Why Do You Keep Going Back?

Eat. Drink.

Client recognition is so important. It keeps customers returning to your place versus trying out a new option. Competition has always been fierce, but it will be even more so once your doors fully open and people are ready to entertain again. 

When defining “recognition”, I do not mean seeing a customer’s face and remembering it. Recognition to me is actually creating a dossier on your most important customers, either via your memory or with a ballpoint pen and paper and noting everything important to them. By showing your customers you remember their likes and dislikes on their second visit, you are actually showing them you are observant, listen and genuinely care. This will bring them back a third, fourth and infinite number of times. You will create a customer for life.

Inspire

I just returned to Puerto Vallarta after 11 months away. Everyone asks me why I love it here. I always give the same answer, “I love the people in Puerto Vallarta”. Of course, there is the natural beauty of sandy beaches, great weather and stunning mountains. There is also fresh and delicious seafood, fruits, vegetables and of course, margaritas. However, it is visiting the friendly faces at my same old stomping grounds that make me the happiest.  

I arrived in PV at noon today. After unpacking my suitcases, I headed out for a walk to see what has changed during this pandemic year. I was hopeful that all my regulars were still in business and employed. Luckily, everyone I looked for was not only “surviving”, but also adjusting to this new way of doing business. They also exemplify why I come back year after year, just in the manner of how they reacted to my arrival:

My Favorite Juice Vendor – He remembered my daily order of mixing fresh grapefruit and oranges, always on ice. I ordered a small to take on my stroll. As he was about to squeeze, I realized I hadn’t visited the ATM yet. I had a quick panic and said “wait … I don’t have any pesos!”.  He just looked at me and said, “No problemo, pay me tomorrow when I see you again”. I will pay him with a little extra when I get my juice tomorrow morning.

My Favorite Bartenders – I stopped by Joe Jack’s to say hello to Tony and Adi. They told me they would have a seat waiting for me at the bar later on so we could catch up. I told them I would be back at 6pm.

My Favorite Pharmacist – I stopped in to say hello to Freddy. I was sick with bronchitis last year when I was in PV and Freddy healed me. He was in his normal spot behind the counter. I told him “I hope I really don’t have to see you much this year Freddy”.

My Favorite Beach Club – I visited La Carreta to say,“hola” to the entire gang. Ricardo, Enrique, Manuel and Romy were all there. We didn’t hug each other as we normally do, but we did catch up and have lots of laughs. They told me they would have my table ready for me tomorrow at 9am in the front row. They even asked if I wanted the same set up as last year. 

My Favorite Restaurant – After my margarita at Joe Jack’s, I headed over to Don Chava and Tre Piatti for dinner. Ulises, Chanan, Natalie and Daniel were all there, as lovely as ever. As I always do, I sat down and asked what I would be eating and drinking that evening. They took it from there.

This was just my first day and I still have a few more stops to make. I also know I am a paying customer to everyone I wrote about above. They don’t make me feel that way though. They make me feel like a friend and that they care. I also know I will make even more new friends this year. This is the magic of Puerto Vallarta. My community continues to grow each and every year I return. Sure, eighty degrees is wonderful to escape to every December, but I will take these warm conversations with my “old” friends over the great weather any day.

Snap Out of It! … Is Next Year Ready to Roll?

Eat Drink

Have you set your 2021 revenue goals yet? If not, do it today. You should have started setting this goal sixty days ago. Covid-19 shouldn’t be an excuse.

If you have listened to any of my Catersource classes or read any of my previous blogs, I have always recommended sales leadership start next year’s goal setting process in August to have a revenue number by the end of the year (assuming you run a calendar fiscal year). This allows everyone in the organization to be ready to roll with sales and production for the next year immediately after the holidays the first week in January. Typically, as caterers, our end-of-year is so busy with production that the thought of sitting at a desk and running numbers from October thru December seems impossible. Why August? The numbers created in August go through several rounds of negotiations between sales team members, owners and department heads before agreement; hence the five month lead time.

So what is Covid going to do to your 2021 number? Figure it out. You have to start somewhere. Your company needs structure and guidance to move forward and make decisions. Don’t sweat it either. Numbers typically change throughout the year.  At least you get the ball rolling.

Sales Leaders: Here are five general tips to get this number done now!

1. Confirm What the Company is Going to be in 2021*

   Covid has given the company the opportunity to change product lines – do you know what your team is selling?

