Here’s Your Chocolate!
August 20, 2009
A hotel creates a favorable impression on a customer by resolving a maintenance problem and offering a gift of candy.
Despite our best efforts, we sometimes fall short in our attempts to meet our customer commitments. It’s how we deal with these situations that can make a lasting impression.
I had the opportunity to speak to about 700 people at a large conference in Hershey, PA. Yes, that’s Hershey as in Hershey’s candy. You walk downtown, and the entire area smells like chocolate!
Upon arriving at the Hershey Lodge the day before my program, I took a walk around the facilities, looking for the fitness center. As I was checking out the equipment, I noticed that one of the weight machines was not functioning properly.
I pointed this out to the attendant, who said she would call maintenance and have it fixed right away.
When I returned the next morning I discovered that the machine had not been fixed – or even looked at – the night before! I mentioned this to a different attendant who apologized and explained that there must have been a communication problem the previous day. Normally, these things were addressed immediately, he explained.
It really wasn’t a big deal; I simply continued on with my workout and skipped the defective machine.
Imagine my surprise when I returned to my room 30 minutes later and found a very large gift basket overflowing with virtually every product Hershey manufactures. I’m not talking about small sample portions; these were jumbo-sized bars and bags of candy! The attached card from the staff of the Fitness Center read, ”We’re sorry for the inconvenience with the weight machine this morning.”
The attendant at the fitness center took a minor inconvenience and, with a simple phone call, turned the situation around completely. I was delighted to find the basket of candy in my room. (Actually, my kids were ecstatic, since they got the candy when I returned home!)
Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to turn a disappointed customer into a glowing reference. A little creativity and proactive effort can have a lasting impact. Think about how you can sweeten up problem situations in your organization, and you’ll keep your customers delighted as well!
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