How do you define good service?

[yveskleinsky]

When you go on vacation--whether it's a one star or a five star hotel/B&B/vacation rental, what makes for a good experience? ...What is good service? What does it look like in action? What "extras" put a smile on your face?

I am trying to do some research here, and would give my 02 on the topic but I don't want to sku the responses I get. Thanks in advance for your time!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

When you go on vacation--whether it's a one star or a five star hotel/B&B/vacation rental, what makes for a good experience? ...What is good service? What does it look like in action? What "extras" put a smile on your face?

I am trying to do some research here, and would give my 02 on the topic but I don't want to sku the responses I get. Thanks in advance for your time!

Whatever exceeds expectations ... its different for everyone.

But when someone says "In 10 minutes" that would mean < 10 minutes. If someone remembers your name and maybe even knows a bit of your story, that is shock worthy. Some hotels have your "nuances" on file -- like I like extra towels ... not having to ask and just having them in the room would exceed my expectations.

 

[WildFlower]

Hmmmm well.. I would expect great service.. in a 5-star.. a 1-star.. I would hope for a clean bed that isn't too hard.

I like when they are quick with your requests, quick with extra blankets, bringing the bags up or bringing them down. I really like when they remember my name or at least recognize I'm staying there. Friendly is high up there. I know there is more.. but, I think I hit the wall today!


Cruises are great at remembering your special things.. like you love an extra serving of a food.. so, they automatically do it for you for the rest of the week!! Or how about your favorite drink.. they don't let it go dry...

 

[hatterasguy]

Just people being polite, and getting my drink order right.

 

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[Seshiro]

I was in Cancun, mexico not to long ago. Very good service, it was my brothers birthday and we all got a free spa treatment, free drinks at a local club, t shirts, and a free photo shoot.

 

[David]

I tend to be very picky about the location of the hotel (close to tourist attractions/shops) and especially the furnishing on of the rooms (clean and some what modern).

Good service would be doing what is requested in a decent time frame. I tend get issues when I check-in for cheaper accommodation places as they tend to have drunk idiots or parties running late/early mornings compared to 4-5 stars.

 

[LagunaLauren]

I can't say enough about The Ritz Carlton and would follow their model of over-delivering on expectations. We stayed at a Ritz Carlton for 2 weeks recently on a vacation. They proactively upgraded our room to a better ocean view one without us asking, let my girls choose exotic flowers and orchids every day (staying there so long, our room looked like a freakin' floral shop!) and every dang staff member seemed to know my name and greet me every time we walked from the valet to our room. (Don't know how they pulled that off, but it really made us feel special). Adam, our bellman, said most people who stay there are kind of stuck-up a-holes, so maybe because we treat others well there helped too.

We had the OPPOSITE experience at the uber-trendy upscale Fontainbleu resort in Miami. We kept getting locked out of our suite (I missed my massage & they wouldnt compensate for it), they overcharged us on all kinds of stuff, made us keep going back to the front desk because of their errors, and crashed our rental car, making us miss our plane and pay extra $1400 to get home. The manager couldn't have cared less.

i"m such a fan of the Ritz Carlton that I even bought their book, "The New Gold Standard; 5 leadership principles for creating a legendary customer experience courtesy of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company". Haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's chock full o' good stuff.

 

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[yveskleinsky]

Great responses everyone--thank you!

I'll have to look into the Ritz Carlton customer service model--as I am big fan of all the free or low cost extras that you were talking about: remembering and calling you by name, upgrading your room since they had a nicer one available, flowers for the kids etc.

 

[LagunaLauren]

seriously. it's not about spending money on your customers, it's about how you treat them and building relationships. I will be a Ritz Carlton client for life.