2. Identify Your Leadership and Management Team*

   Do they have what it takes to get you there? Are they already leading the change?

3. Make Sure Your Culinary, Service and Operations Team are Trained & Ready*

   Who, what and when will they be available to produce what your team is selling?

4. Determine a Realistic Revenue Number**

   What are your fixed costs and what are profitability goals? What is already on the books?

5. Determine your 2021 Sales Team – Think Tight**

   Who do you need to get you to that revenue number and how will their role change in 2021?

*Ownership and other department heads are imperative in developing these first three core decisions that affect sales structure

**Sales Leaders – it is very important to lead these last two steps via history, data, client relationships and trusting your gut!

Bonus Tip!! Be real and honest when setting your revenue number. Over-inflating an unrealistic revenue goal will only encourage unnecessary spending that nobody has the luxury of right now. Be conservative yet bold enough to push your team to sell and not wait for the orders to come in.

INSPIRE

“Snap Out of It!”

I’ve had to tell myself “snap out of it!” every now and then when I’ve had my own “woe is me” moments these past eight months. This year has been brutal since March. Agonizingly painful. No other way to say it. But you know what? I love this industry. I love sales. I love consulting. I love educating. It fuels me. And I am going to continue to do so. How? By practicing what I preach.

I have set my 2021 goals. I have set my 2021 budget. I have worked through similar steps as recommended above. I have also challenged myself to think about our industry and what will become of it. I know this much about myself and my future:

1. I will continue to offer Fulton Market Consulting’s existing services to clients while also providing new products to markets that may have not used a consultant in the past.

2. In my first three years of business, I have been able to continue my passion for educating as well as travel, allowing me to work with clients all over North America. I will expand this further and am excited for new opportunities ahead.

3. I will work on a stripped down, bare bones budget for 2021 to cover my expenses. I will run lean and not overspend until clients start re-investing in training, education and consulting more than they have in 2020.

4. Hospitality is in my blood. It has been for 35 years now. I cannot imagine doing anything else and never will. I will continue to support and encourage our industry’s comeback, mainly for the amazing people that are so talented and dedicated to their craft, working long hours & putting in the years as well, creating memorable experiences for us all.

I am ready to roll.

It’s ALL Sales, Baby

Eat Drink

Every single person working in the hospitality industry should acknowledge one important fact. We all are always selling. The entire team. Not just people with “sales” in their title. Every employee at the organization affects the sale and hence the customer experience. In today’s world of many choices, a customer’s initial experience needs to make a positive first impression and also be memorable enough to make them want to return a second time.

Effective communication is a crucial element of successful sales. What you say and how you say it influences a customer’s feelings about the products and services you provide. (Of course, body language and non-verbal actions also speaks volumes). Leadership must train every single employee how to relate and verbally communicate with their customers. This art of client conversation will become easier for each employee as they grow more confident and practice this important skill.

When I work with clients on proactive sales techniques, I often encourage the culinary team to be part of closing the sale. This means inviting the chef into the tasting room or joining the initial client meeting. I never accept any justification for why a chef cannot come out and meet the client. We are selling food.  Customers love talking about the creative design of the food and the ingredients needed to make each dish.  A chef is going to be the most impactful “salesperson” to make this customer feel welcome and ready to sign. Chefs need to be client-ready at all times.

The perspective you gain from all team members communicating with clients is priceless. It also enhances an appreciation for each other’s departments while showing the customer the complete package of your entire organization. It’s a team effort. It’s ALL sales, baby!

Inspire

Montana is spectacular. As a first time visitor, I was amazed by the natural beauty and vast, open spaces.  As a tourist, I was excited to try all the great restaurants, brewpubs and bars I read about when researching which cities to visit.

“But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space ... Not a great start to what could be a great experience.”

Bozeman, Montana was one such city. There was a great energy to Bozeman and it’s popular Main Street had several dining options to explore. We decided to try a well-reviewed Italian restaurant on the main strip. I made a reservation the day prior because it appeared to have a crowd nightly.

We showed up for our 7:45 reservation on time. The vibe, smells and overall buzz was great. I gave my name to the host and she said “give me a minute”. She came back with menus in her hand and said, “we are ready to seat you”. She walked us to our table in a connected annex side room. This space had a different feel and energy but was perfectly fine. The table she walked us to was between the bar and an open door with a great breeze passing through.

