• After relaxing at the pool, we were surprised to find champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and little gold beads of chocolate nicely displayed in our room.  Along with it was a very nice handwritten card from Caitlin with Guest Relations.  These gestures meant so much to us; we felt so blessed to be given these unexpected gifts.  And let me tell you: the hundreds of little gold dusted beads of chocolate were AMAZING (so was everything else too, of course)!
• When we arrived at Primo, the hostess said, "Happy anniversary!"  She escorted us to a nice, intimate table, and upon the table was another card acknowledging our anniversary.  They made us feel like it was an honor for us to spend our time celebrating there, but truly the pleasure was ours as the food and service was dynamite. 

Now these surprisingly special moments did not stop there, and the exemplary service was delivered so naturally throughout our short stay that we had to pause often and reflect with a statement of, "wait- wasn't that so nice?"  For example, Courtney by the pool was so talkative and sweet when she helped us set up our chairs, and later she stopped by and said something similar to, "Everything to your liking, Mrs. Scheer?"  Yes, yes it was.  For our entire stay!

Now I have written about service at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, before (click here to read about another memorable experience), so it's clear that this hotel has the right formula for delivering moments that make their guests feel special.  The key takeaways that made this entire customer experience a "wow" from start to finish:

• Sending a pre-arrival communication and properly noting what is learned from the guest so that moments could be created to show the seamless connection and communication.
• Taking care and showing a genuine interest in ensuring that the guest's stay was outstanding.
• Doing the small things, like retaining and using the guest's name for personalization in conversation.
• Delivering kind gestures that are truly unexpected.

Will we be back for more stays at The Ritz-Carlton?  Absolutely.  They have gained our loyalty through consistently delivering upon our expressed and unexpressed wishes.  What can we all learn from this service that is done right?  Do your customers tell stories about you like I have done here?  If not, let's figure out how you too can "wow" your customers.