There seems to be a never-ending supply of "bad" customer service stories to share here each month, so when a good story comes along, it's cause for celebration-at least it gives an opportunity to demonstrate how to do something right instead of cautioning about what not to do.
Your Room Number is 4238...
I just got back from speaking at a very important conference that was being held at The Broadmoor, a wonderful historic property in Colorado Springs. I had an afternoon flight with a connection in Atlanta that got me to the hotel at around 8:30 pm Mountain Time, which was 10:30 pm on my time.
The front-desk clerk was courteous and professional, and handed me a map of the resort, a room key, and a folder with Room 4238 highlighted.
She offered to have the bell man assist me with my bags (not necessary, thank you) and then pointed me in the direction of the elevator.
Knock Knock! Who's There?
You can imagine my concern when I arrived at Room 4238... and found a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
I figured it would be prudent to see if someone was actually in the room before using my key, so, throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the sign, I knocked on the door.
My response was the sound of a dog barking, followed, a minute later, by the door opening. I was greeted by a woman holding a small dog, and looking puzzled about who I was and why I was knocking on her door-the door that had the "Do Not Disturb" sign.
I apologized and showed her the folder that had that very room number clearly written in the "your room" section.
Embarrassed, I apologized again, and headed back downstairs to the front desk to get this straightened out.
Oops-We Made a Mistake!
It turns out that the front-desk clerk was suffering from a minor attack of dyslexia-my room wasn't 4238; it was 4328!
As they say in basketball, "no harm, no foul," so I settled in to my room, unpacked, and got some much-needed sleep.
The next morning, though, I started thinking about the situation, and I became a little concerned. For example, what would have happened if the woman hadn't had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door? I would have walked right on in, and created a scene that would have been uncomfortable at best!
So I went to the front desk and asked to see a manager. A few minutes later, Sasha (pronounced "say-sha") Burke appeared and listened to what had happened. Much to my relief, she assured me that my key wouldn't have opened the door to the first room, since it was a simple transposition error that had sent me there in the first place.
She apologized for the inconvenience, and invited me to contact her directly if there was anything I needed during my stay.
Need a Little Snack?
The situation was handled professionally, so I went about my business and didn't give it a second thought.
When I returned to my room, though, there was a surprise waiting for me: a bottle of wine and a tin with some dessert treats!
Then I saw the flashing light on the phone, and pressed the "Message" button. There was a message from Ann Alba, the hotel's general manager, adding her own apology, letting me know that they had sent the gift items, and leaving her direct cell-phone number in case anything else came up.
So I'm beginning to enjoy this not because of the treats, but (1) because of the way in which this service-recovery opportunity was being addressed, and (2) because the general manager was aware of the problem and had reached out personally.
But Wait... There's More!
The next morning, as I was walking across the property on my way to the main building, I happened to pass Sasha who was walking in the opposite direction.
I smiled and said, "Good morning!" And without missing a beat, she said, "Oh, hello Mr. Rosenberg; how are you today?" Yes, that's right, she remembered my name, even though she had no idea that she would see me then-or even at all during the remainder of my stay.
And just in case you think this was just a fluke, she passed me later in the day at a reception the conference was hosting, and greeted me by name again.
Problem? No Problem!
Mistakes are going to happen, especially when there are lots of "moving parts," as in the case of a large resort property.
But the way in which these missteps are handled can make the difference between a potential disaster and a raving fan.
In fact, some studies have shown that if the "baseline" level of customer loyalty is at, say 90%, when a problem occurs and is handled quickly, effectively, and professionally, then the level of loyalty actually increases.
I Have Nothing to Worry About!
If you think about this for a minute, it will make perfect sense. You have in mind a certain set of expectations; but when there's a problem, you discover that the vendor will go above and beyond to make it right. This provides a level of reassurance that if on the rare occasion something does go wrong, you know you'll be taken care of.
