Government Managed Lodging Programs Part 1 DoD Preferred Ms. Lori Leffler DTMO Hospitality Management Branch Chief March 5, 2018 Department of Defense
Agenda Overview Customer Satisfaction Survey Results Complaint Resolution and Customer Feedback 2019 Program Frequently Asked Questions Booking Procedures Defense Travel System (DTS) Demo 2
Integrated Lodging Program Pilot (ILPP) 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 113-291) authorized the Secretary of Defense to institute lodging program to provide adequate government and commercial lodging AND required both DoD civilian employees and Service members to stay in government, privatized, or DoD Preferred commercial lodging while on official travel. 3
Guiding Principles for DoD Preferred Defense Travel Management Office Traveler First Initiative travel is about people; we are renting a temporary place to live Set quality standards, reflect customer priorities, make adjustments to satisfy Put eyes on properties use all networks Companionate compliance communicate, navigate, provide accommodations, measure Build the program right and they will come pilot approach Service After Sale build a program that comes with a warranty Fire & forget works well for a weapon system but not for a people system Direct 360 stakeholder input do not insulate with surrogate intermediary Pin Point Sourcing work data to atomic level, then mold into actionable business intell Know the market and traveler needs, detailed analysis, link data points; GTTC, DTS, TMC Objective competitive selection criteria, seek out opportunities, apply lessons learned Move market through diligence, not demands: communications, metrics, training, rates, system, Measure, Fix, Reflect count it with intellectual honesty Select KPI and apply: customer s view, efficiency, program and system adoption Count all costs/avoidance; rates, amenities, fees, ROI, overhead, system Actions Yield Trust, Trust Yields Authority title 5 forbids directed use of lodging 914 authority temporary expiring 2019, must prove that travelers are better off in the program than out Must have infrastructure to guide travelers through rules with edit flags and off ramps Integrated implementation gains trust of: travelers, Congress, OMB, unions, industry, Services 4
Program Evolution Program Launch (June 2015) Added JTR policy Integrated DoD lodging Strategically sourced 8 DoD Preferred Pilot sites with 53 properties Expanded Sites (January 2016) Added 6 new DoD Preferred Pilot sites increasing to a total of 95 properties Future Long term travel: 30-179 nights (31-180 days) Group travel Added Privatized Lodging (March 2016) Expanded Pilot sites to include military installations with adequate Privatized facilities Expanded Sites (July 2016) Added 5 new DoD Preferred pilot sites bringing the new total number of properties to 126 Expanded Sites (January 2017) 32 DoD Preferred Pilot sites with a new total of 187 properties Expanded Sites (January 2018) Now 52 DoD Preferred Pilot sites with a total of 258 properties 5
How the ILPP Works DTMO partners with GSA/FedRooms to negotiate commercial lodging in select locations (pilot sites) for rates below per diem To be selected to participate in the program, hotels must meet specific quality, safety and security and financial protection standards Pilot sites are identified in locations where room night demand exceeds the lodging capacity at the military installation Hotels accepted as a DoD Preferred property must extend rates to any DoD traveler on official travel that requests a DoD Preferred rate Reservations for DoD Preferred hotels are made through DTS or by contacting a Travel Management Company Travelers to Pilot Sites are required to utilize participating DoD Preferred hotels when DoD lodging is not available 6
2018 Current Sites Defense Travel Management Office 258 hotels in 52 pilot sites (new sites bold ital.) Alabama Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL (2 hotels) Birmingham, AL (2 hotels) Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL (8 hotels) Arizona Luke Air Force Base, Glendale/Goodyear, AZ (4 hotels) Phoenix, AZ (2 hotels) California Fort Irwin, Barstow, CA (3 hotels) Los Angeles Air Force Base, Los Angeles, CA (2 hotels) Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), Twentynine Palms, CA (3 hotels) Florida MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, FL (11 hotels) Georgia Fort Benning, Columbus, GA (5 hotels) Illinois/Iowa Rock Island Arsenal, Quad Cities, IA/IL (3 hotels) Indiana DFAS Location, Indianapolis, IN (2 hotels) Louisiana Fort