McDonalds best exemplifies the ultimate in consistency. When I was a flight attendant, I visited McDonalds in so many countries, from Paris to Beijing and Tokyo.  They were all the same: clean, with gracious service and the same quality of food. No matter where I travel, my milk shakes always have a cherry on top of the whip cream. That is not true at Steak & Shake.

McDonalds always develops new offerings and is constantly updating their stores.

In my opinion, they know what to do to maintain the best company, and they never stagnate.

I have made sure that Manilow Suites follows in the same direction. Our apartments are always updated and maintained by our own staff.  We spend time finding the best of everything from bathroom tissue to comfortable chairs. We are the only corporate housing company that provides something as simple as salt and pepper.

Yes, just like McDonalds, everything must be scrutinized and revisited.

If a member of the Manilow staff is not extraordinary, they will shortly take their talents elsewhere.

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

All of our apartments are personalized for each individual guest.

Isn’t it amazing that so many corporate housing companies show pictures of apartments and have long lists of items the housekeepers should check (which of course is important), but very few temporary housing companies take the time to find out what the guests really need. Many times, the guest doesn’t know anything other than a location and possibly the size of an apartment.

Let me give you one recent example: Last week I had a call from a client who needed an apartment for a couple with two children.  Meeting his request for the closest location would have been most inconvenient for his family. The closest location to his work is in the heart of downtown Chicago, which completely lacks any facilities for children.   I suggested another location which is only 5 minutes further, but it would be far more convenient for his family. It has a playground, and with so many children living in the building, they have “play dates” in the hospitality room.

Sadly, too few corporate housing companies take the time or have the staff dedicated to truly finding out about the guests and suggesting better alternatives that may be more suitable to their needs.

www.manilowsuites.com 

~From the Desk of Francine Manilow~

Our beautifully appointed apartments are only outmatched by our responsiveness and flexibility.

What is corporate housing all about?

32 years ago, Manilow Suites was the first company in the United States to offer short-term housing. My frustration then was to prove to middle management, “no, we are not a rooming house!”

Now the greatest frustration is, “corporate housing can mean so many different things.” I just realized that I am doing very little on our web site to really show the incredible difference. We all talk about the building and apartments, but very little do we talk about the flexibility, responsiveness and quality.

A friend of mine has been an RN in a well-known Chicago area hospital for quite awhile. When I asked “would she be a patient there,” she surprisingly said, “no.” Her reason was that there were not enough doctors and nurses to take care of the number of patients.

Now, I know I am stretching it a bit comparing corporate housing to a hospital, but when a top executive yesterday had trouble hooking up his Mac to our Wi-fi,  a Manilow Suites staff member was in his apartment within the hour. What price do you put on that? Manilow Suites has more staff members per number of apartments so that we can respond better and faster than any competitor.

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Actual Manilow Suites' apartment

Just as in any business, I have seen incredible changes within corporate housing. Often times I can equate the corporate housing world with “The Wild West,” where anything goes. Just look at some of the web sites. There are claims that companies have apartments all over the U.S. when in fact they do not have one of their own. Manilow Suites advertises that we partner with a select group of providers in a number of major cities.

When the internet really became available for small businesses, there were search engines that would not allow us to put in any keywords other than, as an example, “corporate housing Chicago.” They made companies prove to them that it actually had a physical location in any city it listed.There certainly is nothing wrong with partnering with other corporate housing companies; however, is it ethical to deceive potential customers? Do you view it as deceitful having people think the property belongs to your company, or does it really matter?

I’m certainly not going to change the world, but I would like to put this thought out there and hear what others may think about this.

http://manilowsuites.com/properties.html

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

We did not give her any rates other than our average rack rates. Yet, she called a couple weeks later and awarded us the contract to provide the short-term corporate housing for a large company going through a merger. That meant everyone from the CEO to the CFO, numerous senior and executive vice-presidents and so on.

