< Back to Aritcles and News <

How Customer Advisory Boards Are Helping Bureaus
Provide Higher Service Levels

Remember when you used to pull into a gas station and didn’t have to pump your own gas? Not only did the attendant fill your tank for you, but also washed your windows, and checked your oil and tire pressure. It’s that kind of full-service treatment that many innovative convention and visitor bureaus are seeking to provide meeting planner professionals. Bureaus today have a twin focus: marketing their destinations and providing better — and the right kind of — service to planners who book their groups there. In order to understand planners’ needs, many CVBs are turning to customer advisory boards.

According to Kliman, the primary mission of the council is to "provide the feedback necessary for management to thoroughly evaluate the level of service desired and expected by the customer and subsequently to develop strategic plans relevant to implementation." It is then the responsibility of the bureau "to utilize the resulting service doctrine for the purpose of achieving sustained growth and success."

"This is about getting our clients involved with helping Toronto's meeting industry define and deliver a new paradigm in value to meeting planners, their organizations and their attendees," said Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto and TCAB chairman. "It's our intention to not only learn from these industry leaders, but also to bring in experts from other industries to share best practices."

Understanding the Customer

The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOMCVB), after more than a year of compiling information from customers on their experiences in the Crescent City, established The New Orleans National Customer Advisory Council in an effort to continually improve service execution. The feedback came from both established convention and meeting clients and those who are considering bringing business to the city. This approach offered invaluable insights into customer expectations from two completely different perspectives.

Stephen Perry, NOMCVB president and CEO, is convinced that an active council will pay healthy dividends in the form of increased convention and meeting business -- which in turn will solidify the bureau's good standing with their membership and city leadership. Perry believes that "businesses that achieve the pinnacle of success are those that understand their customers" and that "listening and adapting" to the customer is the cornerstone of a thriving service industry organization.

According to Perry, it is also critically important to nurture the development of "business partnerships" throughout the community in order to respond to the customer. "When all aspects of the hospitality industry work in concert, the resulting product provides customer satisfaction begetting repeat business."

One area the council is currently focusing on is trans-portation. "The council is considering the challenges of administering taxi cab regulation," said Kitty Ratcliffe, executive vice president of the NOMCVB. "We have numerous taxi companies operating within the city, and it is imperative for us to be able to offer service that is consistent from one operator to another -- in terms of driver knowledge and friendliness, appearance and cleanliness of the vehicle. We feel that the council can make recommendations which will afford us the opportunity to improve on an already excellent service."

The Big Easy is, of course, not the only player in the game. Other cities with established boards/councils include, and are not limited to, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, and Phoenix. Mark Theis, vice president of conventions for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, was most enthusiastic about the progress and achievements of its council, which is now in its fourth year of operation.

"We have 15 to 18 core customers who comprise our council membership. They serve staggered three-year terms. At the inception, council membership consisted exclusively of representatives from trade associations; however, we now have members from the corporate community." Unlike the New Orleans council structure, San Francisco limits council participation to "regular San Francisco users," not potential customers of the city.

Theis said that council involvement helps "build a sense of ambassadorship and pride of ownership. The staff learns firsthand about member expectations and from that is able to construct blueprints on exactly how to achieve the goals presented. This is most critical as they hold us accountable for execution and positive results. They also give us an insight into the competition."

A Louder Voice at City Hall

The stature of the Council membership also gives the Bureau a "louder voice at city hall," Theis said. "When we need a street closed for a film shoot or parade, our request seems to get attention that is even more rapid than is customary. They assist us in communicating with both city management and elected city officials by helping us to substantiate the vital nature of providing kid-glove service."

One of the most significant accomplishments of the council involves its assistance in strengthening the bureau's mutually beneficial relationship with local trade unions, "specifically at the Moscone Center." In addition, "council membership has encouraged the development of a model which is being used by a third-party housing audit service to assist both convention and meeting planners and our staff to account for accommodations booked outside established room blocks as coordinated by our housing service. In the past, these rooms have fallen through the cracks. This service allows our customers to more accurately count room pick up, and it gives our staff a more complete picture of the total economic impact of a particular piece of business."

Defining Customer Service Strategies

CHRISTINE SHIMASAKI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND marketing for the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, is bullish on the productivity of its board, established in 1996. According to Shimasaki, "professional facilitators are key to the success that we have enjoyed with the San Diego Hotel Meeting Advisory Board." She added, "Our staff is encouraged to bring ideas, some of which are only half baked, to the board. Their input offers us a completely different perspective on these suggestions, and the resulting dialogue helps staff to either fine-tune or eliminate the proposals. This process is extremely beneficial in helping us define the customer service strategies that we employ."

One of the most innovative programs the bureau has implemented based on board involvement has been the "development of a venue search feature which is incorporated into the 'Plan a Meeting' menu on our Web site," Shimasaki said. Another benefit for planners is "our iService program which can be accessed through the home page of our Web site." She explained, "iService gives planners the ability to profile their exact needs over the Internet. They are able to state what they need, when they want the information, and to whom it should be conveyed. This allows our customers to communicate with us on their terms and at their convenience."