No matter what business you are in mistakes are bound to happen. Sometimes events beyond your control cause your customer service to fall short of where you'd like it to be. Orders are missed, a phone call isn't returned, a delivery is late are all examples of situations that can go wrong...not to mention a bad face to face customer service experience that your top customer had with one of your employees.
My first hotel job was working the 3-11 shift at a hotel in Waterloo, IA. My boss explained that giving great customer service was very important in my new job. He used statistics, graphs, and personal pleas to help myself and my co-workers realize that giving great customer service would blaze a trail of financial success for the hotel. Although this made sense to me, I looked at giving great customer service in a much simpler way.
First, providing great customer service made me feel good. When I felt good at work, my shift flew by. The pride I had in myself did not allow me to have an attitude of indifference. When the hotel made a mistake, I took it personally. When the hotel looked bad, I looked bad. I did everything I could to make the hotel look and perform great because in the end it was a reflection of me.
Secondly, giving great customer service could be used as a “get out of jail free card”, in that when something goes wrong the guest would not take out their frustrations on me even if I was the only person there. In most cases it’s difficult to be mean to someone who was nice to you. Very early in my hospitality career I realized there were a plethora of opportunities to upset a customer; lost reservations, reservations made for the wrong date, and maintenance problems in the room are just a few of the possible complaints. As a customer service representative my goal was to provide the best personalized customer service I could, not just to make money for the hotel, but also if that customer had a problem they would remember the service I gave them earlier in the day. My hope was to install confidence in the guest that assured them that I could answer and solve any questions or problems that might arise during their stay before the incidents happened.
I expect great customer service when I stay at a hotel. The tone of my stay begins at check-in. If the customer service representative has an attitude of indifference I assume the representative will not be able to handle my issue if my accommodations fall short of my expectations.
Consumers speak with their wallets. In the long run consistent customer service will help improve your brand and profits. Great customer service can also help profits today when handling complaints.
