Our last couple of articles have been about some extraordinarily sad service mishaps. Service mishaps that should not have gone the way they did ~ and in some cases are still going on! They were not hard things to fix or manage, by any means. So the question remains, why do some companies/businesses understand the basic fundamentals of producing good customer service exchanges, while others struggle with these basics?
Let's shift gears a second and talk about expectations. Recognized or not, we have built in expectations to almost all of our encounters. We tolerate some things with a lower expectation just because we position it that way. For example, a few years ago I was driving from Florida to our lake house on the Lake of the Ozarks. We always have our dogs traveling with us, so when it comes to selecting a hotel, it can get a little tricky. Many hotel companies advertise they are pet friendly, but when you get to an individual hotel, they may not accept pets. However, Red Roof Inn has been our "go to" because they always take pets. From Florida to Missouri there are several Red Roof experiences which has fed into our lower expectation. It's just a room for one night, right?
It's 9:30 PM, and we have been driving all day, so we just want to settle in. We are in Kentucky, and we see the all familiar Red Roof Inn logo up ahead. I walked in to reserve the room, and my expectation is telling me, all things just ordinary. Well, to my surprise, this lobby was very clean, very organized and noticeably different than most. Before I took 4 steps into the lobby, I was kindly greeted from the attendant at the front desk. As I approached the desk, I noticed her genuine smile along with her clean and tidy appearance. Everything was different with this experience. This hotel "got it"! They took what they had and capitalized on all they could. Friendly, professional staff, and noticeably clean lobby and rooms can separate an ordinary to bad experience into a memorable one!
The point of this is to recognize it doesn't take much to produce nice experiences. We expect to have memorable experiences when going to a Ritz-Carlton or an elegant 5 star restaurant, but why limit our expectations to the finest? It's because some businesses don't put the effort out to "get it" like the Red Roof Inn in Kentucky! It's not all about money, it's about focus. Here is an article that I just read that supports the message I am conveying, which was written by Bronwyn White, a travel industry professional who writes for Hotelier magazine. She recently visited a lovely 2.5 star hotel called, A Place In the Sun. Bronwyn has the same affliction as I do; there is not a service experience that I have that I don't critique.
What Bronwyn experiences from her 2-star hotel; It's the basics that matter:
- They were greeted with a smile ~ The person checking them in genuinely cares about people.
- They were geniuses when it came to use of space ~ Customer focused use of space matters.
- Late check-out ~ This can't always be accommodated, but he went the extra mile to see if they could offer the late check out, which they did.
- Impeccable presentation ~ This hotel was built in the 50's, but it is clean, which is hard to say about many hotels at this level.
- Modern TV ~ Sounds small, but TV's are cheap now and this matters for the experience.
- Well maintained grounds and pool ~ She mentioned that this space was not large, but it was clean, maintained and inviting.
- Free Wi-Fi ~ A big benefit to guests.
- Continental breakfast was complimentary ~ Not only is this convenient for your guests, but a nice, clean food presentation makes guests happy.
- Create a tribe ~ This hotel has made it's name on repeat, long term visits from their guests.
This hotel clearly understands who their target market is, and they have capitalized on every aspect to ensure their guests have a 5-star experience! Well done!
I feel too often companies lose sight of the things that can make the biggest difference. And, often it's the small things that really matter. Yes, it's nice to have a luxurious robe in your guest room, but this gets lost quick if the guest room is not clean. Cleanliness and friendliness will always trump nice amenities. Focus on what matters most.
