MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Promus Hotel Corporation swept the training video "Oscars," garnering an unprecedented 20 awards from four leading international video and communications organizations.

The company won for a special series of training videos it produced that were designed to create a new corporate culture following Promus' merger with Doubletree Corporation.

"The two merged companies both had unique, guest-oriented cultures," said Michael Mallott, senior director of learning and development. "We combined the best ideas of both companies – Promus' 100 % Satisfaction Guarantee and Doubletree's CARE culture – into a single program we named 'We CARE – Guaranteed.'"

To introduce everyone to the new system, Promus created a complete training toolkit anchored by four separate videos:

  • Orientation to Promus – "Many employees were unfamiliar with all of our hotel brands, so we provided a visual tour of our brands to introduce everyone to our family," Mallott said. The 12-minute program was created in a "business rock video" format to entertain and educate simultaneously. "We wanted to engage our employees immediately and make them feel part of the new company," he said. "Our high-energy orientation video clearly communicated this wasn't going to be another dull training class."
  • Hotel Confidential – This 45-minute video, which was divided into several segments, featured Promus employees in a talk-show format as both the stars and audience. Employees "auditioned" for the program by submitting tapes of themselves telling stories about how their hotel provided superior service to guests. Employees selected were bilingual because all Promus training programs are produced in English and Spanish.
  • Unsolved Mysteries of Service – To explain the importance of service, flexibility and the company's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, Promus turned to humor. The 35-minute video followed the format of the popular television series, "Unsolved Mysteries," including a Robert Stack look-alike host, to demonstrate how employees can recover from unexpected problems and exceed guest expectations.
  • Road Warriors' Guide to the Galaxy – Promus used a futuristic approach to teach guest service skills. The 50-minute video, set in the 23rd century, shows how Promus' commitment to guest service helped make it the dominant hotel company in the galaxy. Star Wars-like special effects heightened visual interest.
Outstanding response

All 1,400 hotels in the Promus system, representing more than 80,000 employees, completed the training program in less than four months. "Response from employees and guests has been outstanding," Mallott said. "We are the first employer for many employees. We look for the right attitude when hiring, but we also must provide our employees with the right training to fulfill our guests' needs and the employees' own job expectations. Good service doesn't just happen, it has to be taught."

Mallott noted that the program's success can also be measured by the high guest ratings the company's brands continue to receive. "J.D. Power and Associates recently named our Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites brands tops in their respective segments. Guests also highly rated our Doubletree Hotel and Homewood Suites brands in this and other surveys," he said. "We believe these ratings are strong evidence of the success of this program."

The videos were created by SBL Vision Merchants, a well-regarded, Hollywood, Calif.-based, audiovisual production company. "We have produced thousands of videos in our company's history, but this series is by far the most highly acclaimed," said David Sams, president of SBL Vision Merchants.

The videos received seven Videographer Awards for raising the industry standards in video production. The Promus videos were selected out of 2,333 entries from 48 states and three foreign countries. The videos also received four Communicator Awards, including a Crystal Award of Excellence for Foreign Language Video, for "a high standard of excellence and the ability to communicate among the best in their field."

The programs received four Telly Awards, which recognize film and video productions as well as non-network TV programming. More than 11,000 entries were submitted. The programs also received four Axiem Awards, the only award that represents the entire electronic media industry, from television to the worldwide web and interactive media.

Promus is maintaining the momentum of its training program by producing and distributing video updates to all hotels approximately every four months. "Where possible we will continue to incorporate employees into our programs because they are the ones who know how to communicate what really matters," Mallott said.

Promus Hotel Corporation is one of the world's premier lodging companies with system-wide revenues of more than $5 billion. The company operates, franchises or owns hotels throughout the U.S., and in Canada, Mexico and Latin America. It is the franchisor and operator of Doubletree Hotels and Guest Suites, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Club Hotel by Doubletree, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Embassy Vacation Resort and Hampton Vacation Resort. The company also manages non-Promus branded hotels, as well as facilities in its University Hotel & Conference Center division.

Robyn Birch
901/374-6462