Guest Relations
Change Requires Choice (and Work)
Shep Hyken | June 27, 2024
At the end of the CEO’s speech to his employees, he said, “And one other thing, we want to deliver better customer service.” Then he walked off stage. Delivering better customer service is a good idea, but just saying you want to do so will not make it happen. Most likely, it will remain just a good idea, because, without the right implementation, the idea will never come to anything. Nothing will change. A big part of my business is serving as a keynote speaker on customer service and CX for all kinds of companies and organizations. I always ask, “Why is this topic important to you and this audience?” Most of the time, ...
Barclays Releases 2024 Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report
Barclays US Consumer Bank | May 20, 2024
Report reveals 76% of American travelers can't imagine taking the trips they do without rewards points or loyalty programs WILMINGTON, Del., May 20, 2024 -- Personal travel is top of mind for many consumers this year and rewards programs will make all the difference, according to a survey of 1,000 US travelers by Wakefield Research. At the start of National Travel and Tourism Week, the second annual Barclays US Consumer Bank's Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report provides fresh insights into what travelers care about related to loyalty programs and rewards in 2024. This report explores consumer attitudes, sentiments, and behaviors related to...
Customers Could Stop Doing Business Because of a Long Survey
Shep Hyken | February 29, 2024
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“We Deliver Amazing Customer Service”: The Difference Between Perception and Reality / Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken | January 18, 2024
This is an important topic that every CEO, business owner, leader, manager, and supervisor must understand. When it comes to customer service and customer experience (CX), there is a difference between perception and reality. First, how we think our customers perceive our customer service and CX is often not the reality. It’s just our perception. Reality isn’t what we think or believe. It’s what our customers say. Often, there is a big difference between our perception and the reality of our customers’ experiences. Some may be saying, “Shep, you’ve covered this before.” Yes, however, it is worth covering again, espec...
Has the ‘New’ Service Culture Become the ‘No’ Service Culture?
Alan Young | January 18, 2024
By Alan Young In my hometown of Barrie, Ontario, I spent some time chatting with some of the GMs of the hotels within our city limits. Most hotels in Barrie are what we would call “limited service”, however, some do offer more than others when it comes to amenities. I asked each GM what type of true service training each employee receives. Their answers were hit-and-miss. Some offer in-house training, and others offer the brand standard training, but very few of them truly offer service training. Also, due to the increasing turnover of staff, it is difficult to indoctrinate employees fully in a hotel’s service culture. The industry g...
The Perfect Way To Impress Your Customers
Shep Hyken | August 3, 2023
By Shep Hyken We have the privilege and honor of working with some amazing clients. One of them asked us to work with her team on a customer experience initiative that included every company employee. One of the regular assignments for their employees is to share examples of how they created a Moment of Magic® for a customer or colleague. They do short write-ups and share them with their managers. Here is a great example of the power of this exercise and impress your customers. The client is a travel company and had a VIP client that had worked with them for more than 20 years. His agent, Katie, referred to as a relationship manager,...
Okura Nikko Hotel Management Partners With Ireckonu to Implement a Global Digital Guest Experience Strategy
Ireckonu | June 22, 2023
The Luxury Hotel Management group adopts Ireckonu’s entire product suite to drive customer engagement in over 70 hotels worldwide AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, 21 June 2023 – Ireckonu, the industry leader in Hospitality Middleware, CDP and digital guest relationship systems integration, today announced its partnership with Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd (ONHM). Ireckonu will work with the Tokyo-based luxury hotel firm to centralize all guest data among their entire property portfolio to create an accessible and actionable Customer Data Platform (CDP). The firm manages three hotel groups; Okura Hotels & Resort, Nikko Ho...
7 Customer Service Experience Trends to Watch in 2023
Franck Louveau | March 2, 2023
By Franck Louveau As customer expectations continue to evolve, customer service trends are adapting at pace. Businesses from all industries must keep up with emerging customer service experience trends to meet customer expectations and foster better customer relationships which is critical for remaining competitive in the respective market. This blog takes a deep dive into the top 6 customer service experience trends to watch in 2023. Customer service developments in the recent past The past year has ushered in a new paradigm for customer service and customer experience across all industries. The following are some of the latest indus...
