“We have learnt that when you anticipate a customer’s needs, that’s when they begin to feel loyal towards you.”
This quote comes from Theo Gilbert-Jamison, a senior executive with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Given The Ritz Carlton’s reputation it’s hard to argue with one of their senior executives. But I’ll do it anyway.
While Theo makes a good point, its so much more than anticipating needs and the Ritz Carlton is a classic example of this. But before I give you one of their examples here’s one that happened to me last winter.
It took place at the Chimes Health Retreat at Denmark in the South West of Western Australia; a wonderful intimate resort in a beautiful setting with breathtaking views. I’d booked in for three nights with my wife Gwen to be pampered, enjoy long walks and sit in front of a log fire in the evening with a glass of wine (that’s my idea of good health!).
We had a beautiful room with a veranda overlooking the amazing countryside and the ocean. The staff were friendly and obliging. It was close to the small town of Denmark, the beautiful coastline and in easy driving distance of many other fascinating sites. But that wasn’t what made the visit memorable.
It was a Teddy Bear. Not just any teddy bear, this was a mischievous one.
On our arrival we noticed a delightful teddy bear seated on the couch looking very cute. The next morning before we headed out to do some exploring I placed the bear by a bowl of fruit as if it was about to eat some. When we arrived back in our room the bear was sitting by the edge of the spa with a towel as if it was resting after a luxuriating dip. For fun, the next morning, I moved it somewhere else. As we headed back to our room at the end of the day our curiosity was well and truly aroused and we were like a couple of children who couldn’t wait to see what the teddy had been up to.
We weren’t disappointed. Teddy, no doubt aided by his helper who freshened the rooms each day, was sitting up in bed wearing the reading glasses that I’d left on the side, and reading a book.
Now, the ambience, the health treatments and all the other things I’ve mentioned earlier certainly made the Chimes special but for us it was the Teddy Bear that gave it that extra something that made it memorable.
So I was interested to read that legendary quality and customer service guru Tom Peters recounts a similar story about The Ritz Carlton. I’ll preface it first with another quote from Theo Gilbert-Jamison.
“The front desk’s purpose is not to check people in. That’s its function. The purpose is to welcome the customer.”
Tom Peters Story:
This is what happens when, say, a hotel housekeeper, sees her purpose as ‘enlivening the senses’ rather than simply clearing up a room. It’s a story that Tom Peters loves to tell.
A customer wrote to the Ritz-Carlton expressing his astonishment at the behaviour of the housekeeper during a stay in New York with his wife and daughter. After a day sight-seeing in the city, they returned to their room, only for their daughter to complain that her teddy bear was missing.
After a quick search, they found it hidden in the towelling cupboard, with a foil-wrapped chocolate clasped in its paws. The next day, the bear had disappeared again; the daughter found it under the bed with another chocolate in its paws.
At the end of each day, for the duration of their stay, their daughter couldn’t wait to get back to the room to play ‘find the teddy’ with a housekeeping maid she never actually met. “It was the best part of her stay,” wrote the customer.
The Lessons
The rarely mentioned aspect of this fun and mischief as demonstrated in Tom Peter’s example and my own is that by bringing a little bit of herself to the job it also makes it a more energising and satisfying role for the housekeeper.
People like to know they are being looked after by real people who care. The systems and standards within an organisation, free workers up to, in the right way, put a bit of personality into their role, however humble that role may be.
It would be worth sharing these examples with your team and asking (not telling) them what they have done or would enjoy doing to make the experience memorable for their customers.
4 Comments on "Customer Service – The Teddy Bear Secret"
I personally sell rural and rustic houses in the Nortwest of Spain but try at the same time to make it all more enjoyable by taking people to see local interesting sites… 12th century monastries or anything tipical from the area; it stops boredom and gives a little local color. It certainly works for me.
I love this story! Now, I’m a little biased toward Teddy Bears. I absolutely love them and feel that there is “right” Teddy out there for everyone, regardless of age. Koodos to the housekeeping staff who “played” with the Teddys and made your stay a memorable one.
Funny you would think it has to do with housekeeping. We do like to enjoy ourselves, too. (-o:3
Love the story and the concept behind it!