Canan Ozgen:

Hotels that offer technology and comfort In all actIvItIes are takIng prImacy.

Can you introduce yourself?

I have been working for LCW, a leader in its sector, for 22 years. I always smile, have a positive attitude, and look for the good. I am mothering two boys, one of whom is a sophomore at college and the other of whom is an 8th grader. This is the second profession I have been following fondly.

 What is your job description in LC Waikiki? Which tasks do you perform?

I and my team are responsible for making travel plans for accommodation, visits, and transport of the staff. I can say that we operate like a travel agency with my active and dynamic team. We make contracts with all national and international airline companies as well as chain and boutique hotels. We ensure that large and corporate organization processes with broad participation of the staff are carried out. As a team, our work environment is essentially based on efficiency to reach the company goals.

How is travel planning and organization process carried out?

Within LC Waikiki some departments might require either planned or sometimes instantaneous national or international travels or training organizations in which case we evaluate personnel demand and make a travel plan to cover all activities - transport, accommodation, visa, and activities- in line with the schedule within the shortest time.

As the Manager of Travel Planning and Organization what do you expect from a hotel? What do you take into account?

We value the staff being trained and the hotel embracing a customer-oriented service understanding. When it comes to physical facilities, hotels that provide technology and comfort in all activities are taking primacy. As for accommodation we would like to see safe and easily accessible hotels that have ergonomic room designs, value hygiene and cleanliness, and adopt quality standards.

How do you evaluate service principles of Istanbul hotels?

Increasing accommodation capacity and standards laid down particularly by chain hotels have made a contribution. We believe that service understanding has improved thanks to qualified, customer-oriented, innovative, and expert personnel recently.

In interviews with expert hoteliers, we observe that from time to time some businesses are having difficulties in this journey of institutionalisation. We believe that the shift from 'I' to 'We' should be encouraged in terms of employee commitment, one of the most important topics to retain qualified employees; and so, finding qualified employees will not be a problem anymore.

Expectations regarding technology, sportive activities, and visual hardware as well as hygiene and quality have changed lately. Focusing on these areas might boost customer satisfaction.

How do you spend your holidays? What are your favourite destinations?

I love the Aegean Sea and climate. I have a summer house in Altinoluk, so I love that region. I like Kadirga Bay and Sivrice Bay. For short breaks, Kas and Dalyan are my favourite places. Cappadocia, my hometown, is also another region I absolutely adore. It is the dreamland I enjoy getting around during my family visits every year. Recently I have explored the Black Sea region to see all shades of green, but I still have a long way to go.

There should be a shift from ‘I' to 'We'