It’s official. I love Albuquerque. From the moment I arrived until the second I left, I was treated like a queen—and what girl doesn’t want that?
Real World Story:
I was booked for a live morning interview with an Albuquerque local TV station. My schedule was tight, so I was scheduled to fly
in after midnight on interview day. I was exhausted by the long day of work and travel, so I assumed everyone I encountered was feeling as I was. Experience has taught me that “grave night” and early morning job shifts don’t bring out the best in customer service people. But, I was WOWed by every service person I encountered. Seriously, the service was ridiculously fabulous!
I began at the rental car counter. I was greeted with a huge smile by an exceptionally friendly and helpful Hertz rental car agent. He got my car quickly and efficiently, and I was on my way. What a lovely start to my trip.
I arrived at my hotel at 12:45 am. The front desk person greeted me with a huge smile and welcomed me to his hotel. He quickly checked me in while making me feel like a special guest. Huh? What’s going on here?
I checked out very early the next morning. The front desk person was extremely friendly. She gave me advice on how to drive in the snow and sent me on my way feeling cared for and important.
The second I walked into the TV station for my morning interview, I was greeted with a huge smile by Sally, the front desk receptionist. She saw I was nervous, so she was kind and calming and explained very nicely where I was supposed to go and what to do. My nerves were soothed.
After my interview, I headed directly to the airport. The weather was so bad, however, my flight was cancelled. So I went to the first available rental car counter, Budget. I was helped by two extremely helpful and friendly customer service agents. One went the “extra mile” and brought my car up front and left it running so it was nice and warm when I got in.
Every customer service person on this trip made me feel special, made me feel like my business mattered.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- 5pm customers are as important as 8am customers: Train your team members to give exceptional customer service to every customer, every time, and in ever circumstance– regardless of what time they arrive or depart or what special requests they may have.
- Hire right: Make sure you have the right people in the right positions. If your front desk agents don’t “like people,” perhaps they’re not a good fit.
- Reward regularly: When your team members deliver exceptional service, reward them immediately. Behavior that is rewarded is repeated and repeated gladly and with enthusiasm.
Remember: Customers want and need to receive consistently great service. As the tourism industry has known for a long time, the world operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, through snowstorms and sunny days alike—so should your customer service agents.
What do YOU do to create a ridiculously fabulous experience? Please share in the comments section below.