There’s possibly no arena where customer service is evident more than in the hospitality industry. Even more so in the world of hotels and travel.
There’s something about calling a place home, if only for a night, that makes a guest either a raving fan or even more raving (aka, loud) hater, all from the customer service given to the guest.
I had a similar experience this spring, and luckily for this post’s sake, it was a very good experience (and I’m usually not apt to share bad experiences anyway).
So Here’s How it Went
Though my blood is plenty thin from my years down here in South Florida, one often-chilly northern city which I enjoy is Grand Rapids, Michigan – the downtown has a modern feel to it that might surprise you. A hallmark of this city is the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, a beautiful hotel with a hint of early twentieth century architecture. This is my hotel of choice when staying in the area.
Whenever I’m there and have access to the Concierge Level for evening drinks and h’orderves, I simply cannot leave without eating one of their staple giant cookies (as well as stuffing one in my case for later).
On my most recent stay, after a long day of travel and business to prepare for the evening, I was really looking forward to that break at the concierge level, and specifically the giant cookie!
But, among the assortment of expensive cheeses, meets, and top-shelf drinks, one thing was missing – cookies!
I asked the attendant, Justin, if they still have these cookies. The good news is they do, that bad news is they were out of them for the evening. And that was it. I ate my cheeses I can’t pronounce, had my martini, and went along to the event I had that night.
Here’s Where the Story Gets Good
When I got back to my room late that night, I found none other than a plate of three giant cookies, and this card:
Justin took the opportunity to wow a guest with just a touch of going the extra mile, and I know that kind of wow customer experience makes a direct impact on the company’s bottom line.
I think we can all learn a little from Justin of the Amway Grand Plaza.
