About This Episode

What do you do when a pandemic hits and your clients are almost exclusively in an industry that shuts down completely? Senior Account Manager James Pelham from TMB Systems – a UK-based MSP that specializes in hospitality (and specifically hotels) – shares the ups and downs of the past sixteen months, giving us a glimpse into the rollercoaster ride experienced by the hospitality industry during lockdown and the shifts made by TMB to make sure their clients made it through the storm.

3:45 – James gives us a brief background on his journey from IT support to senior account management. He dives into how he views the role of the account manager, and shares the changes he’s seen in his relationships with his clients as he helped them navigate through the pandemic.

9:19 – James deep dives into how the pandemic affected his clients in the hotel industry, taking us through a detailed breakdown of how priorities shifted in the early weeks and months of lockdown.

13:58 – James and the hosts discuss the qualities necessary to be a successful account manager when it comes to hospitality, emphasizing the emotional aspect of this particular industry and the fact that one bad review from a guest could have a major impact on a hotel’s business. James also shares his strategies for working with hotel general managers when pitching projects and upgrades, going in depth on how a problem or a solution affect the guests.

23:04 – Brian asks James what kind of technology trends he’s seeing in hotels as we begin to come out of lockdown. James leaves us with the reminder that people in the hospitality industry have had an incredibly difficult year, and urges listeners to employ empathy when interacting with those on the ground in hotels and restaurants.