If this is your first time to the IOI podcast, it is recommended you start with this episode

In this episode of the Real Time chapter, Professor Jones demystifies hotel pricing and explains the logic behind what guests often see as confusing rate differences. Drawing from a career in hotel sales and real-time front desk work, he covers key revenue management concepts—from distribution channels to dynamic pricing—and how interns can engage with them. Whether you're interning in hotels or event planning, understanding revenue strategy will shape your effectiveness as a future manager.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the "why" behind pricing – Rates vary daily due to occupancy forecasts, booking pace, and market conditions. Revenue management is data-driven—not random.
• Know your channels – Learn the differences between OTAs (e.g., Expedia), direct bookings, and corporate/travel agent systems like GDS. Each affects pricing and availability differently.
• Track dynamic pricing in real time – Rates shift with demand. One room might cost $246 on Tuesday and $664 on Thursday if it’s the last one available before a sold-out night.
• Master key metrics – Concepts like RevPAR, booking window, compression, rate parity, and pace are foundational. Get familiar with the terminology used in revenue meetings and reports (e.g., STR, Lighthouse).
• Ask insightful questions – Use your internship to understand strategy. Ask how pricing decisions are made, how competitor rates are tracked, how overbooking is handled, and how group/events affect rate strategy.

Drawing on his front-line experience and past career in hotel and destination sales Professor Jones explores how group business — including meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE) — drives hotel performance. From understanding departmental coordination to identifying guest segments, this episode offers insights valuable for both hotel and event management students.

Key Takeaways:

• Group business is often the key to filling hotels during slow periods, such as weekdays or off-season months.
• The sales department, though often physically removed from operations, plays a critical behind-the-scenes role in generating occupancy and revenue.
• Understanding who the group customer is — and their diverse event types (MICE: Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) — helps staff better serve their needs.
• Interns and front-line employees benefit by learning how different departments collaborate to support group business.
• Experiencing both hotel operations and event planning helps build mutual understanding across industry roles, which is vital for future managers.

From his front desk view, Professor Jones challenges interns to cultivate a curious mindset on the job—especially when it comes to hotel technology. From poking around the property management system to exploring CRM tools and revenue data, this episode outlines six essential tech areas to explore during your internship. Regardless of your role, developing tech curiosity will help you think like a manager—and grow into one.

Key Takeaways:

• Get curious with the PMS – Learn how the property management system tracks room assignments, forecasts occupancy, and supports guest preferences. Don’t just do your job—understand the system behind it.
• Explore customer relationship and marketing tools – See how hotels tailor guest experiences and marketing campaigns using platforms like Revinate, and how CRM insights inform guest loyalty.
• Pay attention to revenue management – Watch for trends in ADR and booking pace reports, and learn how strategic pricing decisions are made. Track rates, make comparisons, and ask questions.
• Understand internal communication systems – Tools like Medallia or staff SMS systems may run behind the scenes, but they're critical for operations. Learn who sees what—and how to keep information flowing.

In this Real Time episode, Professor Jones draws on his guest services experience and decades in hospitality to explore what it really means to hold management aspirations while working on the front lines. He walks through four common scenarios interns might face—from working with peers who don't share your ambition to interacting with non-degreed managers and navigating union environments. The key question: how will you manage, someday?

Key Takeaways:

• Peers may not share your goals – Show empathy, seek common ground, and remember you can learn valuable frontline insights from experienced colleagues, regardless of their background.
• Managers may not have a degree—but much to teach – Recognize that formal education and experiential learning both shape effective leaders.
• Generational gaps cut both ways – Whether you’re much younger or older than your team, respect different perspectives and stay open to learning.
• Interning at a union property? Know the rules – Understand collective bargaining agreements, respect job scopes, and avoid crossing lines in work assignments.
• Stay focused on your future role as a manager – Observe carefully, ask questions of leaders, and always reflect on how you would handle situations when it’s your turn to lead.

In this Real Time episode from the front desk, Professor Jones shares practical insights from his unique experience working in both Asia and North America, focusing on the importance of language sensitivity, cultural awareness, and inclusivity on the hospitality front lines. From currency confusion to conversational gaps between departments, this episode offers tools and mindset shifts that every hospitality intern should adopt.

Key Takeaways:

• Slow down and confirm understanding: Many international guests speak some English but may interpret “yes” differently; repeating and confirming is key.
• Terminology matters: Words like “last name,” “mobile,” and “cookie” can vary by region, so adjust your language based on guest background.
• Apps can help bridge gaps: Tools like Google Translate, Pleco, Duolingo, and currency converters offer valuable on-the-spot support.
• Workplace inclusivity includes language: If most coworkers speak another language (e.g., Spanish), make the effort to learn their language, too.
• Cultural curiosity is a strength: Differences in norms, metrics, plugs, or even texting platforms (e.g., WhatsApp vs. SMS) are part of the learning—and the fun.

In this Real Time episode, Professor Jones draws on his part-time role at a resort front desk to bring fresh perspective to an age-old challenge: dealing with guest complaints. From Disney’s complaint matrix to tips for handling “Raging Reds,” this episode equips interns with strategies, empathy, and tools to transform problems into service wins — and personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Guest complaints are opportunities, not annoyances — resolving issues well can build loyalty and elevate a property’s reputation.
• Effective service recovery requires a calm, curious, and empathetic approach, including open-ended questioning and non-defensive listening.
• Drawing from Disney’s model, Dr. Jones explains how complaint severity and fault level determine recovery tactics — from empathizing to “rolling out the red carpet.”
• Interns should be prepared for emotionally charged guests (“Raging Reds”), and learn to manage face-saving, venting, and underlying frustrations with empathy and creativity.
• Real-world examples show how empowerment, systems knowledge, and leadership support allow staff to respond quickly and thoughtfully to noise issues, room requests, and false accusations.

Professor Jones explores the final of three “flux superpowers” drawn from April Rinne’s book Flux: “Be All the More Human.” He challenges interns to embrace technology not as a replacement for people, but as a tool to enhance empathy, emotional intelligence, and meaningful service. A powerful reminder that high tech and high touch must go hand in hand in hospitality.

Key Takeaways:

• Interns must understand that technology is a tool, not a substitute for the human element — service still depends on relationships, empathy, and listening.
• Developing digital intelligence (DQ) — interpreting and applying technology meaningfully — is just as important as technical skill or emotional intelligence.
• Embracing automation of routine tasks can free up time to focus on connection, care, and thoughtful interaction with guests and colleagues.
• Interns should reflect on their yin and yang balance: collaboration vs. control, presence vs. screen time — and how it affects their professional relationships.
• The ability to humanize technology use — through empathy, coaching others, or using data to enhance guest experience — will distinguish future leaders in the industry.