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La Quinta Inns,
Inc.
Dallas-based La Quinta Corporation (NYSE: LQI), a limited-service lodging company,
owns, operates or franchises more than 350 La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inn & Suites
in 33 states. |
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LA QUINTA INNS GOES WITH P-TOUCH LABELING SYSTEMS AND FINDS SERIOUS SAVINGS
Today's economy is about as relaxing as a stomach-churning ride on a roller coaster
- which means that any company worth its CFO is looking for ways to cut costs and
tighten the bottom line. And while the pressure builds to curtail expenditures,
no one wants to sacrifice the quality that makes a company notable in the first
place. That quality is often found in the details, in the simple touches that make
a good first - and lasting - impression with customers. The folks at the La Quinta
Inns, Inc. considered that when they planned the nationwide roll out of its new
name badge program. And saved a bundle in the process. |
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La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inn
& Suites - known for providing guests with comfortable, affordable accommodations
- consist of more than 350 corporate owned and operated and franchised hotels with
a total of nearly 44,000 guest rooms in 33 states. Supplying over 7,000 employees
with name badges is no small task, and the company wanted to decrease its costs
and increase its efficiency without sacrificing its professional look and feel. |
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Schwartz learned about P-touch electronic
labeling systems several years ago while attending the National Restaurant Association
Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. During a demo at the Cawley Company's booth, she saw
the P-touch labeler used to label prefabricated name badges and was surprised that
such a simple solution could yield such attractive and professional results. "I
was really impressed," said Schwartz, "so I kept that information in the back of
my mind knowing that, at some point, it would come in handy. A few years later I
came to work at La Quinta. When we started planning the roll-out, we looked at several
options and decided to go with P-touch labelers."
The Cawley Company's knowledge of name badge products along with the usefulness
of P-touch products helped to make this a successful solution. La Quinta rolled
out 25,000 of its new name badges in July 2002. Designed in the shape of the company
logo, the badges come in two colors, gold or white. With the new process in place,
managers at each of the La Quinta hotels can personalize the badges on the spot
- as needed - using a P-touch labeler. "It's a much more efficient system," says
Schwartz. "By using clear tape with black lettering, we still get the engraved,
professional look we want but without the two week turn around time. Now we can
give new employees their name badges the same day they start or quickly replace
a badge if it's lost, damaged, or simply worn out."
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The most significant measure of the
name badge program's success rests squarely on the bottom line. Schwartz estimates
the company will cut its spending on name badges by nearly 50 percent. Along with
the increased efficiency and the decreased costs, the P-touch system provided La
Quinta with advantages that the company didn't expect. "It creates what I call an
organized atmosphere," says Schwartz. "Because it's so easy to use, we've moved
beyond just labeling the badges. Administrative staff uses the P-touch labeler to
reorganize the office files, housekeeping uses it to label the linens and maintain
inventory, and the maintenance crew uses it to keep their tools organized. Basically,
if something around here stays put long enough, it gets labeled."
Overall, La Quinta's name badge program is a solid success. The company contained
costs, increased its efficiency and did so without sacrificing quality. "P-touch
labelers are a versatile tool that helped our company achieve its goals," says Schwartz. |
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