Why do some organizations stand out from the crowd?
I’m a green/logical personality type so I often check out TripAdvisor for advice before booking a hotel. When we visited San Diego in February I was really surprised to see an extremely modest old-style hotel called The Dolphin Motel TripAdvisor rated number 6 out of 245 San Diego hotels (read their guest and management comments). We didn’t stay there but I dropped by to check it out and was I ever impressed by their staff and their customer service attitude.
It’s not the brick and mortar
I was reminded of what a difference good soft skills can make to the customer experience when Joanne and I visited Vancouver, Canada, last week. We were doing some business etiquette and networking training sessions for APEGBC (The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia). While there we stayed at the Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel. Our stay there was a standout experience due primarily to the Delta staff.
Hotel tip for road warriors
We like to stay at Delta hotels because of their Signature Club rooms. For a little extra cash, you get a nicer room with more amenities and more important you get access to the Signature Club Lounge. There you get a nice relaxing venue with good views but the real bonus on top of the free continental breakfast, and evening hors d’oeuvres, is the chance to converse and network with friendly fellow guests and staff.
Warm and welcoming hosting
All the staff made us feel like honored and welcome guests, but Judy the evening Signature Club Lounge hostess stood out even more customer service-wise. After a long day of training or meetings we looked forward to relaxing in her care and attention (she even remembered our names after just one meeting). What an ambassador for her organization.
TripAdvisor – the real story
The reviews on TripAdvisor are done by real people rating their experiences with the hotels. It’s rarely the brick and mortar that impresses people, it’s how they feel that they are treated by the staff. They’ll even forgive things that go a little bit sideways depending on how the staff interact with them. The same is true in any business.
People notice your hosting skills
In our business etiquette and networking seminars, we help people develop a “host mentality”. If you want to stand out in your industry group, you need to treat everybody who walks through your door as if they were a welcome and valued guest and you were their gracious host.
How would you rate on TripAdvisor?
How’s your customer service reputation? Do you think of yourself as the host for your organization. Are you doing it as well as the Delta Vancouver Suites and the little Dolphin Motel? If you are, your customers will notice and just like TripAdvisor, they’ll tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends and…
PS – If you want to improve your social skills for business success, plan on attending our upcoming The Complete Professional workshop in Edmonton.
PPS – Thanks for all the great Vancouver restaurant suggestions from the APEGBC Complete Engineer attendees – we’ll blog about our experiences later – and I’ll rate them on TripAdvisor.
Other Articles:
- Dining For Success Online Program
- Why are Business Etiquette Skills Crucial for Your Success.
- Savvy networking skills, the key to connecting in business and life.