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Some further observations on the Marriott smoking ban, which is still making the rounds, hitting the front page of the Washington Post yesterday.

Christopher Elliott suggests a potential problem in executing this strategy: Marriott’s website still lists smoking rooms for dozens, if not hundreds of properties. I’d add that this has two ramifications: an IT problem, and a customer service problem.

The IT problem is simpler to solve, though not without its costs or hassles. The customer service problem is harder, but could have bigger payoffs: Does the company contact each person who reserved a smoking room? If so, do they offer to “walk” the guest to an equal or better property that offers smoking rooms? A refund? A free night? They might lose the smoker’s business in the future, but doing something will be necessary for the smoking ex-guests to keep any positive feelings toward the chain. And treating them nicely might actually lead to some positive word-of-mouth — among the nonsmoking crowd. (”Well, they kicked me out because I smoke, but they gave me a room at the Hilton.” “Oh, really, how nice of Marriott! They’re all-nonsmoking AND have good service?…honey, let’s book a room!”) Failing to find a replacement room for the customer on the other hand could lead to some cranky postings about Marriott in TripAdvisor.

On the other hand, meeting and convention business might be more at risk, as Sue Pelletier has suggested. I would wager that largely American-audience meeting clienteles might not be affected much, but international groups might balk at a Marriott meeting. Or maybe they’d just contract a separate hotel for the smokers. Perhaps Marriott itself would subcontract a portion of the block to a local rival, sending them all of the smokers. Though competitors should consider the possiblity that an influx of smoking guests might a Trojan Horse: As I suggested earlier, it may not be in any property’s interest to be known as a smoky hotel.

tags: travel | Marriott | smoking