Sunday 22 November 2009

How to delight customers - two great stories

I recently heard two charming hotel stories that demonstrate how easy it is to make a small gesture that can make a huge difference to the guests brand experience.

Story one

David Benson (a mate at work) occasionally stays at the Charlotte Street Hotel. The last time he stayed he found a card on his pillow welcoming him back.

Story two

John Abraham (he told this story during a recent Satmetrix webinar) took his wife and kids to a hotel that he was staying at/using for a conference. On arrival he found the names of his 2 kids spelt out in small sponges in the bathroom.

I love these stories is because they demonstrate that with a little bit of thought and no extra cost it can be easy to deliver WOW brand experiences.

Why is it that hotels so rarely get it right?

I stay in some pretty swanky hotels while travelling on business. They are generally quite pleasant... sometimes they disappoint... occasionally I hate them so much I write about it. Rarely (never?) do they delight me.

What a missed opportunity.

As I say all the time, if you can WOW consumers they will be much more likely to buy/visit again and maybe even talk about you.

If you are working in a hotel - or any brand organisation for that matter - why not spent some time talking to others in the operation considering what you can do to enhance the brand experience that will build greater consumer loyalty and advocacy.

If you get it right it is worth it.

To quote Jeff Jarvis [see previous post]: “Your customers are you’re ad agency.”

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