“Are you going to be okay with this table right here? This is all I have. Unfortunately I had another table held for you but the guests haven’t even ordered yet because we are so busy. Sarah should be over once she finishes taking their order.”

Really?  My response was, “Do we have a choice?”. There was an awkward moment when I looked at my dining companions and said, “Are you guys okay here? Do you want to wait for “our” table or keep this one?”.  We opted for the annex table because we were hungry.

We were fine with the table before she said anything.  We were actually excited to be in this cool restaurant.  But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space. She also implied that service was going to be slow. Not a great start to what could be a great experience.

This is what she should have said:

“I have this great table for you. I hope you like our new annex. We are so excited to have this space. We built this because people wanted another option from the main dining room. It’s a more airy, open space that’s closer to the bar. I put you near the door too so you can catch that cool breeze. I hope that is okay!  As you can see, we are pretty busy but I will get Sarah over here to get your drink order right away. In the meantime, look over the menu and let me know if you have any questions. I am going to grab you some water just to get things started for you.”

It’s ALL sales, baby.

Don’t Be a Sourpuss

Eat Drink

We are all going through a really tough time. As a business owner, I have never seen anything like this. Besides managing my business, I also am my company’s salesperson. I direct all outbound initiatives and programs to drum up new activity. In some ways, I am going back to my initial days of my sales career and figuring out scrappy new ways of finding clients. I love it. I also love that my own prospecting work allows me insight to share with my clients as they should be selling right now too.

This is what I have learned. Don’t be a sourpuss. Everyone is going through a hard time right now. (I shouldn’t say everyone. I’d actually like to own a teleconferencing or toilet paper company right about now, but you get the point). What I am getting at is that everyone is struggling. Owners, managers, employees, customers, buyers, you name it. So as a salesperson, walking in and talking about your troubles just isn’t going to make the sale.

Stand out. Be positive. Be a ray of light. Talk about your great product. Talk about good things. Enough gloom and doom. Be the happiest, most memorable salesperson out there. People want to work with someone they want to be around. You will be the first person they call when it’s time to place an order.

Inspire

I have been in Chicago since March 13th. I have never been home for such a long stretch of time. I was getting a little stir-crazy not being able to travel as much as I am used to. Finally, the weather warmed up so I was able to take my daily walks to enjoy the fabulous architecture of my beautiful city on the lake. 

A recent city and park district development is something called the Riverwalk. It is a two mile, uninterrupted public path along the Chicago River that takes me to Lake Michigan. It has restaurants, kayak and bike rentals, tourist boats, wine, beer and tiki bars and lots of other activities for everyone to enjoy. It’s a lovely addition to the city.

I live very close to the west end of the Riverwalk. I try to walk it daily. I start at Lake Street, walk the two miles to the lakefront and loop back. If I could play “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and skip the entire time I would. I am so happy when I do this. I think the other 99.8% of the people I see and their dogs are the same as me. We all appear to be in awe of our city’s beauty and how lucky we are that we are not dealing with cars, horns, traffic lights and interruptions during our exercise. We smile, say good morning and wave to each other. Even the security people are happy. They smile and wave to me and they are working! My day starts great, even before I see Jermaine at Starbucks. See my past blog “The Human Touch”.

There is one woman I see every day on my walk. She is young and serious. I have no idea what is going on in her life. It’s not my business to know. She doesn’t smile, say good morning or wave. She actually frowns every day. I smile when I walk by her. She doesn’t smile back. I feel bad for her. I hope she is okay. I really hope she’s not a salesperson. If she is, I think she better go spend a little time hanging out with the the security guards because that is who I would be buying from.

Get To Know Your Neighbors

Eat Drink

Referrals are an important part of every business. Any great salesperson knows this. Developing a “sales team” of people that do not work for you but recommend you costs you nothing.

These testimonials are more powerful than your own sales pitch. They are unbiased and come from an external source. Your only job is to make sure you deliver what your references have promised.

Start building your testimonial pool. Invite people into your business to experience what you do. This includes more than just customers. Invite your vendors and your local community to get to know you. Your neighborhood. You never know who may be able to send some business your way. You also don’t know how far their reach is to others.

Inspire

I just returned from a weekend road trip. I drove to Eastern Iowa from Chicago through Southwestern Wisconsin. I spent the first night in a small town called Verona, Wisconsin.

