Double sweet treat(ment) at the Phoenix Doubletree

Have you ever been so pleasantly surprised by great customer service that you felt the need to tell people about it? This is one such story.

Real World Story: It was just another day of travel, or so I thought. On business recently, I arrived in Phoenix, went to the shuttle bus waiting area and called my hotel to request pick up. The man who answered the phone asked for my name and my cell phone number and told me the wait would be about 15 minutes. He immediately sent a text verifying the same information, telling me the driver’s name was Ziggy and signing his name, Christian. After 15 minutes came and went, I called the hotel. Christian answered. I asked him about the shuttle bus. He very politely said it should be pulling up any moment. Sure enough the bus arrived moments later.

The shuttle driver quickly exited the bus with a huge smile on his face. He welcomed me warmly, took my luggage and engaged in friendly talk with all of the passengers. During the drive, I overheard him tell a fellow passenger how much he thanks his mom and dad for being such great parents and how much he loves his TWO jobs. As we were approaching the hotel he said, “The front desk folks will take great care of you!”

Wow, he really set a positive expectation.

The following day, I was sitting in the lobby waiting for my ride. Ziggy saw me, approached with a smile and asked if I would like a cookie? I didn’t say a word, but he noticed my face light up. He said, “Ah-ha, she wants a cookie.” He promptly returned with TWO cookies AND a bottle of water.

Talk about creating a WOW experience. Ziggy is “the man!”

Strategies that Turn it Around:

1. Hire for attitude, train for skill. Because of his positive attitude, Ziggy is obviously in the right position to positively influence customers face-to-face. You can’t teach that.
2. Give staff the flexibility to deliver above and beyond. Ziggy obviously went out of his way to deliver a memorable experience at a small expense to the hotel – two cookies and a bottle of water.
3. Train employees on clear and consistent communication. Christian, the front desk hotel employee, was clear in his communication and provided his name as well as his driver’s name, thus allowing me and other customers to connect with both employees more easily.
4. Teach positive handoffs. Just like running a team relay at the Olympics, great handoffs are essential to success in customer service. Ziggy set up the front desk for success by telling us they would take great care off us before “handing” us off to the hotel staff.

Remember: Happy employees create happy customers. Make sure you have the right employees in the right positions and that you reward them handsomely for going the extra mile. If you have great employees, do everything you can to keep them, especially if you are one of two jobs they hold. In the long run, it costs you less to retain good employees than having to train new employees every so often.

What do YOU do to ensure your team delivers extraordinary service to every customer every time? Please share in the comments section below.