Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Have you ever had an experience that left you feeling, well, sort of blah? I had such an experience.
Real World Story: Recently, I was fortunate to stay at a 5-star hotel in Bermuda. After reading the reviews online, I had extremely high expectations.
When I arrived, I was greeted by a smiling and friendly doorman. He enthusiastically opened the door for me. Inside, I was greeted by a smiling woman who directed me to the front desk. The front desk lady smiled and greeted me warmly. Everything was going swimmingly—until she handed me my key. She smiled, offered it to me with both hands, and said, “Here you go.” I stood there with the key in my hand, asking myself, “Uh, does this hotel have a restaurant? Is there a gym? Any activities I might enjoy? Is there a swimming pool? Do you have a map of the area?” So off I went to discover for myself.
After settling into my room, I decided to approach the concierge to ask about activities and amenities. I came across a woman working with a customer. She NEVER acknowledged me—no eye contact, no wave of the hand, nothing. I grew antsy as the minutes ticked by. The customer finally left, and the concierge finally welcomed me with a smile. However, I now felt like I was bothering her. She answered my questions and gave me a brochure, but I left not feeling very welcomed.
I then had a craving for junk food. (Don’t judge me!) I went to the front desk and approached a male employee who did NOT greet me with a smile. I jokingly said, “I need junk food. How can you help me?” With a straight face, he said, “Do you need it or want it?” Okay. Now I feel bad about myself. I simply walked away in defeat.
It wasn’t all bad, though. Two of the four mornings, I was greeted by an extremely friendly and helpful hostess named Natasha. One of the four mornings, I was served by an enthusiastically friendly waiter named Deen.
Unfortunately, the good behavior of staff was far outweighed by the bad behavior of other staffers, which is what I remember and talk about the most.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Go beyond the smile. It’s nice to smile, but it’s also important to communicate key details to your customers. Don’t assume your customers know your company or its services.
- Acknowledge that customers are important and not an intrusion. When customers are waiting, acknowledge them with eye contact and a smile, so they don’t feel like a bother to you.
- Train ALL staff to be friendly and helpful. One or two bad apples can spoil the opinions of the entire bunch.
Remember: Customers need and want a consistent experience from all employees, every time. And it doesn’t take much neglect to flip a good experience into a bad one.
What do YOU do to ensure you and your people are delivering a consistent customer experience every single time?