I picked my hotel based on what was open and had the highest TripAdvisor reviews for cleanliness & service (cleanliness is the new luxury). Upon check-in, I was asked to fill out a form for my complimentary breakfast. They were offering an individually-plated meal because the free morning buffet was closed. It was comforting to see the hotel had already made adjustments due to Covid-19.

I asked Eric at the front desk what he recommended for dinner. I had not dined out a restaurant for the past four months. I was excited yet tentative. I wondered how restaurants would be following cleanliness guidelines. Eric suggested the local bar & grill across the street. I looked out the window at what appeared to be a dive-bar. “Really, I thought?” Eric had seen this face already before. “I know it doesn’t look it, but they shut down every afternoon between 2:00-5:00 pm for a complete scrub down of the place. I watch for it every day that I am here.”

Sold!

@fultonmarketconsulting

I had the best reuben sandwich of my life with an ice cold Wisconsin beer. While I was there, I posted a picture on Instagram. It was that good. I had more likes from that post than any other in the past four months. Before I paid my bill, the owner stopped by my table to see if I enjoyed everything. I let him know my sandwich and beer were excellent and that Eric sent me over. Eric was the best non-paid salesperson on this owner’s team. Now I’m the second best non-paid salesperson on his team. Connect with me if you are going to Verona. I will tell you where to go.

What’s a Number Anyway?

Eat. Drink.

May 15th is soon approaching. I posted a blog 7 weeks ago stating that we needed to be ready for work when that date arrives. Why did I pick that date? I figured by May 15th, it would be 8 weeks later and we would all be itching to get out of quarantine. We would all be ready to get back to business. The shock and sadness of the economic & emotional damage of COVID-19 would be less severe and we would want to get back to normal as soon as possible.

I shouldn’t even say get back to business, because we have always been in business. Our business will now be different moving forward. So, let’s get to work. It’s time to focus on what we will do for the rest of the year.

How do WE do this?

Think this way. If you were a $10 million company at the end of 2019, what will you be now? A $4 million company? If you were a $1 million company at the end of 2019, will ending the year at $500,000 be okay? It is imperative to make this numeric decision for all other decisions (i.e. budgeted expenses, human resources). Sure, it is somewhat of a guess but you have to start somewhere.

Inspire.

I started my new position as Vice President of Sales one month prior to the 2008 recession. Within my first three months, I had to re-forecast the sales revenue for 2009 based on how 2008 was shaking out. I also had to decide what human resources were necessary in order to achieve that new revenue goal (as well as several other things). This re-forecast number affected all other departmental decisions as well.

We had to make tough calls to come through that financial crisis. We made things lean and started to build back up methodically. Times were not always easy and the team needed to trust me. If 2007 was my yardstick for the last “normal” year, we set a goal to hit that “normal” by 2012. We knew 2009 would be tough but we made the three-year commitment and stuck to it. Our goal-setting was effective; we exceeded each previous year’s revenue goal, but most importantly, we actually became more profitable.

I say to all my clients, “a revenue number is just a revenue number.” So many people see a large revenue number as guaranteed success. I help them look at this differently. I would easily prefer a 20% year-end profit on $2 million versus 10% profit on $4 million. It’s the same bottom line with a different hustle. It’s time to look at your company and get back to numbers that make sense moving forward. Use this time to make your company stronger than before the pandemic.

Do the Right Thing

Eat. Drink.

Empowering employees is one of the most powerful things a manager or owner can do. It not only creates growth opportunities for the employee, but it also encourages leadership to delegate tasks and let things go. Employees want to be trusted and believed in.

The greatest managers understand this. They realize that if they empower their team and in turn teach this team how to communicate their successes and challenges in an honest, open dialogue, that both parties will flourish. These managers also realize that if their team is successful, they will also be successful.

Owners and managers, let it go. Learn to trust. Let your employees learn from their wins and mistakes and make decisions on their own. As you continue to let them grow, you will in turn allow yourself to work at the 35,000 foot level that gives you more freedom to make strategic decisions at the big picture level.

Inspire.

I am back in Puerto Vallarta. Last night I had a light dinner of sea bass ceviche complimented by a mineral water with a slice of cucumber. This allowed me a scoop of gelato on a sugar cone without guilt, right?