Manilow Suites broke all records on the company’s survey.  Out of over 100 employees, we had a 100% “yes, I would recommend Manilow Suites.”  We also had other record breaking results never before attained by a vendor.

This lady is not special because she selected Manilow Suites, she is special because she trusted us.

She gave us the freedom to provide the corporate housing our way and asked us the “how’s.” And for that, we thank you. You will always be a special lady to us.

http://www.manilowsuites.com

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Beautifully furnished apartment at Grand Plaza

Two ladies were talking about how concerned they were renting a house on Captiva Island for themselves and their fellow sorority sisters this past weekend. They rented the house using the internet and the pictures looked great. Ah, was the real thing going to look like those great pictures? This was going to be a very exciting time as they were all graduates from Bradley University in Peoria and all were turning 40 this year.

Just in case they were met with bitter disappointment, what was their recourse? None!

Many corporate housing companies show pictures of model apartments on their web sites but in some cases, that’s not what you find when you open the door to this dream apartment or house.  What can you do before hand to avoid a potential disappointment or disaster?

First, ask for pictures of the apartment or pictures of apartments similar to what they are renting to you. Tell them if it does not meet their promises or expectations, what options will you have?  What type of satisfaction guarantee do they have, if any. If they will not offer you anything, I suggest you find a different source.

Manilow Suites is one of few corporate housing companies that offers a satisfaction guarantee!

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Manilow Suites' Three Bedroom at North Harbor Tower

I was recently looking at the web sites of other corporate housing companies. Some of the claims are so exaggerated if not down-right untrue, so I would like to tell you what people should be aware of while looking for short-term housing. I’’ll mention a few every week.

One site stated that someone was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We called once on a week night and then on a weekend. The phone continued to ring and nobody answered.

Another company had a virual tour. Since so many have suggested I do the same, I thought I should take a look at it. Much to my amazement, the tour was of a model apartment in the building, not one of their short-term apartments. We all know that apartment models are strictly for show and are not functional.

While looking for corporate housing just check out some of the claims and ask what pictures actually show the type of the apartment they would have for you.

More to come next week!

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Elegant corporate housing at 215 West

I have been looking at a few corporate housing companies’ websites, and there are things I found that are very troubling…

Have times changed!  “Truth in advertising” really meant something when I first started this business. Now, on the internet you can make any claim and get away with it. I was just looking at some of the corporate housing companies’ web-sites and a few of their claims made me laugh. A couple of them even copied ideas I implemented long ago, and of course this is the sincerest form of flattery. But others are fooling people, and that gets me mad.

Let me continue to give you, from 32 years of experience in corporate housing, some tips on what to be aware of.  Today, there are virtual companies. They claim they have temporary housing in X cities. Not true! They use local companies–and are looking, in many cases, for the cheapest rate so they can mark it up higher. Virtual companies are fine if their main concern is to find the very best to meet your needs. They will do the shopping for you.

Check back in a week for more on corporate housing!

http://manilowsuites.com/specials.html

~From the keyboard of Francine Manilow~

Our guests from Italy were in town to run the Chicago Marathon. They all had exceptional finishing times!

Merzario 2:50

Ruggiero 2:55

Malighetti 2:56

Zorloni 2:59

Marchesi 3:02

Negri 3:15

Forni Riccardo 3:16

Today, on the web, anything goes. Rather than complain, with my 32 years of experience in this business, I will suggest several things to look for when choosing a short-term housing provider. I welcome anyone’s comments and let’s all expand on the theme.

When looking for corporate housing, the most popular key words are: corporate housing, temporary housing, and short-term housing.

Look at the pictures. Are they real pictures of their apartments, or are they pictures of model apartments? Does the web site only show pictures of the buildings and public spaces–such as the fitness room, pool, or lobby? If so, why aren’t they showing the interiors of  their own apartments?

Hopefully, much more will follow next week.

~From the Notepad of Francine Manilow~