My friend Nanci Sherman, www.cureforthecommonhotel.com, and I are playing with the idea of adopting pet peeves in order to transform people’s thinking about them. Here is my pet peeve of the moment. I hope someone is taking notes…
What is up with all these high-tech hotel rooms? Maybe front desks should allow guests the option to choose between manually- or digitally-enabled rooms. Are baby boomers even part of a hotel’s target audience anymore? I thought we were still responsible for a large amount of spending? For those of us who travel constantly, learning a new system every time we check into a hotel is annoying. Let’s face it, between the iPads and iPods to order room service, TVs in mirrors, remote controls that operate music, lights, drapes and the TV, it is becoming downright confusing to check into a hotel, especially for the tired, jet-lagged, time-zoned-zombied-out traveler.
While staying at a fabulously expensive high-tech palace in Switzerland, I literally used the LED lights on my reading glasses to navigate in the dark. I simply could not figure out the “simple” instructions for the television, reading lights, or curtains. I was grateful to have the glasses.
I just read an article by a writer on a book tour who literally couldn’t find the bathroom because it was hidden behind a pillar. When she did find the shower, there were so many gizmos she didn’t know how to use it, and while trying to figure it out, was drenched by the “rain” shower option.
Don’t get me wrong; some of the new tools are great. I get the “green” thing and think it is a great idea to be able to change a room service menu without reprinting it. In fact, I am happy that all those printed menus are a thing of the past. I would prefer, though, if there were just a few low-tech options for the over-50 crowd. I love all my high tech gizmos but don’t want to relearn a new technology every time I check into a different hotel. Sometimes I just want a good old-fashioned cup of coffee without having to learn how the pods work. Too many times I have had a bellman show me the room that didn’t know how to operate all the systems either. The other day I was at a hotel going through a renovation in order to incorporate all that high tech ersatz service. I imagine they were proud of their sleek house phones. I used the house phone just fine, even though it was difficult to hold, but was literally stumped as to how to replace the receiver back on the dock. Seriously, people have enough to think about without becoming stressed figuring out how the phone is placed.
I can just see it now, concierges are provided to help guests navigate the room. A special Help Desk for guests in order to be able to use their room. Here’s a thought, maybe a Bellman that actually was trained as an on-the-spot coach. Wow, something for them to do now that luggage has wheels. Now that is a high-tech/high-touch solution–a real live helpful person.
What are your pet peeves?
In my workshops, I offer ways to think creatively and transform pet peeves to customer delight.
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