WHAT IN HELLS NAME IS GOING ON ACCOR

By William H Harriss. 12/07/2024. [email protected]

Accor is a massive organization that is highly respected throughout the world. Why would they put their good name and credibility on the line over something so simple, creating for themselves a transparency failure that can escalate into something that can cost them millions in revenue and a loss of clients? I have already had three international newspapers asking me questions.

Readers are aware that I previously wrote about Accor and their refusal to divulge what their cleaning and hygiene program entails. I asked several questions in that article and corresponded briefly with their news editor. Since then, not another word. They chose to ignore me. They have never answered my emails or questions, just a kind of terminal burial of any transparency.

It's all great and well for the hotel group ACCOR to present cleaning standards, with the recognizable catch word, ALLSAFE, that they require their numerous brands to follow. Cleaning programs are devised and certified by organizations such as the ‘Bureau Veritas’, which are respected international certification experts. Accor used internationally recognized giant Veritas to give the whole presentation of cleaning and hygiene a kind of guarantee in the mind of the lodging public that the cleaning program exists and is of a very high standard. https://group.accor.com/en/Actualites/2020/05/allsafe-cleanliness-prevention-label

If there is a willingness for ACCOR to use these cleaning and hygiene standards for advertising to inform and draw clients to their brands. Giving such a convincing story makes the client believe they are safe at their hotels in the knowledge that everything is done to a high standard because experts designed it. If they are willing to brag about the program and use it as a sales tool, they must surely expect and be prepared for people to ask questions, and surely they must be willing to truthfully answer them.

Imagine going to a top garage that brags they will service your car to a higher standard than most of their competitors. You tell them you would like a 50,000-kilometer service. Then you ask them what will that service entail, and they reply, "Sorry we cannot tell you that because that is something we do not make public". They tell you the cost but refuse to tell you what they do, except, “You can rest assured your car will be expertly serviced.” Now compare that with deciding to go on a trip and choosing a hotel that displayed on their website in bragging terms that they have a special cleaning and hygiene program called ALLSAFE.

You ask your hotel of choice, the one you chose because they have a special cleaning and hygiene program. You ask them “Can you please tell me what the ALLSAFE cleaning and hygiene program entails in my bedroom after the previous guest leaves and I arrive". They tell you "Sorry we cannot tell you that because that is something we do not make public". They point-blank refuse, to give you any of the information that you ask for, except to tell you “But we do clean the room thoroughly”.

More often or not when someone is only willing to tell you half a story, none of the story, or ignore the question, it is because they are perhaps hiding something. It certainly creates that image in my mind. It prompts the questions, maybe they do not want you to be able to go into a room and check if the program was properly applied. Would you not wonder, if they vehemently refuse to answer such simple questions, perhaps it will save them from telling lies?

I have no doubt that the highly respected Accor is not a liar. But let's look at what a liar is. Lying can be conceptualized as just one form of deception, which is defined as “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” Thus, lying is always a form of being a thief and a cheat. Because to tell a lie is theft of the truth, to tell a lie is to cheat on the truth.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “The cruellest lies are often told in silence.” The quote by Stevenson, 'The cruellest lies are often told in silence,' carries a profound meaning that highlights the destructive power of silence when it is used as a means to deceive or manipulate. In its straightforward interpretation, the quote suggests that remaining silent can sometimes be more damaging than speaking untruths outright. It emphasizes the idea that lies told in silence have a particular cruelty to them, as they often go unnoticed and unchallenged, leaving the recipient unaware of the deceit and struggling to discern the truth. Stevenson's quote serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of honest communication and the potential harm that can be inflicted when silence is used as a tool for manipulation.

We all know what simple lying is, saying something which isn’t true, but knowing this isn’t always enough in today’s world. Lying and deception can sometimes take on more subtler forms, one of these being ‘lying by omission’, or ‘omission lying’.

But what exactly do we mean by omission lying? How can we define omission lying, and what can we do about it?

Lying by omission is when a person or an organization deliberately withholds important information or fails to correct a pre-existing misconception to hide the truth from others. It is distinct from lies of commission, which involve telling someone something that simply isn’t true. Lies of omission can be just as harmful as a blatant lie, if not more so.

Now it is quite possible that the ACCOR hotel group has a wonderful cleaning and hygiene program in place called ALLSAFE, and they want to keep it a secret from their competitors. For me, that does not fly. If you are paying the bill and you have paid for something a hotel decided to brag about to encourage you to stay with them instead of with a competitor, then surely you are entitled to know what you paid for. After all had they not bragged about their cleaning and hygiene program perhaps you may have stayed somewhere else, that was cheaper and in a better or more convenient location.

