Learn. Perform. Achieve! January 2024: Happy New Year! Human Trafficking Prevention & Front of the House

PERFORM, PERFORM 2024 Choice Hotels

Every month we highlight opportunities for leaders and managers to improve the performance of their teams. Plus, we are pleased to announce Operator Certifications (HOST/Extended Stay Essentials) completions and acknowledge the achievement of those who are now operator certified.

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Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Written by Holli Roberts, Director, Learning Experiences & Engagement

Human Trafficking Prevention Month, observed in January, holds particular significance for hotel staff who play a pivotal role in identifying and preventing instances of human trafficking. Hotel employees are well-positioned to recognize signs of suspicious behavior, such as guests who seem fearful, disoriented, or controlled by others. Choice University offers training and awareness initiatives produced by PACT and AHLA throughout the entire year on ChoiceU.com. This training helps equip hotel staff with the knowledge and tools needed to intervene responsibly and report potential cases to law enforcement. By fostering a culture of vigilance and collaboration, hotel staff become essential partners in the collective effort to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals.

Hotel management can leverage Human Trafficking Prevention Month to reinforce internal policies and procedures aimed at preventing trafficking within their establishments. This includes educating staff on the importance of verifying guest identification, communicating effectively with law enforcement, and creating a safe environment for potential victims to seek assistance. The month serves as an opportunity for hotels to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and contribute to the broader community-wide efforts to wipe out human trafficking.

Each property hotel owner(s) and/or management-level designee is required to complete the Choice University Human Trafficking Prevention training module on ChoiceU.com before 05/31/2024 to meet Choice’s compliance requirement. The certification must be renewed every twelve months. Check your brand’s Rules and regulations to stay up-to-date with the requirements for your hotel. We encourage all management-level hotel employees to complete this training annually and continue to reinforce these important messages with all team members on the property.

PLEASE NOTE: Some states and cities require training on human trafficking awareness. A certificate of completion is available in your profile when you complete the Human Trafficking Awareness learning track. Please check with your manager/owner to determine if this training satisfies any requirements your hotel may have.

Front of the House Skills Series

Written by Justin Norlin, Director, Contact Center & Partnered Learning

The Front of the House is the heart of your hotel. From the warm greeting when your guest first arrives, to the understanding tone and words when a complaint is voiced, Front of the House associates have a direct impact on the guests’ first impression, overall customer experience, and your Likelihood to Recommend (LTR) scores.

Given the importance of this team, and your desire to grow and sharpen their skills, Choice University developed the Front of the House Skills Series found on ChoiceU TV. The series currently consists of 13 videos, which provide engaging and dare I say fun learning on empathy, active listening, sales skills, communication, and much more! We understand how busy your staff is, so these videos are quick and contain tips your team can put into action immediately after watching the video.

Here are a couple of our favorites – “Focus on the Message with Active Listening”, “Making an Impact with Your Goodbye”, and “Everyone Sells! Having an Assumptive Mindset!”. Have your staff check out these videos and more on ChoiceU TV and be sure to visit on a regular basis as the series will continue to grow!

Choice University is excited to announce that we have launched our LinkedIn page. Our goal is to work together to help hotel leaders and their team members achieve their goals through learning.

Please follow us on LinkedIn to stay connected to Choice University through our LinkedIn Page!

Operator Certifications (HOST/ExtendedStay Essentials) Earned in December!

Congratulations to the following individuals who earned their operator certification last month!

Rena Swindle AL449 Sleep Inn
Chad Garcia AZ479 Comfort Suites
Suketu Patel CA720 Comfort Suites
Melissa Wood CA811 Clarion
Khemara Kong CAG68 WoodSpring
Michael Salalima CN240 Comfort Inn
Shaun DeRos CN250 Comfort Inn
Michelle Logan CN289 Comfort Inn
Jovilyn Oliveros CNA79 Quality
Deanna Main CNA93 Clarion
Marie Christine Nadeau CNB33 Quality
Mia Carrier CNC10 Clarion Pointe
Randy Lewis FL907 Comfort Inn
George Major FLF31 WoodSpring
Angellica Sprowl FLF41 WoodSpring
Coretta Ragland FLG65 WoodSpring
Akash Patel GA493 Comfort Inn
Harvinder Singh IA024 Quality
Lori Waddell IA125 Comfort Inn
Marcel Jean IL648 Mainstay Suites
Nisha Patel IN580 Ascend
Krishna Patel KS065 Quality
Cammie Butler KY326 Sleep Inn
Breanna Mayon LA318 Mainstay Suites
Alex Medrano LA409 WoodSpring
Cassandra O’Quain LA417 WoodSpring
Mehul Patel MD210 Quality
Kalpesh Patel MD370 Country Inn
Sheila Mendoskin MI061 Comfort Inn
Cassie Cobb MI231 Comfort Suites
Paul Lejarde MI566 WoodSpring
Brenda Rodriguez MO608 Comfort Inn
Kristie Johnson MS285 Sleep Inn
Ben McKethan NC507 Ascend
Crystal Clemmons-Hansley NC535 Suburban
Victoria Marino NCA27 Ascend
Lisa Wallace ND115 Suburban
Michelle Rosevelt NE063 Choice Hotel
Nicole Powell NY372 Comfort Inn
Minesh Shah OH854 Comfort Inn
Chirag Patel OH873 Comfort Inn
Supan Shah OH916 Suburban
Jason Patel OK172 Sleep Inn
Zack Price OK325 WoodSpring
Marlana Fink OR341 Ascend
Yash Rabadia PA010 Quality
Deep Patel RI034 Econo Lodge
Manish Dhekar SC097 Quality
Heather Brown SC461 Quality
David Justice SC592 Ascend Best of Choice
Jatin Mehta SC665 Quality
Jan Whaley TN008 Clarion Best of Choice
Shawn O’Hagan TN063 Suburban
Kashyap Patel TN194 Rodeway Inn
Bryan Patel TN820 Quality
Chris Kana TX688 Quality
Joshua Leftwich TXA48 Comfort Suites
Dean Cruz TXB32 Quality
Parth Ahir TXB32 Quality
Michelle Payne TXK51 WoodSpring
Eric Puente TXK61 WoodSpring
Kelly Hicks TXK66 WoodSpring
Rachel Gleason TXL04 WoodSpring
Jodie Gay UT206 Sleep Inn Gold
Chetan Desai WA142 Choice Hotel
Jazmyn Comito WA352 WoodSpring
Jin Woo Shin WA414 Sleep Inn
Milivoje Momcilovic WI018 Econo Lodge
Tyler Wilbourn WI171 Comfort Suites
Carol Stone WY079 Sleep Inn