I’m sad to report yet another BAD customer service story from my friend D.D. Daruvala in Singapore.
Real World Story: “Customer service in Singapore is going down the drain. For my Dad’s Birthday last night, the whole family went to a 5-star hotel to celebrate. A young man—not a small boy or teenager—named Tan attended to us. I expected an incredible night of great service.
“Goodwood Park Hotel is Singapore’s distinguished heritage hotel. Goodwood Park claims to have ‘an illustrious tradition of 
unparalleled 5-star hospitality’ on its website. To say the least, Tan misrepresented the 5-star hotel—very arrogant body language and condescending looks. Had I been alone, I would have told him, point blank, ‘Young buck, you have an attitude problem. Call your manager, RIGHT NOW!’
“The birthday dinner sucked big time! The experience was worse than what we had at Wild Honey.
“Among the many blunders, three stood out:
- Our head waiter Tan did not listen to us carefully, so he forgot to bring iced tea.
- When we asked for iced water, Tan said, in a curt tone, ‘My colleagues are arranging it.’
- Tan charged us for an American espresso, which we hadn’t ordered, and bungled up my credit card transaction.
“No one offered us any apologies for any of the night’s blunders and bad service. The staff never refilled a single glass or asked if there was anything we needed. When my mom asked for a doggy bag, a waitress managed to get it done—but with a sour face.
“SHAME ON GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL. I would rename this 5-star hotel DEADWOOD PARK HOTEL. Every single staff person who served us that night deserved to be FIRED! I will never go back of my own accord to that crummy hotel, and I will discourage friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances from going there, too!”
Strategies that Turn it Around!
People who visit 5-star establishments expect 5-star treatment
- Does your company’s mission and vision support and encourage the delivery of exceptional customer service?
- Does your leadership team demonstrate and model the correct behaviors?
- Does your leadership team hire for the delivery of exceptional customer service?
- Are all your employees held accountable for customer service standards?
- Are employees rewarded for following the customer service standards and for exceeding customer expectations?
Remember: When customers visit “5 star” establishments, they expect “5 star” treatment—from the moment they enter to the second they leave. Make sure each customer touch-point is up to the challenge and watch those ratings soar.
What do YOU expect when you visit a 5 star hotel? Please share you story in the comments section below.