I walked to the local ice cream shop to pick my favorite flavor. I paid 40 pesos and happily walked out of the store. I strolled past a line of people waiting for dinner; I actually saw a few eyes looking at me longingly, wishing they were eating the gorgeous mint chocolate chip scoop rather than waiting for that tacos pastor they read about on Yelp. Poor souls. I took a lick and poof! my mint chocolate chip hit the sidewalk.

The entire scoop, in one fell swoop hit the ground, in front of all the pour souls. Avoiding all eye contact, I picked up the scoop with my napkin and turned to go back to the store to get it’s replacement. Good thing I was only two blocks away. And good thing the lady was really nice when I first ordered.

I planned on having to pay for a replacement scoop. But wouldn’t it be nice if she handed me a new cone and sent me on my way? I walked in and explained what happened. The shop employee just looked at me and didn’t know what to do. What a perfect moment for a customer-facing employee to feel empowered to make a decision. A customer service decision that can build loyalty and a develop repeat patron for life.

She took the original empty cone out of my hand, replaced it with a scoop of mint chocolate chip then charged me another 40 pesos. Same cone, new scoop. The ice cream didn’t taste as sweet. I think tomorrow night, I will try some mango sorbet at another shop around the corner.

Feliz Navidad

Eat. Drink.

A consultant is often hired to fix problems or suggest improvements for a company. I love walking into a company with fresh eyes to help leaders, owners and managers look at things differently. My greatest joy is recognizing existing, untapped talent already working at these companies.

More often than not, this talent just needs more coaching and structure in order to grow. They may be stuck in the wrong position, but have the heart and passion for the business. I help assess this and make sure the right person is in the right role. The employee is not the only person that needs to make this impactful adjustment. Leaders, owners and managers must also make a significant change to their existing processes to encourage the growth of this individual.

As leaders, owners and managers, the greatest gift you can give your employees is an education from your own experiences. Spend time mentoring your employees. Actual structured, scheduled, individual time with each of your team members. Do not get interrupted. Do not reschedule this meeting because something else is “more important”. Communicate with your employees and provide undivided attention. This is my best recommendation for sales growth.

Providing one-on-one mentoring and seeing successful career growth is the most rewarding result to a true leader. I am thankful for the numerous managers and owners that coached me along the way as I started my career. The gifts they shared with me many years ago are still meaningful to me today.

Inspire.

Christmas is always the time of giving and receiving. I was blessed with a wonderful family that always celebrated the traditional way. Making Christmas cookies. Listening to Johnny Mathis. Sledding in Upstate NY. Sure, all those things were great, but all Christmas meant to me was what presents are for me under the tree??? I just couldn’t wait until December 25th at 7 am when I was ready to rip.

Early Christmas morning, we would sit at the top of the staircase, three of us girls, in our jammies in a row, waiting and waiting for Mom and Dad to get out of bed. Geez, they took forever, but it was worth it once we saw the presents overflowing from below the tree. We were lucky and fortunate kids. Our parents worked really hard and gave a lot to us. As I look back now, they probably gave us too much. But we were kids and we really didn’t know what else was happening in the world. All that mattered was if I got that Barbie dream house and that pair of Jordache jeans.

I will be heading down to Puerto Vallarta again for Christmas this year. I am looking forward to my daily walk along the Malecon to see the same sights. My favorite walk always happens during the early morning hours of December 25th. On Los Muertos Beach, there is a long line of unwrapped gifts on the beach. One section for boys and the other section for girls. A few elderly people wearing Santa hats organize the boxes in lines, getting their annual system together. They are assembling these gifts for kids in the community to be able to select one each. These elderly people obviously understand the true meaning of Christmas. They are sharing what is the truest of all gifts; love, time, compassion and thoughtfulness. How wonderful that I am reminded of this true gift of Christmas.

Did we survive another year?

Eat. Drink.

It’s the beginning of November. Like most businesses, you are in the home stretch. Hopefully you are having a fruitful and rewarding year of sales. You probably are enjoying a few quiet weeks before holiday party insanity happens from the end of the month thru New Year’s Eve.

But as sales leaders and business owners, something else may be gnawing at you. It’s not production timelines or finding enough servers for Saturday night’s event. It’s the horrible anxiety of… Are you going to hit your year-end goal? Unfortunately for most caterers, it seems like we roll into November wondering, how did we get ourselves in this situation again? Are we going to survive another year by the skin of our teeth? How and where do we pick up last-minute business?

