Have you ever had guests who want the universe, gift-wrapped and delivered yesterday? Was that a resounding YES I heard?

Fortunately, most guests don't demand the impossible. In fact, what they want is exceedingly reasonable. And what's that? Well, switch for a moment from your service hat to your customer hat. When you're a customer, what matters to you?

Over the years, I've asked hundred of participants in my customer service seminars what matters to them when they're the customer. Their responses are overwhelmingly similar, demonstrating that most of us want the same things when we're customers. We want to be treated courteously and with respect. We want to be listened to. We don't want to be bounced around or ignored or treated like dummies.

Now, switch back to your service hat and think about it. Both the product and the process are important to customers. The product refers to the hotel and all its services and amenities. Customers naturally want the hotel to function properly, to meet their needs, and to have that elusive quality of, well, quality. This is the technical element of service.

But excelling in the technical element may not keep customers coming back unless you also attend to the process. In fact, for many customers, the process is more important than the product. The process concerns how customers feel they've been treated. This is the human element of service, and it's exceedingly important in achieving a high level of customer satisfaction.

I can testify to that myself. For example, one of my favorite hotels qualified as "favorite" because several times, as I passed through the lobby, the fellow at the front desk greeted me warmly and with a big smile, and asked how my day was going. The hotel was fine in all other respects, but so are many others, so it might not otherwise have stood out as special. But it's rare to be recognized and acknowledged and (gulp!) smiled at, and this personal touch made the difference for me.

Sloppy service with a smile

Does this mean it's OK to give customers messy rooms as long as you're empathetic, friendly, and respectful when interacting with them? Obviously not. But for many guests, the quality of their clean room is magnified when the service personnel they interact with exhibit empathy, friendliness and respect. In my consulting work, I continually find that customers who appreciate the way they've been treated uncomplainingly accept occasional snafus and glitches. In other words, an emphasis on the human element can give you some leeway in delivering the technical element.

It may be that customers who demand the universe gift-wrapped and delivered yesterday just need a strong dose of respect, friendliness and courtesy. Just something to keep in mind before you start searching for universe-size wrapping paper,


About the Author
Website: www.nkarten.com

Naomi Karten has always been fascinated by human behavior. Her background includes a B.A. and M.A. in psychology and extensive corporate experience in technical, customer support and management positions.

Since forming her own business in 1984, she has presented seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally. Her services, books and newsletters have helped organizations and groups

• Manage customer expectations,
• Enhance their communications and consulting skills,
• Provide superior customer service, and
• Establish successful service level agreements.

She is the author of several books including:

Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, which provides strategies and guidelines for improved communication in such contexts as building strong relationships, delivering superior service, fostering effective teamwork, and managing change

Managing Expectations: Working With People Who Want More, Better, Faster, Sooner, NOW!, which offers a serious, lighthearted look (yes, both!) at policies and practices for successfully managing expectations in the workplace

How to Establish Service Level Agreements, a handbook based on more than a decade of experience providing SLA consulting and seminars internationally and which is designed to help you avoid the flaws and failures she encounters so often

© Naomi Karten, www.nkarten.com