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From the Editors of MTB: “Rules: Yes but…”
By Don Holecek & Joe Fridgen
 It is often said that the U.S. is a nation of laws, to which one might add, “rules,” “regulations,” or even “traditions” and “customs.” These are surely necessary, and it is hard to visualize what life would be like without them. Rules are also necessary across the hospitality industry, but they should be set with full consideration of their impact on customers and be enforced intelligently. After all, we advertise “friendly skies,” “getaway vacations,” and “fun entertainment,” and target “leisure” or “pleasure” travelers.
All of us have encountered rules or rule enforcers on leisure trips, which have diminished if not eliminated the pleasure we’d hoped for from our travel experience. We could mention many examples of rules in conflict hospitality values, but the struggling commercial airlines are timely examples.
Here are but a few “rules” one must heed before flying today:
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- The sum of the length, width and height of carry-on luggage must not exceed 60 inches (or is it 61.5 inches). Better get out the tape measure and check your carry-on, even better, measure it after it’s packed.
- While you are checking, you had better weigh any baggage you plan to check to insure it weighs less than 60 pounds (or is it 60 inches). And, hope that your bathroom scale is accurate.
- Make sure you don’t still have that nail clipper or nail file you took on your last road trip.
- And definitely, make note of what kind of ticket you have (non-refundable, e-ticket, etc.) and the rights and responsibilities associated with it.
- Finally, be sure to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight (or is it 90 minutes or 3 hours).
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Do you remember when it was fun to fly?
It is unfair to single out the airlines, but one must wonder if all of these rules are necessary and designed with the customer in mind. Could they be in some measure part of the airlines fiscal problems?
Often the problem is not rules, per se, but rather how they are explained (or not) or enforced. One of the popular places on campus for lunch is our International Center. Food service is provided by four different vendors. Two offer free refills of soft drinks (their container of course) and two don’t. Woe be it to the unfortunate faculty member or student who doesn’t note which vendors do or don’t allow free refills.
The following should be considered when dealing with rules in hospitality settings.
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1. Provide customers with ample opportunity to become aware of your rules. Most are-law abiding citizens.
2. Provide customers with your rationale for your rules. If they understand why they are necessary, they will be more likely to comply.
3. Inform and educate violators first and resort to enforcement as a last resort.
4. Don’t enforce rules in public settings to avoid embarrassing your customers. They will appreciate your consideration, and you may convert a potential negative encounter into a more positive experience for you and your customer.
5. Use common sense in deciding when to enforce or not enforce a rule. A single minor offense may merit no response at all.
6. And, always consider alternatives to setting rules. This can often be accomplished through thoughtful facility design, improved landscaping, or other less intrusive means.
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We welcome your feedback concerning Michigan Tourism Business. Feel free to e-mail us anytime at dholecek@msu.edu or jfridgen@msu.edu.
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