A new girl's take on customer demands

So I'm the new girl. Let's get that out of the way first.

I started just days ago as a Senior Editor with Questex. And I'll be honest, I don't know much about the hospitality industry. This may sound familiar as my co-worker Chris Crowell touched upon his similar situation in his own blog post. But having a good month on me in the group here, Chris' short seniority I'm afraid makes me the ultimate novice.

And while I might not yet know the ins and outs of this industry, I do hold a small amount of insight being, at the very least, a customer.

While settling in here in the office and learning the ropes, I began editing a few pages for the upcoming August issue of Hotel & Motel Management. I came across a column written by Renie Cavallari. In it, she talks about how to target women as customers, especially those over the age of 40, and notes their purchasing power and brand/product loyalty.

Renie touches upon how women talk, exchange opinions and take advice from others' experiences. While still in my 20s (OK, late 20s, but we don't need to talk about that right now), I found myself nodding my head in agreement with what she was writing and forgetting about my initial task at hand (Don't tell the boss).

She's right. I never book a hotel without visiting at least three travel sites online and reading reviews; there are accomodations I absolutely expect without additional cost; and the ease of the experience overall without a doubt dictates my happiness with it. And more often than not, despite the outcome, I always tell my friends about my stay.

I realized all too quickly that, even when just dealing with me, you all have your hands very full.

And helping you balance all of that has suddenly become my business. I look forward to learning what goes into each day at a hotel or motel, where trends are heading and how we here at Questex can lead you toward success when someone like me walks into your lobby.

While I settle in here, please remember to check out the August issue and see what Renie has to say about what women want.