Do You Like Surprises?
Ask the public what kind of surprises await them when they travel, and you’ll quickly have a list that includes hidden surcharges, overbookings, flight cancellations, weather delays, lost luggage, third party fine prints and so on. Even though it’s statistically unlikely that any one of these things will occur during a given trip, we remember the disappointments. Moreover, each of these problems will likely have a brand name attached to it. Lost luggage doesn’t just happen, instead we say, “airline X lost my bags”, or “Hotel X charged me an extra for something that was supposed to be included in my package”. Fair or not, that is how the customer remembers and talks about the situation.
Positive surprises get noticed, too. The psycho-mathematics of surprise gives more weight to positive events than to negative ones, unless the two events are paired. When a happy moment is linked to a setback, the disappointing event will have greater value.
The real power resides in surprises that aren’t connected with negative events. These “just because” acts brighten days and create loyalty. To claim full value, they cannot be seen as compensatory; they have to be manifested exclusively out of kindness. “The hotel overbooked and didn’t have the room type we booked, so they upgraded us” is compensatory. “The hotel upgraded us to a junior suite. They didn’t say why, just Enjoy! And we did!” is not. The reason may be the same, but in the second instance, the customer wasn’t made aware of the overbooking. Or maybe it was 11 p.m. and a front desk agent saw an exhausted parent with two cranky kids in tow, checked inventory, was empowered to act, and thought, “They deserve a break.” Either way, the hotel will have transformed a guest into an appreciative advocate.
It's true that “just because” surprises are few and far between. The reason is that margins in the hospitality and travel industry are thin enough without distributing armloads of freebies. Free meals, unlocked minibars and room upgrades for everyone would be unreasonable and expensive. I may shock you, but pleasant surprises do not need to cost much!
It was my birthday a few weeks ago and like every year, I received promotional emails from stores that I usually shop at or follow on social media. They were offering almost all the same thing, up to 40% off on a purchase. This was great, but still I felt that they missed the point: wishing me a happy birthday. I also received an email from a hotel manager where I have never stayed before. It had no mention of a special discount or promotion. The message was simple and genuine, the manager and his team wished me a happy birthday. It caught my attention so much that I forwarded it to my friends and posted it on social media. As a result, this hotel will be top of mind next time I’m travelling.
Hospitality is all about making people feel welcome, valued, respected and comfortable. Kindness is an integral part of that equation as well. Guests don’t need to hear our problems when we’re overbooked, or the pool is closed for cleaning or the elevators are out of service for thirty minutes while an inspection is being performed. So far as the guest is concerned, hotels should be stress-free zones. A “just because” surprise now and then, unconnected to a problem or to an advertised frequent guest perk, adds to a positive experience.
Applying the psycho-mathematics of surprise can as simple as empowering staff to show genuine caring and provide in-the-moment kindness. It’s fun, fulfilling, inexpensive, and ultimately will make a huge difference in the way everyone feels about your business. Start empowering your staff today with Signature’s Customer Experience Edge Training Program.
Positive surprises get noticed, too. The psycho-mathematics of surprise gives more weight to positive events than to negative ones, unless the two events are paired. When a happy moment is linked to a setback, the disappointing event will have greater value.
The real power resides in surprises that aren’t connected with negative events. These “just because” acts brighten days and create loyalty. To claim full value, they cannot be seen as compensatory; they have to be manifested exclusively out of kindness. “The hotel overbooked and didn’t have the room type we booked, so they upgraded us” is compensatory. “The hotel upgraded us to a junior suite. They didn’t say why, just Enjoy! And we did!” is not. The reason may be the same, but in the second instance, the customer wasn’t made aware of the overbooking. Or maybe it was 11 p.m. and a front desk agent saw an exhausted parent with two cranky kids in tow, checked inventory, was empowered to act, and thought, “They deserve a break.” Either way, the hotel will have transformed a guest into an appreciative advocate.
It's true that “just because” surprises are few and far between. The reason is that margins in the hospitality and travel industry are thin enough without distributing armloads of freebies. Free meals, unlocked minibars and room upgrades for everyone would be unreasonable and expensive. I may shock you, but pleasant surprises do not need to cost much!
It was my birthday a few weeks ago and like every year, I received promotional emails from stores that I usually shop at or follow on social media. They were offering almost all the same thing, up to 40% off on a purchase. This was great, but still I felt that they missed the point: wishing me a happy birthday. I also received an email from a hotel manager where I have never stayed before. It had no mention of a special discount or promotion. The message was simple and genuine, the manager and his team wished me a happy birthday. It caught my attention so much that I forwarded it to my friends and posted it on social media. As a result, this hotel will be top of mind next time I’m travelling.
Hospitality is all about making people feel welcome, valued, respected and comfortable. Kindness is an integral part of that equation as well. Guests don’t need to hear our problems when we’re overbooked, or the pool is closed for cleaning or the elevators are out of service for thirty minutes while an inspection is being performed. So far as the guest is concerned, hotels should be stress-free zones. A “just because” surprise now and then, unconnected to a problem or to an advertised frequent guest perk, adds to a positive experience.
Applying the psycho-mathematics of surprise can as simple as empowering staff to show genuine caring and provide in-the-moment kindness. It’s fun, fulfilling, inexpensive, and ultimately will make a huge difference in the way everyone feels about your business. Start empowering your staff today with Signature’s Customer Experience Edge Training Program.
Julie Charbonneau
Signature Canada is a leader in training employees to deliver legendary customer service while increasing sales. Since 1986, Signature’s unique training methodology has provided a measurable ROI for our customers, compelling them to return year after year.