"We have Room 245 reserved for you, folks, just as you requested." Melynda, the front desk agent, handed us our room key as we checked into the Westlake Hyatt for our regular holiday family visit in Thousand Oaks, CA. We've stayed at the Hyatt numerous times, mostly because it's a decent, affordable place to rest our heads. No big expectations, and no surprises. Til now.
We walked through the door to find one bed completely stripped of its linens and the bathroom waiting to be cleaned. Not really a big deal to us, since we both do so much travelling and know that these things happen from time to time. I rang down to the front desk and asked if they could send someone up while we unpacked. Less than two minutes later, a knock on the door revealed three maids and the manager of housekeeping, who apologized profusely while keeping a close eye on his scurrying staff. We told him not to worry at all and thanked him for his prompt response.
Five minutes passed and suddenly another knock on the door. There stood a waiter from the restaurant, balancing a platter with a fine bottle of wine, an opener and two glasses. The attached handwritten note read:
"We are very sorry for any inconvenience we might have caused you. Please enjoy a bottle of wine on us. Please let us know what we can do to make your stay more accomodating."
Thank you,
Nancy & Melynda
Front Desk
This was knockout customer service. Sincere apologies and a fast response to the problem were excellent, but the follow-up of wine and a note was a delightful left hook out of the blue. During the rest of our stay we witnessed a steady stream of happy employees and bend-over-backward service that comes only from the top.
Mind you, we are not a member of any Hyatt loyalty club, and we only stay there a maximum of twice a year. We even book our rooms on a discount hotel website. This was the level of service across the board for all guests. It reminded me a bit of the Ritz Carlton's customer service training program, where employees are empowered to make major decisions when it comes to satisfying a guest and customer service outweighs loyalty programs.
Are your employees empowered to make decisions that affect customer satisfaction, or are they playing that worn out recording, "I'm sorry, I'll have to check with my manager."? Do you have a one-two punch of your own - first satisfy, then delight? Plant one experience like the one I had at the Hyatt in the reward behavior area of a woman's brain - you'll not only have her loyalty, you'll be giving her a great story to tell to everyone she knows.
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