These are great opportunities for guests to do their part to reduce the need for water by basically doing what they do at home anyway, use the same towel and sheets for several days instead of getting clean sheets and towels every day. Some hotels say simply that sheets will be changed only if you ask, making the assumption that you don’t mind not having clean sheets every day.

In the restaurants, we are seeing more signs that say drinking water will only be provided upon request. This is an attempt to save the water not only in the glass, but the water necessary to clean the glasses.

We are avid conservationists and laud those guests that make the choice to stick with the same linens for several days and customers who don’t order water if they don’t intend to drink it. But we believe even more folks would make the right choice if the cost of the room was reduced by at least a percentage of the savings to the hotel. After all, it’s not just water that being saved, its labor, power, and maintenance. All these savings now benefit only the hotel. So in effect, when you opt to save water, the hotel saves more money due to your decision than a guest that does not.

We think this is not only unfair, but misses a real opportunity to make a bigger difference in water conservation. For instance, if there was a discount on a room if guests opted to use the same towels and linens for the duration of their stay, would more guests take advantage of the discount? We think so. “Water Conservation Rooms” would reward the guest for doing the right thing instead of charging them the same as heavier water users.

Likewise, discounting for not ordering water at restaurants would give customers a consideration especially when they get water they don’t order and don’t touch. Do you think hotels and restaurants should make money on conservationists, or should they share the dollar savings to really promote good conservation habits?

We are firm believers that if you want to get something done, put a buck on it. In the west where we live we are in the midst of a 4-year drought. If it continues, fines will be levied for water wasters. Already there are restrictions being put in place to regulate water usage. These restrictions and fines are like the “stick.” Isn’t it time we also offered a “carrot?” Folks want to save a buck when they do the right thing. They want their purchase to makes dollars and sense!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Hotels Should Provide Discounts for Water Savers appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

One of the big changes for us is that for the first time, we actually get to go to and enjoy wine events as guests rather than as hosts! It’s nice, after so many years, to be on the other side of the tasting table. We didn’t realize until now how much fun the wine country can be with all of its wonderful events! We were head down, doing our best to help produce these events and were active participants. As one of our reps put it, after a particularly long day serving wine at a tasting event in the ballroom of the Drake Hotel in Chicago, “It’s hard to be congenial after standing on a marble floor for 10 hours!” But stand there we did for hours on end in hundreds of tastings and events all over the country. Now we attend events as guests. Imagine that?

We supported hundreds of non-profits with our wines and sent our people to set up, pour and break down. We often didn’t have time to go ourselves. But now we do! Recently we attended the Mountain Play production of The Sound of Music in the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, at Mt. Tamalpais State Park. They have been producing live outdoor theater for 100 years. The amphitheater sits on the top of Mt. Tamalpais and has an incredible view of San Francisco. The Mountain Play is a cultural non-profit, surviving on donations, ticket sales and volunteers. What a treat that was!

When we attend a wine tasting event now, we have the utmost appreciation and respect for what it takes to pull it off. Aside from all the licenses and permits required to serve alcohol, wine is heavy, perishable, and requires special handling. You need glasses, ice, towels, openers, trash boxes, signs, tables, tablecloths, and don’t forget the indispensable duct tape! You need to get there early to set up and stay late to clean up after the guests have left.

What we do miss about those events is the great feedback we got that helped us improve our products, and the messages of support that kept us going when the times were tough. We also miss the camaraderie of the wine people themselves. Unlike many industries, the wine industry is cooperative and friendly toward their so-called competition. If we needed a pin or a pen, an opener or strips of, yes, duct tape, our colleagues from the other wineries were always there to help.

It really is a hospitality business and requires many hours of planning and logistics before any event happens. Then, at the events, many hours of standing and being congenial are required, along with responsible vigilance.

As we go into the full swing of the wine tasting season, let’s offer a toast to the people that make the wine events happen: the winery representatives, the pourers, and the volunteers. Thank you for your tireless hospitality! Cheers to you!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post The Wine Business is a Hospitality Business appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.