 

[mainstreet]

Attitude that the personnel take towards you is HUGE. We had the Presidential Suite at the Golden Nugget one night where the service is usually just fine, but after we put a drink on our room tab - the attidute of the servers and bartender changed dramatically. Instead of waiting in line for a drink - the bartender would walk out and give us another even if he had a line. BTW - I am far from a high roller with my $100 a night gambling budget while in Vegas, but I can see how people would get addicted to that treatment. What I brought back with me was a desire to treat every customer like a high roller and spread that mentality throughout our organization. Easier said than done - but brilliantly simple.

Startup Help

 

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[yveskleinsky]

I love it~treat them like they are high rollers! Perfect way to sum that up!

 

[yveskleinsky]

After reading up on the Ritz Carlton's commitment to customer service, I thought I'd come back here and share what I've learned:

- They consider themselves in the business to "wow" people.
- They have high standards for the members of their team. I found it interesting that most interviews never even get to the point where they are in person, they are able to screen out a lot of people just over the phone. (Brillant.)
- They don't hire employees but rather select members for their team. (What a great example of the power of words and their overriding impact!)
- They have a policy called "quiet elegance" where all members of their team are to behave and dress a certain way.
- That strive to leave their guests with "outstanding memories"
- They hold to the belief that every member of their team are "ladies and gentlemen waiting on ladies and gentlemen." This includes plumbers, housekeepers, head chef, front desk and the CEO.
- They have morning meetings everyday and for 10 minutes go over one of their 20 credos--and then discuss it.
- All members of their team have the power as well as the responsibility to wow guests at every turn--there are no job descriptions when service is a factor.
- Team members need to always be on the lookout for ways to improve efficiency or to solve breakdowns in the system.
- They have a credo: Never lose a customer. Problem resolution is critical.
- Customers value what they cannot buy: Respect, Dignity, Employees/team members who really listen, Prompt and couteous responses to requests, Unfeigned friendliness

When asked how their business was doing seeing how there was a large drop in the hotel industry, the CEO responded that during this time the Ritz Carlton opened 30 more hotels--and that their concern was only about getting team members trained in time for these hotels to open.

Just goes to show that consistently amazing service is a low cost way that business owners can dramatically increase their bottomline--no matter what the economy is doing!

 

[LagunaLauren]

That makes sense. The Ritz Carlton certainly delivered on their objectives with us. They treat their "members of their team" so well. One employee we talked to said their employees get to stay for free at any Ritz Carlton they want when they go on vacation. (Made me want to take and application!! :smug2. Nordstrom and Whole Foods also employ this "value the customer and your employee" model. I had a last minute business trip and needed a warm coat. Nordstrom didn't have my size, so an employee drove one down from LA to Orange County to personally deliver it to me at my house the night before my flight. She was super friendly. Again, I will be a customer for life because of this type of treatment. You can tell when employees are valued and empowered to make decisions. They exude personal pride and respect and go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations. I happily pay more for these products and services. Worth every penny.

 

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[hatterasguy]

Orvis knows how to treat a customer right, thats why I like dealing with them.

As Leigh Perkins always used to say, "the customer is always right, even when you damn well know they are wrong"

 

[kurtyordy]

I do think it is all relative to the recipients life experience.

I served tables through high school and some college. When I go out, I hold them to the same standard that I tried to give.

i.e.- my cup should never be empty, do not ask about deserts before my wife is done eating, check on me after I have had a chance to take 1-2 bites, not longer, but not before I have tasted, etc.

Others, who never have served are pleased with half this. So it comes to what have your life experiences taught you to expect.

I am much easier to please when travelling than some because I have not travelled much and do not know some of the expectations I can have.

Does that make sense?

 

[yveskleinsky]

Great responses guys (and gals!)--I agree Kurt, if you have experience in an area you critique it more than if you don't. ...Although I will say, I stayed at a 5 star hotel (without having any prior experience with 5 star treatment) in FL, and was just wowed at how wonderful everyone was. When I got home I wrote the hotel manager a thank you card, thanking THEM for the experience and naming some of the employees that stood out by name just so they'd know that their service was much appreciated. ...Their service stood out that much!

 

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