Positively Outrageous Service

Often when a person walks into a business with a need to find something or the need for service, he or she is either not acknowledged by an associate or when acknowledged, it is less than impressive. I get that kind of response more often than not and am concerned about the direction that we are headed when it comes to customer service.

For those of you that know me, you know that I am a constant seeker of good service. I want it, expect it, pay for it and quite frankly, I deserve it. I have worked hard over the years to ensure that providing great service is more of a reaction than a conscious decision. You know how it goes… be nice to the guest, smile and ask them how they are doing. It’s all pretty basic stuff, right? Well, not everyone is cut out for “get in your face” service, and those people tend to shy away from even the simplest point of service: eye contact.

I read a book about 14 years ago called POSitively Outrageous Service written by T. Scott Gross. It impacted my outlook on service so much and has stuck with me all these years. It reminds me that great service is not a new idea but old ideas that somehow got lost. I think about it every time I hear someone say, “Let’s get back to basics.” “Positively Outrageous Service” is what creates lifetime customers, and we have the opportunity to give “Service so Memorable” or “Service so Miserable.” Either way, our guests are going to talk about it.

Here is something to think about for a moment: How can we randomly deliver unexpected great service? Customers have nearly endless options. T. Scott Gross tells us, “If you want to be remembered, it’s going to take something truly special to earn you a position in the customer’s mind.” This is absolutely true.

Managing in today’s world brings new challenges to running our businesses successfully. Cut back here! Cut back there! Watch those expenses! With these pressures in place, it would appear that the service piece should become the easiest piece of the puzzle. Service is more than just a smiling face. Service is the way associates look and present themselves. When we walk into our hotels and observe our associates doing what they were trained to do, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Are we making a positive impression on our guests or do we need to go back to basics? Have we hired the right people and trained them on service to the point that it is the first and immediate reaction? With every hotel room having the same basic amenities, it is our customer service that will decide if our guests make reservations with us for future stays. That service needs to be natural, immediate and exceptional. That’s why we are in this business!