Say Yes to an AYS Attitude

I’ve said it for the last few years – “great service” isn’t enough anymore. It’s too easy for today’s customers & clients to look elsewhere for something newer, fresher, better or different. If people do a Google search and don’t find what they are looking for on the 1st page they don’t go to page two, they re-type in their search term and start new.

“Great service” isn’t enough. Today people crave an amazing experience in everything they do from start to finish. It begins from the moment they pull in the parking lot…or log on your website…or enter the doors of your company…or hear the voice at the other end of the telephone. Today’s memorable experiences also don’t end at the closing table, the cash register, the check-out counter, the 18th hole or as they drive through the gates on the way off your property. It goes from well before your first meeting or impression and extends well beyond the end of your transaction. I’ve said it many times,

your commission check will be gone long before your reputation.”

Are You “At Your (Clients) Service”?

Readers of Carps Corner know I am a huge Marriott fan. I’ve written posts about their great service, follow-up  and customer experience they provide. I have come to expect great service, but like I said, that’s just not enough anymore in 2016. Well, my visit this week to the Cincinnati Marriott North  in Union Centre reminded me how each person’s efforts can contribute to the bigger picture and create a memorable experience.

As I walked in, Abby greeted me with a smile  and helpful attitude. She not only checked me in, she walked me to the elevator and made sure all my questions or concerns were addressed. When I went to connect my laptop to the wi-fi network and it didn’t work, I called down and spoke to Morgan. She told me the network was down but cheerfully gave me the password to an alternative access point. After meeting up with a local friend at a nearby establishment, I returned to the hotel for dinner in their River City restaurant and received tremendous service from Deb behind the bar. Of course I tweeted about these three “Marriott All Stars” so others would know about their amazing efforts to exceed my expectations.

As I returned from dinner I found a hand-written note under my door. It was from Morgan whom I had spoken to earlier on the phone when my Internet didn’t work. While she wasn’t the reason why the wi-fi network wasn’t working…and even though she was able to find an alternate connection to gain access, she wanted to apologize for the time out of my day it took to connect. How cool is that?

Another Day…And Another Level of Awesome

After a long day of work (not ironically talking a lot about great service and memorable experiences with customers and clients) I returned to the hotel. I stopped by the front desk to thank Morgan for the note card as well as give the crew a “thanks for being awesome” message. I not only got to meet Morgan, I also met her co-workers Kye & Eric, two amazing, high-energy crew members who seemed genuinely excited to chat with a guests. We had a great discussion about how many brands could create a platform or bridge for guests, clients or patrons to provide positive feedback. Think about, when a guest or customer asks, “Can I see the manager?”, wouldn’t most staff members reaction be, “uh oh, what’s’ wrong”as easily as they create networks to solve problems and field complaints?

The service just kept getting better when Kelly behind the bar greeted me with a friendly, hospitable hello and was quite affable and engaging. You know my Rhinegeist Truth was delicious and my blackened flatiron chop salad was so good that I asked Kelly to introduce me to the chef. A big #Platinum shout out to Jeremy in the kitchen for his efforts. (We need to give more shout outs to the men and women who work behind the scenes).

After finishing my meal, I headed out of the restaurant for my room but made a quick detour to see my buddies at the front desk. The crew met me and we chatted for a few more minutes about their roles and I picked their mind about what they each do to make every guest feel special. This is when Morgan explained her role on the AYS Team.

What is the A.Y.S Team and what can you learn from it? Maybe this short video I shot with Morgan will inspire you to ask “what am I doing each day to make my clients and customers feel special?”

Pretty cool, huh? Another great reason why I am such a huge fan of the Marriott family of hotels and the hard-working staff the employ.

Here’s the big question; What are you doing to be “at your service” for your customers and clients? How are you delivering that “hand-written” experience for people who patronize and support you? Where are you finding moments in the transaction to make your clients go “wow”? What are you doing each day to be “blog worthy”?

When was the last time you had an amazing experience with a company, service provider or brand? Drop me a note in the comments below.

Until next time, keep building relationships, solving problems and having fun