Customer Feedback on Hospitality Experiences: 5 Best Practices
Dr Matthias Fuchs | September 1, 2022
By Dr. Matthias Fuchs Why is asking for customer feedback so important and how can it be done to enhance the customer journey? The findings of a recent research project answer these questions that are vital to the success of any business, especially one based on hedonic experiences like the hospitality sector. This article summarizes five best practices grounded in consumer psychology research that businesses should consider when inviting customers to leave feedback on hospitality experiences. Collecting customer feedback is important Asking for guest feedback has become the norm in the hospitality industry. According to the travel websi...
ADA Defense Lawyer: DOJ Issues Guidance On Website Accessibility
Jim Butler | June 9, 2022
By Jim Butler, Stuart Tubis ecently on March 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a “Web Accessibility Guidance” statement for state and local governments and public accommodations (including businesses) under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A copy of the Guidance document can be found here. In the Guidance, the DOJ clarifies once again that the ADA applies to websites: “the Department’s longstanding interpretation of the general nondiscrimination and effective communication provisions applies to web accessibility.” The Guidance also provides some examples of website acces...
Hotel Sales: When Product, Process, Place, and Price Are the Same, People Make the Difference
Doug Kennedy | June 7, 2022
By Doug Kennedy Despite the efforts of brand leaders to create meaningful differentiation of hotel flags, when I speak with both professional and social meeting planners, they generally express seeing very little difference, at least within any given market segment. In other words, a core branded Marriott feels an awful lot like a Hilton, Hyatt, or Intercontinental. A Ritz-Carlton seems very similar to a Fairmont or Four Seasons. A Hilton Garden Inn mirrors a Courtyard or Hyatt Place, and a Home2Suites, Residence Inn and Staybridge Suites don’t feel that much different either. It is not just the rooms. When it comes to amenities and s...
How to Deal With Customer Complaints: The Perfect Thing to Say
Shep Hyken | April 21, 2022
By Shep Hyken There are many ways to deal with complaints or angry customers. I’ve written a number of articles on the different ways to do so, and today I want to add an excellent technique. The idea is to say something that lets the customer know you understand the problem, you’re in sync with their concerns, and you empathize with their frustration, anger or whatever emotion they’re exhibiting. I refer to this as The Perfect Thing to Say. This is more than apologizing and acknowledging the customer, which are steps one and two of my five-step process for dealing with angry customers. When a customer brings you a pro...
The Don CeSar Provides “InnSpired” Luxury and Convenience With Guest Experience Mobile App and Integrated Technology Suite From InnSpire
InnSpire | April 19, 2022
Iconic Florida property teams up with leading hotel technology provider to empower guests with unrestricted access to luxury amenities through a comprehensive mobile-based Digital Guest Journey that provides convenience at every touchpoint St. Pete Beach, FL, USA – April 19, 2022 – InnSpire, the leading provider of a comprehensive technology suite that helps drive a seamless, world-class guest experience for some of the world’s most iconic hotels and brands, has partnered with The Don CeSar, a historic property located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, to provide a comprehensive suite of technology solutions designed to maximize and streaml...
The Day I Became a Customer Service Expert and Two Important Lessons
Shep Hyken | April 13, 2022
By Shep Hyken “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This line has been credited to Confucius, Mark Twain, Mark Anthony and others. Anyone who finds what they love to do at work, either through a passion, hobby, interest, a random job they end up loving, or some defining moment is lucky. That makes me one of the lucky ones. Just out of college I started my career as a customer service expert. It wasn’t a random job I applied for. It was a chosen profession that had its roots in something that happened to me when I was younger, an event that caused me to become obsessed with customer service. I’v...
Customer Service Is More Important Than Price
Shep Hyken | April 7, 2022
By Shep Hyken “Is customer service more important than price?” That’s exactly what we asked more than 1,000 consumers in our customer service research. The response was that 58% said, “Yes.” And just to make sure, we asked a similar question later in the survey, “Would you pay more if you knew you would receive great customer service?” Once again, 58% said, “Yes.” “Please take care of me, and I’ll even pay a little more.” When more than half of your customers are saying, “Please take care of me, and I’ll even pay a little more,” you have to listen. The point is tha...
The Number One Customer Service Strategy
Shep Hyken | March 30, 2022
By Shep Hyken We just released our annual customer service research where we surveyed more than 1,000 consumers and asked what customer service experiences are most likely to cause you to come back. The top answers belong together: helpful and friendly. That seems pretty simple. All a typical customer wants is for someone to be nice to them, with a willingness to take care of them. How hard can that be? It seems like it’s just common sense, right? Yet we all have the customer service horror stories that are the exact opposite of people being helpful and friendly. Please keep reading, even though this is basic information....
