My Reservations About Making Reservations

May 9, 2012 By

I’m amazed that the hospitality industry still uses a central reservation system to secure reservations. In theory, it may save the company time by having all properties served by a single, central call center, but I think that they are missing some important opportunities in the process.

These days, with so many of us booking on-line, if someone does pick up a phone to call the hotel directly, it is probably because they want to talk to a person who can actually tell them something about the property. Yes, I can find room availability online as well as directions and type of amenities offered, but if I am planning a vacation, I want to learn about the “personality” of the property, not just what’s listed on a website.

If I call the hotel directly, it’s usually for specific information. I don’t want to be transferred to Oshkosh (no offense) where the person who answers the phone knows nothing about the property. For example, I may want to know what kind of equipment is available in the gym. Are the restaurants on site appropriate for children? How easy is it to get from the airport to the hotel? What activities are in the immediate area? I don’t want someone to say, “I don’t know”. I want to talk to someone who is totally familiar with the resort because they work there.

Too many agents sound robotic, act robotically and in a large percentage of cases, have limited information at hand to educate the consumer. Most importantly, they may not have the skills to build a connection with a customer. If someone takes the time to pick up the phone, it is usually because they are highly interested in staying at the referenced resort. Don’t miss that one opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with a potential customer. Use that occasion to make them feel welcomed, important and appreciated even before they ever step onto a plane, train or car to travel to your destination.

 

Filed Under: Best Practices, Blog, Customer Service, Hospitality, Personalizing Service Tagged With: , , ,

From Robot to Welcomer: Making Teens More Endearing

March 28, 2012 By

On Sunday, March 11, I was invited to be interviewed by Peter Solomon, a well -known and respected radio show host on WIP Philadelphia. I was looking forward to the interview, but the program was at 6:00 am and it was also the same weekend that daylight saving time began. So, it was really early. I was thinking to myself, who could possibly be listening to the show at this hour?

The interview was enjoyable and to my complete surprise, I received an email on Monday morning from a high school junior, James, who said he had listened to and really enjoyed my interview. My first thought was “wow”, not only were other people up early, but a teenager was listening too! As it turned out, James writes a weekly “teens-for-teens” column for the metro-Philadelphia dailies and wanted to write a column on how the philosophies in my new book, The Welcomer Edge: Unlocking the Secrets to Repeat Business, could be applied to teenagers in the specific area of social media communications.

James sought my input on his pending article, which I was happy to provide. When the column appeared in the March 15th edition of the paper, I thought that James did an outstanding job. I would like to share the link to the complete piece entitled, From Robot to Welcomer: Making Teens More Endearing.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/reality/from-robot-to-welcomer-making-teens-more-endearing/article_4fceb067-6236-5803-95cc-d1758ed9a505.html

As adults, we don’t always think of how our kids might not only listen to what we say, but tailor it to their universe. I was totally impressed with James’ professionalism, communication skills and follow-up and I’m sure that his parents must be extremely proud of his tremendous accomplishments.

I know the world will continue to be a better place with such talented teenagers as James at the helm; helping and leading others in our sometimes challenging but rewarding society.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Social Media, The Welcomer Edge, Welcomer Stories Tagged With: , , , ,

Customer Service Robots: Human and Mechanical

December 7, 2011 By

Self-service checkout counters are on the rise. Businesses are looking for new ways to trim costs and improve service, but are self-service checkout counters better or worse for customers? To me, it depends.

Unfortunately, many folks who are stationed at registers, standing behind teller windows and who respond to toll free numbers, act and think robotically. They do nothing to engage with customers and a company might as well replace them with self-service equipment.

Recently, large chain stores such as Kroger’s, Big Y and Albertson’s have begun to phase out self-service stations. They have realized that the checkout counter may be the only opportunity for a customer to interact with a company associate. So, why is this type of human interaction important? My research has shown that many people who frequent the same store (other than for convenience) do so because they have developed a relationship with one of the company associates.

You know the type of associate that makes you a loyal customer; maybe it’s Mary, whose checkout line is always longer than every other line. Why? Because Mary remembers her customers, knows when they have been on vacation, learns about their kids, and sees her customers as people first, consumers second. Mary knows her customers’ names and is interested in getting to know them so she can serve them more effectively. Maybe they didn’t realize their favorite detergent was on sale or that the deli department has a new cheese. Maybe she will notice that the bananas on the conveyor belt don’t look as fresh as they should be and suggest they pick new ones. That’s why Mary’s line is so much longer than the others; Mary does not act robotically. She is a person engaging with her customers, not a human robot.

Whenever I am forced to use a self-service checkout counter, it seems that half the time a human interaction is required. If it’s not my station that has an issue, it’s another customer’s. Then one has to wait for an employee to figure out if it’s you or the machine that’s the issue. Frequently, even the person who intercedes in the self-service encounter is robotic themselves, coming over with a magic code or key that resets the system. Of course they say nothing, or just one or two comments, leaving you to think, ‘did I do something wrong?’

In my ideal customer service world, I would always deal with a patient, engaging human instead of a machine.  A robotic machine might be a cool looking piece of equipment, but a person who makes me feel welcomed, important and appreciated will make me feel good and might even put a smile on my face when I have had a rough day. That is my preference, any day!

What’s your preference? Would you rather use a self-service checkout station or not?

Filed Under: Best Practices, Blog, Contact Center, Customer Service, Hospitality, Retail Tagged With: , ,