Most hotel guests neither notice nor appreciate the efficiency with which hotels must function in order to meet guest needs. On occasion, though, some guests have an opportunity both to notice and to appreciate. Guests, such as me, for example.
I was staying at a hotel that was hosting a conference at which I was scheduled to deliver two presentations, the first ending at noon and the second beginning at 1:30. I was hoping to spend the lunch break relaxing in my room. But checkout was at noon. So, first thing in the morning, I called the front desk to ask if I might defer checkout till 1:00.
Usually, they just say yes. Not this time, though. This time, the front desk fellow told me that keeping my room till 1:00 would be impossible. Before I had a chance to react, he said, "But you can keep the room for an additional 30 minutes, provided you leave promptly at 12:30." And then he did something really important: He offered an explanation: "We're expecting a large number of arrivals this afternoon, and we need to get the rooms ready for them."
That seemed reasonable. Still, my skeptical side surfaced and I asked him, "Are you saying that promptly on the dot of 12:30, someone from housekeeping will knock on my door, ready to clean the room?" "That's right," he told me.
Yeah, right!
When my morning session ended, I dashed up to my room, had a snack, and stuffed the last few items in my suitcase. It was about 12:20, so I had 10 minutes till I had to vacate the room. Or would I actually have 20 minutes? Or maybe even 30? I settled into an arm chair, one so comfortable that I could happily have spent the rest of the day curled up in it. Thus ensconced, I awaited the guaranteed knock.
What time do you suppose the knock came?
When I described this experience in my afternoon session and asked this same question, most people guessed between 12:45 and 1:00. A few guessed between 1:00 and 1:15. They were all wrong. So was I in my certainty that whatever it would be, it would be later than 12:30.
Precisely at 12:30, I heard a knock at the door followed by, "Housekeeping!" I went to the door. There was the housekeeping attendant, ready to get to work on my room, exactly as I'd been told to expect. I let the woman in, thanked her for her efforts, gathered my luggage, and headed to the elevator.
And I did so, enlightened by the efficiency with which a hotel
must run, and impressed with the efficiency with which it really does run. Wow!
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