Secrets will surely make the people who read my recent articles wonder why such secrets need to be applied to something as simple as the cleaning and hygiene of a hotel bedroom. It is all a matter of perception. In a world where information is readily available with just a few taps on a screen, it’s intriguing to ponder the consequences and ethics behind keeping such things secret. Whether it’s a trade secret, a hidden truth, or classified data, withholding information has the power to shape relationships, impact decisions, and even influence the course of history.

Transparency is vital in every public and commercial relationship, fostering trust and open communication. Withholding information from the hotel client can lead to suspicion and mistrust, damaging the very foundation of any relationship. Honest and transparent statements create a safe space for clients and proposed clients to express their direct dislikes and address concerns or conflicts. In a client-to-hotel relationship, it could be sharing safe experiences ensuring both parties understand each other better.

In every professional setting, transparency must be manifested through clear expectations, feedback, and the sharing of information freely on request. This helps build a collaborative and productive environment where everyone feels welcome and protected.

Withholding information can lead to misunderstandings and conflict in various situations. When hoteliers choose to keep important information from guests, it can hinder effective communication and prevent a clear understanding of the situation at hand. This lack of transparency can result in assumptions, misinterpretations, and confusion among the parties involved.

So it has to be asked, and the answer needs to to honestly explained by ACCOR, what in hell's name is going on, or not going on that a cleaning and hygiene program is a trade or state secret? What is being hidden, and why? WHAT IN HELL'S NAME IS GOING ON ACCOR.

Please tell me what the cleaning and hygiene program entails in a bedroom between the time a guest vacates a room and a new guest takes occupation. Exactly what happens in that room. Also what chemicals and cleaning products are used in the room and the laundered linen?

Just as a finisher to the above analysis, many of you know I can look at things and see things that others miss or simply cannot see. My actual professional view on this current situation is really simple yet few would have already worked it out. Telling me what they do in the bedrooms would also show me what they do not do, and that is the frightener for them. They are hiding what they do not do, and to do that they have to declare “Sorry we cannot tell you that because that is something we do not make public” and in saying that it remains unspoken and even unthought about ‘what they do not do’.

This all started because I quite innocently wanted to stay at one of their hotels and developed into this because I wanted some comfort in the assurance that staying in one or more of their hotels would ensure utmost safety and hygiene. Like many other clients, I was drawn in by their statement about the ALLSAFE cleaning and hygiene program. But being a long-term member of the trade I wanted to know more. As a corporation, I admire Accor, its growth and past decisions in acquiring new brands and disposing of those that didn’t quite fit. Some of the past management and directorship had quite magic foresight, I admire that. But time tends to destroy long-term entities and it may just be starting to happen to Accor. Can it be corrected, I am sure it can, but it will take quite a shake-up.

It all grinds back to failure to swiftly and promptly accept and embrace new technology and innovation, and not to just acquire it when everyone else has it, being the first is the standard of success. Most companies today need to both run and reinvent themselves continuously, in each part of their business. Against an increased risk of accelerated mortality of a corporation, leaders who think on multiple time scales—and make sure that their organizations do, too—can defy the odds and ensure longevity and prosperity for their enterprises.

I know by study that Accor has some degree of innovative ideas. But Accor is a massive organization and can well afford a real in-house 'Invention and Innovation Department,' with vice presidents, directors, managers and a herd of nerds. A real laboratory that investigates every hint heard of a new idea, invention, or innovation. Being the first in the industry with a new invention or innovation will put them in pole position. It will also ensure that because they are up to date and even in the forefront with technology, they will have nothing to hide, and perhaps not need to have secrets from the clients. As well as making progress with initiatives, there are other tasks to be considered for innovation departments. Innovations will not occur without an innovation-friendly ecosystem. Leaders standing behind their people when experiments prove initiatives to be ineffective, hiring people who think differently, and providing time to reflect on long-term solutions are critical components of an effective ecosystem. Accor's Innovation Department can therefore take on an advisory and monitoring role, guiding biotopes and working with HR to get the right people in and support the development of leadership skills, particularly for upper management.

You see, I already know exactly what the Accor ALLSAFE program does not do and its failures, I know the reason for the secrets. I also know that those failures can be overcome. They could do that much more quickly with my help in setting up an Invention and Innovation Department, I can only offer them 12 months of my time. I know all the innovations that are lacking and are urgently required. Will they let me help them? Let us see, let's see if they have the strength to swallow their pride and admit I am right.