Good Habits Are Just as Important as Talent and Skill
Shep Hyken | March 23, 2022
By Shep Hyken I recently received a note from my friend and Shepard Letter subscriber, Michael Staenberg. He commented on the recent Never, Never, Never Be Late article and sent a list of what he referred to as Things that Require Zero Talent. At the top of the list was being on time. I’ve seen lists like this before. They include being on time, having a good work ethic and a positive attitude, doing more than expected, and more. I did a little research and found similar lists that included all those mentioned above and others including being coachable, smiling, saying please and thank you, being nice, doing what you s...
Back to Class: Shep’s Law of Customer Service
Shep Hyken | March 17, 2022
Let’s go back to physics class for just a moment. Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states, “For every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” I admit to struggling in physics, but this was one principle I understood. The other day, a friend quoted Newton’s third law, and it hit me. Not only does this happen in physics, but it also happens in business, specifically when there is bad customer service or a bad customer experience (CX). So, with that, I bring you Shep’s Law of Customer Service, which is: For almost every bad customer experience created, there is an opposite reaction by the customer. The...
Back to Class: Shep’s Law of Customer Service
Shep Hyken | March 16, 2022
By Shep Hyken Let’s go back to physics class for just a moment. Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states, “For every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” I admit to struggling in physics, but this was one principle I understood. The other day, a friend quoted Newton’s third law, and it hit me. Not only does this happen in physics, but it also happens in business, specifically when there is bad customer service or a bad customer experience (CX). So, with that, I bring you Shep’s Law of Customer Service, which is: For almost every bad customer experience created, there is an opposite reaction by ...
A Fictional Press Release Can Be a Great Motivator
Shep Hyken | March 10, 2022
By Shep Hyken I’ve been asked many times how to get the C-suite to invest in customer service. There are plenty of good answers. My go-to response has always been, “Show them the numbers.” The C-suite loves numbers. Prove that spending $100 will make the company $200, and you just may capture the attention of a decision-maker in the C-suite. Now there is a new way to approach leadership with an idea, which is to write a Fictional Press Release. The Fictional Press Release is probably not what you think it is. It’s not a fake release with fake news. The word fictional does not refer to the contents of the press r...
5 Ways Technology Can Enhance the Guest Experience
Emily Teachout | March 3, 2022
By Emily Teachout Guests are the most important part of any hospitality business, so their satisfaction should always be top priority. A quality guest experience strategy will empower you to maintain strong customer relationships by providing opportunities to authentically interact with your guests, and in turn, provides guests with an optimized experience. Technology can further boost your efforts by providing additional options, control, and personalization. If you’re unsure where to start, explore these five technology enhancements that add to the guest experience. 1. Interactive Guest Portals Travel restrictions due to COVID us...
Think Simplicity Integrates SimplyChat SMS Capabilities to Its Cloud Communication Platform
Think Simplicity | March 2, 2022
Integrated solution now provides easy access to SMS to enhance the guest experience and streamline operations BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., March 2, 2022 — Think Simplicity, a cloud communication technology provider of all-inclusive voice and chat solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today the launch of SimplyChat™, an integrated, seamless way to communicate with staff and guests via SMS. By bringing the entire communication platform together seamlessly via the cloud, hoteliers have the opportunity to enhance the guest experience. Hoteliers are looking to simplify their technology spend, however installing and managing new phone ...
Money or Miles for Frequent Flyers?
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | February 25, 2022
“CANCELLED”: The word no passenger wants to see on an airport display board. Failing to appease disgruntled clientele can seriously damage customer relationships. Dodging the kickback of service failures is therefore supremely important, especially when customers have already pledged their allegiance to a company – as have frequent flyers. But how should loyal customers be compensated? In an important recent study, Dr YooHee Hwang and Dr Lisa Gao of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their co-author explored the best ways to regain customer loyalty after a service failure. The u...
A Restaurant That Offers Car Washes on the Menu
Shep Hyken | February 3, 2022
By Shep Hyken I recently wrote an article about the little surprises that companies – and people – sometimes give us when we do business with them. We received some great feedback, and it got me thinking of other ways to surprise our customers. That’s what this follow-up is about. I’m often surprised at how companies find ways to improve a customer experience with something that has nothing to do with what they sell. It’s best illustrated with an example. I pulled into a restaurant parking lot where there were several valets waiting to park our car. The gentleman opening my door greeted me and then asked, “While you’re ...
