After helping me write my book, The Art and Science of the Hotel Concierge, my co-author, Lin Ferrell Emm, pays special attention to the level of service she receives when she travels. It’s great, because she reports back on her experiences, which serve as fodder for my blog posts. It’s like having a reporter on the frontlines!
She and her husband recently embarked on a trip to France, where they stayed at a number of hotels—ranging in rankings from three to five stars. As one might expect, she experienced not only elegant surroundings at the five-star hotel, but also extraordinary and impeccable service.
The same held true for the 4 star establishments, with one notable exception. A staunch vegetarian, she asked the concierge what restaurants he would recommend. (Granted, France is NOT veg-friendly, but after all, concierges are known to thrive on challenges.) However, this particular concierge immediately and routinely responded, noting that any of the restaurants in town would serve her vegetables. Then, he recommended his favorite one.
When checking out the elegant restaurant, they found a very limited and traditionally French menu: Foie Gras, Veal, Duck, etc. Not a vegetable in sight! Fortunately, they sighted a café nearby, where the menu featured a variety of omelets and meat-free crepes. They enjoyed a fabulous meal, which suited both her lifestyle commitment and the tastes of her omnivorous husband.
After dinner, they strolled down to an ice cream store for dessert. As she deliberated on the array of flavors for her cone, the young man behind the counter told her that she could combine two or more flavors if she wished and offered her samples. Bon appetit! The perfect meal was followed by a perfect dessert.
Why do these experiences warrant a blog post? Well, needless to say, the four-star hotel proffered a zero-star experience. Instead of giving the couple’s request thoughtful consideration, “reading” the importance of their intentions and offering an optimal solution, the concierge tossed out a default and insufficient answer. Who really wants to go to an expensive, meat-centric restaurant and ask for a bunch of vegetables? Secondly, he recommended his favorite restaurant, neglecting to consider the fact that he was not going.
On the flip side, the young man at the ice cream store read the situation at hand, without his customer uttering a word. He recognized that she was having difficulty selecting a flavor and offered a solution. He then went the extra mile by offering samples to make the decision easier. And, he refrained from disclosing his favorite flavor. Voila! 5 Honorary Stars for the ice cream store!
Whatever the nature of your business, it makes all the difference in the world to read your customers’ verbal and non-verbal cues. It’s all about taking the time to really care. Reacting with a routine or knee-jerk response to their request may fall quite short of meeting their real needs. And always remember, it is their needs that you are serving. What works for you may not be the best choice for them.
While most businesses don’t fall under a standardized ranking system, we can always take the time to mentally rate each encounter we have with our customers or clients. Are you more like the four-star, zero-satisfaction hotel or the unranked, five-star- in-spirit ice cream store? I hope it’s the latter!