One of the financially hardest hit industries during the pandemic was the hospitality industry. So with the slow reopening of businesses, you would think hotels would be JUMPing for joy to deliver exceptional customer service. Well, in my recent experience at the Hampton Inn in Miami Beach, FL, you would be wrong! Following is a letter I wrote to the general manager that details my horrible experience—a letter that never received a reply!
Real World Story: Hello Mitchell,
My name is Barbara Khozam, and a female friend and I were guests at your hotel last week. I don’t know how else to write this, but the service at your hotel was absolutely horrible. Although you were great, as were one or two others on your team, the majority of your staff needs to change their service behavior, or you will lose many customers—through first-hand experiences and by reading online reviews of your hotel.
Unfortunately, only one employee wore a name badge, so I can’t be specific with many names. Vanessa, who “greeted” us, acted like we were a bother. She looked at us with an exasperated face and didn’t say a word. Hesitantly, I said, “I’m here to check in.”
Her response: “Oh, I was about to go upstairs. But you’re here now, so I have to check you in.”
Wow! That is NOT the type of greeting that makes someone feel welcome. The entire transaction was painful because we felt like we were taking her away from something far more important. She did not mention if there would be breakfast in the morning, so I had to ask. She also did not acknowledge that I was a Diamond Member and didn’t offer the usual perks such as water and snacks. I came back down to the lobby later for those.
When in our room, I did a quick look around, and the smell was awful. I then noticed we did not have soap, shampoo or conditioner. I had to go back to the front desk to ask for those. This time, a gentleman was at the desk. He, too, looked put out by my request.
The next morning, my friend went down to get coffee. The coffee pot was empty. She went to the front desk where FOUR employees hovered around a computer. Of course, none of them acknowledged her. Several times, she said, “Excuse me.” Finally, one of the men looked up and just stared at her. She asked very politely, “May I get some coffee, please?”
His response: “I’m busy running a hotel. I don’t have time to get you coffee!”
Wow! Is this really the way to handle a customer? Again and again, many of your staff treated us poorly.
Questions for you: Are you aware of this horrible behavior? Does your staff undergo any customer service training? Do they know there are consequences for behaving poorly? Do you hold employees accountable for their actions?
It’s certainly something to think about.
My friend and I will NEVER return to your hotel. And guess what? We’ve told many people about this BAD service experience.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this situation.
Barbara
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Get back to the basics! Acknowledge customers as soon as they walk in the door. Greet customers warmly, with a smile. Wear name badges, so customers can relate to you more personally. Know who your customer is—their information is right in front of you on your computer!
- JUMP for your customers. After nailing down the basics, start to JUMP for your customers by anticipating what their wants and needs are, based on the services that your organization provides. And when you get something wrong, apologize and remedy the situation immediately!
Remember: Given how financially devastating the pandemic has been for many businesses, we should be JUMPing to deliver exceptional service once we reopen our doors—especially in the hospitality industry in which customer service is the backbone of what we do every day. The customer should always come first.
How does your organization JUMP at the opportunity to deliver exceptional customer service?