This is a stressful and painful approach to the last two months of the year. We should be celebrating our success rather than stretching an already exhausted team to the max in order to make the annual goal happen. 

Approaching sales in a strategic and methodical way now is the key to kicking off next year right.  When meeting with my consulting clients, I teach strategic sales processes such as the following:

• Each sales consultant should have a customized, written sales plan buttoned up and ready to go by the end of this month so they can hit the streets after January 6th

• Next year’s individual numeric sales goal should be set by now and your sales consultant should have been tracking bookings since this past September

• Sales consultants should end January with 50% of the year already booked definite

• Proactive rebooking of clients should take place in early January (if not already) so you can see how next year is shaping from the start

My clients have already seen revenue and outbound activity increase because sales consultants are being held accountable through targeted actions such as above. I also see how this helps the Director of Sales more effectively manage, lead and inspire their team through this organized and timely approach.

Inspire.

I am a business owner now. For 25 years, I was always the employee. A business-minded, owner-acting employee mind you, but still an employee. Which means I had no risk nor pressure about paying the bills.

It’s different when you are the owner. You think about every expense. You think about every sales opportunity as well. Should I spend money on this in order to support my business? Did I make the right decision regarding price? How often should I touch base with that potential client who hasn’t responded to my proposal? Have I followed up too many times?

I have been in business now for 2 1/2 years. I approach my own business development strategies as the only sales “generator” the same way I did as a large catering company’s Vice President of Sales managing over thirty individuals. I set annual numeric goals and develop my own expense budget through reviewing my relatively “new” history and determining what is realistic for next year. I think about client patterns, catering seasonality, industry trends and who may need me while investing time and financial resources for my marketing and networking efforts.

I never want to approach my own business hoping I am going to make it by the end of the year. I will always stay on top of my game and be proactive throughout the year with my sales efforts. This allows me to enjoy these last two months, take a look back at the great year I had, reflect on years prior and look forward to the great year ahead.

Just Ask

The greatest thing a salesperson can do is understand the mind of their customer. This means understanding what they are looking for including how and when they will buy.  The salesperson must provide all the resources needed for the customer to make the eventual “purchase”.  

Food and beverage buyers have been trained since youth on the four parts of the “bill” … Food, Beverage, Tax and Gratuity. We have been going to restaurants our entire lives. As caterers, we often feel the need (because of our catering systems and our own internal processes) to break out additional prices for everything we provide. We feel good because we are being “transparent”. Sure, that’s great and some clients love it. I sold this way my entire career and was successful. However, I am sure I lost a lot of business also, because I thought it was the only way to show my pricing. Think differently. ASK your customer how they would like their catering pricing to be presented to them. Mix it up and be flexible.

You should also know who you are bidding against and how they show their pricing. Educating your client on the variances in how Caterer X vs. Caterer Y prices their proposals makes you more knowledgeable and memorable. Do not hesitate to ask the customer who they are receiving other bids from. “Mrs. Smith, if you are comparing my proposal to Caterer X, I can tell you that they do not include the service knockdown time in their staffing fees. That is an additional charge after the event.”

Lastly, once you send the proposal and pricing in the style the customer has requested, you have to ask what more information do they need to make a decision? This is a crucial step to closing the deal. Just ask for it! You have spent so much time putting the proposal together, value your time spent and ask for the business.

Understanding how the client wants to buy and when they want to buy should save you at least one revision. Isn’t that worth asking the question alone?

Eat. Drink. Inspire.

I was shopping for a hotel in Miami. I was going on a business trip for two nights and will be working non-stop from morning until evening. I will not even pack a bathing suit. I found a rate that seemed reasonable for the area for $225 per night plus tax. Ok. Wait? On “Confirm Booking”, the rate increased by nearly $30 plus tax per night. What happened?

Amenity Fee.  A $30 per night amenity fee was added including the following: Valet Parking (no need), access to outdoor pool and hot tub (regrettably not using), daily newspaper (people still read paper copies?), fitness center access (no comment) and daily bottled water (okay–good). So I am essentially paying $30 for one bottle of water a day.

I would rather have been quoted $255 per night plus tax. I would have booked it. Now I feel nickel and dime’d for things I do not want and will not use. Why pay for that? I booked another hotel without amenity fees. Guess who won? Me. Don’t you be the loser with an easy sale.