Polk, Leesville, LA (2 hotels) Maryland Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD (10 hotels) Naval Support Activity, Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (5 hotels) Fort Meade, MD (7 hotels) Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD (4 hotels) North Carolina Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, NC (11 hotels) New Hampshire/Maine Portsmouth Naval Shipyard-Kittery, ME, Portsmouth, NH (4 hotels) New Mexico Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, NM (1 hotel) White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, NM (3 hotels) New York US Military Academy, West Point, NY (3 hotels) Ohio Defense Supply Center, Columbus, OH (4 hotels) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH (10 hotels) 7
2018 Current Sites (continued) Pennsylvania Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA (2 hotels) Naval Support Activity, Mechanicsburg, PA (3 hotels) Defense Logistics Agency Susquehanna, New Cumberland, PA (2 hotels) South Carolina Joint Base Charleston, Charleston, SC (11 hotels) Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, SC (4 hotels) Texas Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX (10 hotels) Fort Hood, Killeen, TX (10 hotels) San Antonio, TX (26 hotels) Fort Sam Houston/Joint Base San Antonio, San Antonio, TX Lackland Air Force Base/Joint Base San Antonio, San Antonio, TX Randolph Air Force Base/Joint Base San Antonio, San Antonio, TX Utah Hill Air Force Base, Ogden. UT (4 hotels) Virginia Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, VA (4 hotels) Fort Eustis, Newport News, VA (4 hotels) Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Naval Shipyard Norfolk/Portsmouth, Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Norfolk/Portsmouth/Chesapeake, VA (9 hotels) Fort Lee, Petersburg, VA (16 hotels) Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, VA (7 hotels) Navy Support Commands, Suffolk, VA (3 hotels) Naval Air Station Oceana, Dam Neck, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia Beach, VA (8 hotels) Yorktown Facilities, Yorktown/Williamsburg, VA (3 hotels) Washington Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Bangor, WA (2 hotels) Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Bremerton, WA (3 hotels) Naval Station Everett, Everett, WA (3 hotels) Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, WA (5 hotels) Seattle-Tacoma Airport, Seattle, WA (2 hotels) Seattle Downtown, WA (3 hotels) Tukwila, WA (2 hotels) Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, WA (1 hotel) Official listing available on website: www.defensetravel.dod.mil/docs/ilp_pilot_ Start_Dates.pdf 8
Property Amenities Defense Travel Management Office Requirements Considerations 300 250 200 256 256 256 256 256 300 250 200 256 252 243 234 220 218 202 185 150 150 100 100 LY 50 0 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 50 83% 84% 78% 87% 81% 72% 72% LY 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 98% 95% 91% 86% 85% 78% 72% 0 Hotels that offer same day cleaning, onsite w/d or both: 256, 100%. 9
Customer Satisfaction Survey Travelers are sent a 24 question survey 30,412 travelers completed the survey in CY2017 The 2017 End of Year DoD Preferred Customer Satisfaction Survey Report is cumulative, covering the surveys submitted from January to December of 2017 10
Customer Satisfaction Survey (continued) Defense Travel Management Office Overall Satisfaction up from 79% prior year 11
How to Read the DoD Preferred Customer Satisfaction Survey Report First graph depicts the Overall Satisfaction score for your property. The Overall Satisfaction score is made up of 4 attributes (Assurance/Reliability, Product/Service Quality, Customer Interaction, and Overall Experience), and questions are weighted. 12
How to read the DoD Preferred Customer Satisfaction Survey Report (continued) The second image depicts the breakdown of the 4 major attributes that make up the overall customer satisfaction score. The third image depicts the 5 attributes that make up the Customer Interaction score, one of the previously mentioned 4 major attributes. 13