In case you were wondering, the next night, after my presentation, I was greeted in my room by some hand-made chocolates, and two small bottles of Grand Marnier.
Your Room Number is 4238...
I just got back from speaking at a very important conference that was being held at The Broadmoor, a wonderful historic property in Colorado Springs. I had an afternoon flight with a connection in Atlanta that got me to the hotel at around 8:30 pm Mountain Time, which was 10:30 pm on my time.
The front-desk clerk was courteous and professional, and handed me a map of the resort, a room key, and a folder with Room 4238 highlighted.
She offered to have the bell man assist me with my bags (not necessary, thank you) and then pointed me in the direction of the elevator.
Knock Knock! Who's There?
You can imagine my concern when I arrived at Room 4238... and found a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
I figured it would be prudent to see if someone was actually in the room before using my key, so, throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the sign, I knocked on the door.
My response was the sound of a dog barking, followed, a minute later, by the door opening. I was greeted by a woman holding a small dog, and looking puzzled about who I was and why I was knocking on her door-the door that had the "Do Not Disturb" sign.
I apologized and showed her the folder that had that very room number clearly written in the "your room" section.
Embarrassed, I apologized again, and headed back downstairs to the front desk to get this straightened out.
Oops-We Made a Mistake!
It turns out that the front-desk clerk was suffering from a minor attack of dyslexia-my room wasn't 4238; it was 4328!
As they say in basketball, "no harm, no foul," so I settled in to my room, unpacked, and got some much-needed sleep.
The next morning, though, I started thinking about the situation, and I became a little concerned. For example, what would have happened if the woman hadn't had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door? I would have walked right on in, and created a scene that would have been uncomfortable at best!
So I went to the front desk and asked to see a manager. A few minutes later, Sasha (pronounced "say-sha") Burke appeared and listened to what had happened. Much to my relief, she assured me that my key wouldn't have opened the door to the first room, since it was a simple transposition error that had sent me there in the first place.
She apologized for the inconvenience, and invited me to contact her directly if there was anything I needed during my stay.
Need a Little Snack?
The situation was handled professionally, so I went about my business and didn't give it a second thought.
When I returned to my room, though, there was a surprise waiting for me: a bottle of wine and a tin with some dessert treats!
Then I saw the flashing light on the phone, and pressed the "Message" button. There was a message from Ann Alba, the hotel's general manager, adding her own apology, letting me know that they had sent the gift items, and leaving her direct cell-phone number in case anything else came up.
So I'm beginning to enjoy this not because of the treats, but (1) because of the way in which this service-recovery opportunity was being addressed, and (2) because the general manager was aware of the problem and had reached out personally.
But Wait... There's More!
The next morning, as I was walking across the property on my way to the main building, I happened to pass Sasha who was walking in the opposite direction.
I smiled and said, "Good morning!" And without missing a beat, she said, "Oh, hello Mr. Rosenberg; how are you today?" Yes, that's right, she remembered my name, even though she had no idea that she would see me then-or even at all during the remainder of my stay.
And just in case you think this was just a fluke, she passed me later in the day at a reception the conference was hosting, and greeted me by name again.
Problem? No Problem!
Mistakes are going to happen, especially when there are lots of "moving parts," as in the case of a large resort property.
But the way in which these missteps are handled can make the difference between a potential disaster and a raving fan.
In fact, some studies have shown that if the "baseline" level of customer loyalty is at, say 90%, when a problem occurs and is handled quickly, effectively, and professionally, then the level of loyalty actually increases.
I Have Nothing to Worry About!
If you think about this for a minute, it will make perfect sense. You have in mind a certain set of expectations; but when there's a problem, you discover that the vendor will go above and beyond to make it right. This provides a level of reassurance that if on the rare occasion something does go wrong, you know you'll be taken care of.
In case you were wondering, the next night, after my presentation, I was greeted in my room by some hand-made chocolates, and two small bottles of Grand Marnier.
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