Surprise your customers by providing memorable service
"Hi, my name is Kim Waggy, I'm the concierge at the Broadview Hotel (in Wichita, Kansas). You'll be staying with us on the 15th and 16th of October, and I'm calling to see if you need anything special."
Oh my God. Total shock. Five hundred hotel stays over the last three years and this is a first in service. I screamed at our staff. Told them Kim's quote. They gave her a standing ovation right on the spot. Over the phone I could hear Kim blushing.
Memorable service is about surprising someone. I was flabbergasted.
I asked Kim what the reactions are to her call. "Surprised, very surprised. People realize we're going an extra step to satisfy their needs," she said. "It makes the guest feel more welcome, helps people remember us as a step above. Pleased. Valued. Thought of. Not just a name in the computer."
I don't know about you, but I wanted to find out what people ask for when they get Kim's call. "Very little out of the ordinary. That's not the only reason we call them. We want our guests to have an experience here, not a stay, and we believe that starts before the guest arrives," Kim said. "I make sure my friendliness and service orientation sets the tone and the expectation for their stay." WOW!
For the curious, here are the top eight things guests request:
1. Iron and ironing board.
2. Special food.
3. Electronic hookups.
4. Newspapers.
5. Refrigerator.
6. Juice, soda.
7. Places to eat.
8. Places to have fun.
"How did you come up with this idea?" I asked. (Now I'm wanting every bit of info I could gather for this column.)
"Leo Villafana, our front desk manager, came up with the idea. We have a weekly meeting to review the guests coming in. We were brainstorming, trying to EXCEED their expectations. We were stuck for an idea about what's the best way to find out the guests needs, and Leo said, 'Why don't we just call the guest and ask them.' (duh) We decided to call the guest one week in advance to pre-determine their needs. If we don't ask, we won't know. If we don't know, we can't wow." WOW!
"We just implemented this practice a few weeks ago. The response has been positive," Kim said. "Most people don't need big stuff but they love the call."
I asked to speak to Leo Villafana. No surprise. There was great music on hold. "Our corporate philosophy is to put the person staying at the hotel at the top of the list. To make customers feel special," Leo said. "Grand Heritage feels that every guest should be a name not a room number." Cool.
Stop for a second to consider what this hotel has done. The (competitive) advantages are staggering:
First, and most importantly, they have created a shift from reactive service (the guest shows up and they check in), to proactive service (call the guest before arrival). Which do you think is more powerful? Second, taking the concierge to the guest significantly reduces calls to the concierge desk during the guest's stay. Third, repeat business. "We get lots of returns," Leo said.
Fourth, lots of people spread the word for free. Look at what can happen when you surprise someone, and they tell someone else. I hung up with Kim and told someone else. Kim makes 25 calls a day, or 125 calls a week, 500 calls a month, 6,000 calls a year. A minimum of 6,000 happy, surprised guests telling 6,000 other potential guests. If everyone only tells one other person, that still equates to 12,000 contacts. Small investment, big reward. Wouldn't it be nice to have 12,000 ambassadors a year talking about your business? That's nothing. So far I've told 20 people (that would make 240,000 ambassadors) and the many readers of this paper. And I've just started.
I asked Kim if there were any personal benefits from this new concept. "There's something about making others happy that makes your own problems seem small," Kim said. Well said.
My requests? Just my standard needs: an iron and an ironing board that's not for Barbie Doll clothes. Plenty of plugs for computers and modems. But I had to challenge her, I asked for a used bookstore, specifically one with used books on selling skills and personal development. Her response: "I'll have a list ready when you get here."
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless." President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. Inquiries should be faxed to the WBJ at (48-22) 646-0576 or e-mailed directly to Gitomer at salesman@gitomer.com
