Last month, I wrote about a not-so-hospitable Hilton Embassy Suites experience. This week, I will tell you about an awesome encounter at the Hilton in Oxnard, CA. Yay, I FINALLY have a great customer service story to share!!!
Real World Story: I’m staying at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA. The first thing I notice is employees wearing freshly laundered polo shirts with the Embassy Suites logo AND wearing name badges, also the front desk lady was very kind. So far, so good. The rest of this story is about the bartender.
The second I walked into the bar, I was greeted with a big smile and a warm welcome by the bartender, Chase. (See attached photo.) She was fantastic! I told her I was hungry and thirsty, and she immediately got my humor, and we laughed together. She sat this weary traveler at the perfect table—near a power outlet! She was easy going and friendly, and really made me feel welcomed and at home. I felt like I’d known her for a very long time—that’s how comfortable she made me feel. Throughout my meal, she kept checking on me—but wasn’t pestering or hurrying. She never made me feel like I was overstaying my welcome or that I was a bother.
I wish ALL employees at ALL Hiltons were like Chase. She is a true asset to this organization. I will HAVE to tell the General Manager!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Be kind. Say it with me: “Customer service is about people helping people.” Therefore, always be kind while you help. Always put your customer first. And if you have to, put yourself in their shoes, so you can see how kindness is crucial in customer service interactions.
- Be alert. Pay attention to the little things. For example, is your customer carrying a laptop, maybe they mentioned their phone is about to die, or maybe they said they are cold. If so, you can sit them strategically near a power outlet or a heater. Always stay alert to customer needs and wants, even if they don’t explicitly ask for something in particular.
- Be attentive. Customer service interactions have a beginning, a middle and an end. So, for example, if you’re a food server, your interaction doesn’t end after the order is placed. If you register customers into your hotel, your interaction doesn’t end after you hand over the room key. Keep checking in with customers to ensure you’re meeting all their needs.
Remember: Customer service is about people helping people. If you’re kind, alert and attentive, your customer interactions will Wow! people again and again. And maybe, just maybe, someone will write about your exceptional customer service skills in a blog post.
How does your organization put “hospitality” at the heart of its customer service delivery?