CUSTOMER REVIEW: LANDMARK HOTEL, LAGOS.

==========

Hello,

I have been on break for a few weeks now due to preparations for BSG Summit 2021. DID YOU MISS ME?

==========

Anytime I come to Lagos, my go-to hotel is SURU EXPRESS HOTEL on Joel Ogunnaike in Ikeja GRA. I have not been in Lagos since 2019 just before COVID-19 changed our lives; so you can imagine my joy when I had to leave Abuja to go and rest for 1 week in Lagos right after BSG Summit 2021. It felt like a child going on a Christmas trip to their grandparents. 😁😁

This time around, I chose to stay at LANDMARK HOTEL; Oniru, Lagos. Firstly, I was quite enthusiastic about visiting the beach. My Lagos host made reservations for landmark beach and I hitched a ride to Oniru. I arrived at about 1:30pm to the 7th floor of Landmark building housing the hotel. I was checked into ROOM 701. I anticipated exquisiteness. Maybe my expectations were too high.

So let me attempt to share some balanced perspective to my experience while also advising entrepreneurs about our businesses:

PLUS:

1. The Rooms are properly padded. The walls are ‘sound proofed’ sort off and so sounds don’t sip in or out from without or within. Unlike the rooms at Fraser Suites Abuja where you literally hear sounds from rooms away. 🙄
2. The aerial view of outside is jaw-dropping. Of course, from 7th floor, the scenery is breathtaking. The image from facing the beach is massively beautiful. See picture.
3. The rooms are spacious and ambient. For someone like me who fancies spaces a lot; this is a huge plus. The lobby balcony, the furnishing, the general ambience, superb.

MINUS:

1. Customer Service: while I must say the staff clearly are trying to be friendly and sociable, they can really do more. There is something missing in the POISE and APPEARANCES of the front office staff I met. It is like CONSCIOUSLY TRYING BUT SUBCONSCIOUSLY UNABLE to be the best that can be. Maybe some attention should be paid to wardrobe, Coaching, and finesse. A brand like this should have like a world class personnel who capture customers with aesthetics.
2. Food: this one broke my heart. Landmark hotel outsources food to SPUR, a fast food chain. This is a good model in its rights but it’s a very limited option. Spur is a brand that focuses on fries, and junk-like food. I think this is not healthy for many customers. I have a medical instruction to stay off fries and salty meals. Definitely, this arrangement does not work for me. Maybe a variety of restaurant choices will be better. Local, exotic, continental, etc. Let the options be wider.
3. Finishing: some areas need proper attention. My room did not have a phone directory; some of the fittings were old and needing replacement, etc. I suggest a general overview of facility. It may be a great time to do some mild facelift.

General Entrepreneurial Opinion:

1. Businesses should invest in their main business. Landmark, as a hotel, must invest in the business of hospitality which is her core. That way, issues like food, or any secondary service, can be forgiven when the main service is properly dispensed. All entrepreneurs must invest in their main craft.
2. Your Staff are EVERYTHING. At SOBCA, we make sure that we focus on our staff first: emotionally, mentally, financially and physically. We attempt to make their work enjoyable. This way, we give our customers a good impression that we are a flourishing brand. I think this is key.
3. Continuous Improvement: KAIZEN is the answer. The Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement on processes, services, and outcomes. All businesses must make this a priority.

Caveat: this newsletter is not an attempt to tear down the Landmark Hotel brand; it is an objective, constructive review of a customer’s experience.

PS: if you operate a business and you want me to experience your brand so as to give constructive review, please email your business details to coachsam@sobcaonline.com

I hope this helped!!!

m a k t u b!!!

SO