too.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- Why learning to appreciate the moment rather than being disappointed that an experience is not as you expected can lead to a happier life and a more positive outlook
- How having faith can empower you and open up new opportunities
- The power of self-talk and the impact it has on daily decisions and overall well-being
- Where focus goes, energy grows, and how shifting focus leads to a more positive mindset
- The importance of radical self-belief – and why you should remember that everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time!
Choose Faith Over Fear
On the show, I discuss how the acronym F.E.A.R. (False Expectations Appearing Real) reminds us of the illusion fear often creates and how it inhibits progress. Fear can disguise itself as being cautious, strategic, or deliberate. But it is a roadblock, and once you move through it, you’re opening yourself up to so many more opportunities.
I want to remind you to have faith in your decisions. When you choose faith over fear, you trust yourself and those around you to make the best decisions possible, which I know will make you feel happier and more confident.
Where Focus Goes, Energy Grows
The adage “where focus goes, energy grows” serves as a guiding principle for personal and professional endeavors, and I’m reflecting on redirecting attention from negative to positive stimuli and the impact of intentional focus.
On the show, I also share why you should practice radical self-belief. You must believe in yourself at all costs because when you believe in yourself, your decisions in life and your ability to achieve your dreams will become so much easier. Although there may be times when you feel like an imposter or like you don’t belong when you start to feel that way, remind yourself that everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time! Believe in yourself, and you can achieve your dreams.
Resources:
- Jenny Feterovich On Capturing The American Dream And Building An Entrepreneurial Life: https://robertglazer.com/elevate-podcast/jenny-feterovich-start-up/
We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!