QHotels earn BDRC Continental’s “Best Sales Enquiry Handling” accolade

QHotels earn BDRC Continental’s “Best Sales Enquiry Handling” accolade

London, 1st February 2012 – In a close-run competition, QHotels have come out top of a nationwide enquiry-handling study, looking at how well venues respond to mystery meetings and events enquiries submitted via three key booking channels. With a phenomenal overall performance score of 95.2% across the whole of 2011, the group, which has 21 hotels in the UK, pipped De Vere Venues to the post by just 0.3%. Independently owned Sundial Group finished third.

Meetings Benchmark Tracker is operated by BDRC Continental, the same market research agency that recently announced its 2011 VenueVerdict Awards, and in the UK tracks the prowess of 30 hotel brands in their handling of telephone and electronic enquiries using mystery shopping methodology. Telephone enquiries are measured not just in terms of how well the person on the end of the line interacts with the customer, but also assesses the infrastructure of the hotel in terms of how easily a caller can get through to someone who can help. Post-enquiry follow-up action is measured for speed and quality. To get high marks in a single assessment, hotels and venues must display incredible attention to detail throughout the call. To get high marks across a year and across a brand, they must do so consistently.

“Individual venues and groups use Meetings Benchmark Tracker to monitor and improve their enquiry handling,” explains James Bland, Senior Client Services Manager at BDRC Continental. “Results are presented via an online reporting portal, allowing them to assess individual enquiries and trends over time. The overall objective is to enhance conversion rates, and to ensure that a venue gives itself the best possible chance of securing business by making a winning initial impression.”

Meetings Benchmark Tracker has also operated internationally for three years, tracking the performance of key brands across the globe and providing a framework for the largest chains to compare intercontinental performance.

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For press enquries please contact:

James Bland, BDRC Continental

james.bland@bdrc-continental.com Tel: +44 (0)207 400 1026

About BDRC Continental

BDRC Continental is the UK’s largest independent market research agency. Established in 1991, the company has built an unrivalled reputation as a full service consultancy with specialist expertise across a number of sectors including business to business, financial services, hotels, meetings & hospitality, media & advertising, internet & telecoms, Government & not for profit, culture & leisure and tourism, travel & transport.

BDRC Continental is staffed by highly experienced researchers with great reputations in their individual fields as well as in the market research industry. The company is renowned for its consultative approach and ability to add value to clients’ businesses by bringing insights from multiple markets to the research. This cross-disciplinary approach enables BDRC Continental to provide intelligence that is informed by a deep understanding of the client’s issues and the wider market context. As well as undertaking bespoke research for a wide variety of clients, the company conducts a number of syndicated studies and has developed proprietary techniques including Tracktion (the award winning customer experience methodology), Grapevine, Service Intensity, the Business Opinion Omnibus, SME Finance Monitor and ZMET Visionary Thinking.