For those of you who read my post last week about Thrifty Car Rental, I continue to write about my experiences in Indiana in this week’s post in which I describe my stay at Staybridge Suites.
Real World Story: After experiencing abysmal service by several employees at Thrifty Car Rental when I first arrived in Indiana for work, I was primed for more poor treatment by customer-facing employees throughout my stay.
However, when I arrived at the Staybridge Suites, I was pleasantly surprised. The front desk receptionist welcomed me immediately—with a friendly and warm smile. She made small talk while quickly and efficiently checking me in, making me feel at ease. When I asked if the hotel had a restaurant, she said, “No, and our hospitality hour is just ending. If you go inside, you might still find some food.”
The second I walked into the eating area with all my bags in tow, a friendly employee named Mary quickly approached me and said, “Come on in. Can I get you a glass of wine?”
37251463 – beautiful young waitress girl serving a drink holding tray
Although I don’t drink, I was very tempted by her friendly offer. So you know the service here was great! My first order of business was finding food since I hadn’t had a decent meal all day. I spotted the last remaining quesadillas on a hot plate, so I moved quickly. However, as I approached, three people jumped in front of me and snagged every last morsel. Now, I was tired and hungry—not a good combination. Seeing the distressed look on my face, friendly Mary asked if she could help. I asked if there was any more food in the back. She went to the back and asked the cook to make me a fresh chicken quesadilla—all for me! What was she doing? Going above and beyond to bend the rules to create an extraordinary experience? Was she crazy? Or, was I…
The crowd started to thin out, so I asked Mary a few questions about why she was such an amazing and conscientious employee. She said she LOVES her job and enjoys making people happy. She knows if she treats her customers well, they will return time and time again. By the way, Mary does not work in the food service area—at all. She is a Sales and Marketing representative who CHOOSES to stay late to make sure her guests are treated well. Crazy?
When my quesadilla was ready, Jose the chef delivered it to me personally with a huge smile on his face. Mary and I simply couldn’t recognize his great work ethic enough. We could see the look of pride on his face. The Staybridge Suites in Indiana is obviously a hotel that values its employees as much as it values its customers. And that’s crazy good!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Do you hire your customer service reps for attitude and train for skill? Crazy-good customer facing employees NEED and want to be helpful. That’s how they’re internally wired. Technical skills can always be taught and learned.
- Are your employees able to stretch the rules a bit, especially to deliver an extraordinarily crazy memorable experience? Do you allow this to happen organically or do require they first ask for a manager’s approval? Ponder this question for a while. Your answer can tell you a lot about your organization’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Is great behavior rewarded immediately and publicly. Behavior that is rewarded is repeated. I know, what a crazy behavioral concept, huh?
Remember: Your best customer service team members are people who are wired to be helpful. Organizations that allow these skilled people to work naturally in an open environment are the ones that will continue to win over loyal customers for life. I know the Staybridge Suites has at least one more.
By today’s standards in customer service, what do YOU do to create an extraordinary experience for your customers that others may think is crazy? Please share in the comments section below.