Preferred Commercial Lodging Complaint Resolution Process DTMO If necessary, sends file to NG for removal of hotel. Retains an archive of which properties were removed and date Writes/sends response to customer and closes TAC ticket DTMO Reviews information, considers resolution offered, previous reports and actions, and classification of issue to determine DTMO action 6 7 1 Defense Travel Management Office Complaint Source Submitted via TAC Ticket, Service POC, or direct email 2 3 Travel Assistance Center/DTMO Gathers information and sends to contractor Contractor Validates hotel is in program, researches complaint history Sends feedback to hotel POC Decision Category Warning: monitor for corrective action and additional complaints, used for minor issues Suspension: determine amount of time for suspension (until issue is resolved, demonstrates successful resolution, etc.) Removal: repeated issues, no evidence of issue resolution or resolution was unsuccessful, used for serious safety/health issues 5 4 Hotel Sends response that includes the facts, response, and proposed resolution Contractor Classifies issues and monitors hotel for corrective action Provides hotel response and recommends action to DTMO 14
Traveler Feedback Defense Travel Management Office Negative feedback is gauged carefully; overall scores, hotel responsiveness to our requests for follow up, etc. are also taken into consideration. I got breakfast coupons last month when I stayed here, but they told me it wasn t included this time. They charged me for leaving two days early. I couldn t get a zero-balance folio at departure, and they didn t email me one like they promised. They put me in the smallest room I ve ever seen. Their basic Internet is so slow I had to pay out of my own pocket for faster speeds. 15
Traveler Feedback (continued) Positive feedback is particularly important. First time at this hotel chain. I would stay at this chain again. The hotel I selected is one that I would have used for personal travel. It is great that it was an option. Because of the awesome experience I had at this location, I have since used this chain of hotels while on leave with my family in another state. This was one of the best hotel chains I have stay at in my 9 years with the Air Force. I will try to stay at this brand of hotel when able. Thank you for adding this hotel to our list of hotels to stay at while on travel. It is greatly appreciated. Keep them as part of the program please. 16
2019 Program Continue DoD Preferred Pilot site expansion 4th quarter FY2018 site inspections/re-inspections for some or all current sites Long-Term (30-179 nights/31-180 days) Quality improvement Review current Pilot Site actual room nights to ensure we have the right number of DoD Preferred hotels 17
Long-Term Stay Program to support Flat Rate 30-179 nights (31-180 days) Study in conjunction with the NDTA Extended Stay Lodging Subcommittee Included corporate housing companies Included Extended Stay hotels Further Studying Data Where are our long term stays taking place? Possible options Bookable in DTS? Proprietary rate code? 18
Response to 2019 Solicitation Ensure rates meet requirements At least 10% below per diem for each season Round down Max five rate seasons Permitted up to five blackout periods of up to five nights each Ensure Lanyon information is accurate to be considered Amenities Policies Submit questions to contractor Be prepared for property inspections 19
My Hotel Wasn t Selected Rate offer: rounded rate up instead of down (9.87% under per diem is not 10%!) Neglected to bid this specific program (bid FedRooms but not DoD Preferred) Another hotel that didn t make it last year was more aggressive this year with rates and amenities Traveler comments Visit to property Front desk refused to show us rooms Offer was NLRA Consistent problems meeting rate audits 20
Rate Loading Some brands still have issues, which are taken into account for the following year selections Weekly rate audits in the GDS Hotel won t display in DTS if it does pass the rate audit If a property does not pass rate audit, both the property and National Account Manger are notified and given the opportunity to correct If the correction is not made by the specified date or there is an ongoing issue, the property will be removed from the program When squatters are detected: The property and brand are advised to remove immediately In the event of an on-going issue, the brand has the potential of being removed 21
My Hotel Doesn t Display I m a DoD Preferred hotel and a traveler told me my property does not display in the DoD Preferred section (or in DTS). What should I do? Didn t pass rate audit DoD Preferred rates not loaded Rates loaded are above the rate offered Best Available /GOV/Fedrooms rate is lower Policies not in synch (same day cancel) Corrected rate audit issues and still not displaying Once a rate issue is corrected, there can be up to three and a half weeks to be bookable Rates updated every two weeks File is audited and tested for another week 22
My Hotel Doesn t Display (continued) My non-dod Preferred hotel isn t showing up in DTS. Only participating DoD Preferred properties (with availability) will appear in the DoD Preferred section. If a traveler says a participating property is not displaying, check to make sure the dates the traveler is searching for are available before contacting our contractor or the DTMO. If the property is not a DoD Preferred property, but has a FEMA number, offers a government rate, and is bookable in the GDS, it should display on the Commercial Fire Safety Act Compliant tab (if there is availability). If the property has availability and meets the criteria listed above and is still being told it does not display, the property should contact FedRooms. 23
Common Misconceptions If a DoD Preferred property is oversold, a traveler can be walked to any hotel of the property s choice. DoD Preferred properties must walk travelers to another DoD Preferred property and ensure they are receiving a DoD Preferred rate. If the rate is higher than the rate at the booked property, the walking property is responsible for paying the difference. A DoD Preferred property can charge an early departure fee. DoD travelers are subject to last minute mission alterations and need the flexibility to respond to those changes through early departures, if they are so ordered. This is the reason we require that early departure fees be waived for the DoD Preferred program. 24
Common Misconceptions (continued) During the solicitation cycle, rather than including their best offer, properties should wait for negotiations. Negotiations are not guaranteed. Properties should provide their best offer with their initial solicitation response. If a DoD traveler contacts a hotel directly, the hotel does NOT have to offer the DoD Preferred rate. Although the majority of bookings occur in DTS and via the TMCs, DoD Preferred properties are required to offer the DoD Preferred rate if they are contacted directly. 25
Common Misconceptions (continued) If accepted in the previous year, a property will automatically be accepted in the next year's program. Participation in the program one year does not guarantee participation the following years. DoD Preferred is solicited annually and strategically sourced based on quality and value. Not being selected for participation one year, does not mean a property will not be considered for future solicitations. DoD Preferred is available in all markets. DoD Preferred is currently in 52 sites and will continue to expand over the next few year. DoD travelers going to non-dod Preferred locations still book in DTS, but book FedRooms or other government rates. 26
Common Misconceptions (continued) This is a 10 year pilot program. The Pilot Authority to direct travelers to lodging extends through 2019 (a five year program) at which time the program will be permanent. I heard that travel agents are booking higher rates. Travelers are required to book through DTS. If they require Travel Management Company (TMC) assistance, agents are required to book the program using our proprietary rate code. TMCs that book a higher rate are responsible for the difference in rate. 27
Industry Questions/Comments Are the rates commissionable? Travel agent commissions are up to the hotel we do not require that the rate be commissionable to travel agents. We ve seen hotels removed from the program with little notice. There should be a formal removal process. There is a formal removal process for customer complaints, consistent rate loading issues, etc. 28
Booking Procedures Defense Travel Management Office Travelers are required to make reservations via Defense Travel System (DTS) If DTS is unavailable, travelers are required to make reservations through the TMC If traveler is unable to use DTS or the TMC, and contacts property directly, the DoD Preferred rate should be offered 29
Integrated Lodging Program - System Defense Travel Management Office DTS displays the appropriate hotel classification in order, based on TDY destination and policy 1. Govt - DoD (TDY location is an installation) 2. Govt - Privatized (PPV, only some Army locations) 3. Commercial - DoD Preferred (Only at pilot locations) 4. Alternative Options DTS DEMO DTS DEMO 30
ILPP Resources Defense Travel Management Office www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/lodging.cfm 31
Resources for Download Defense Travel Management Office 32
Government Managed Lodging Programs Part 1 DoD Preferred Ms. Lori Leffler DTMO Hospitality Management Branch Chief March 5, 2018 Department of Defense