Don’t you wish you could say that out loud once in awhile? Last week I was traveling and visited a hotel where I have spent enough time to earn the occasional visit to the concierge floor. As it was a Sunday night trip for a Monday morning meeting, discovering that I had gotten to the concierge floor kind of made up for the loss of time at home, and I was looking forward to getting a snack and beverage in the lounge.
I got to the floor, and I couldn’t figure out where my room was, based on the signs, so I went into the concierge lounge to ask the attendant where my room was. She was talking on her cell, and it was clearly a personal call, but it didn’t sound like it was an emergency. I know this because I had the chance to listen to the conversation for about 30 seconds before I could get her attention. After she told the person on the phone to hold for a moment, I asked her where my room was, and she pointed the direction that I needed to go, and immediately resumed her conversation.
Ten minutes later, after unpacking, I wandered back to the lounge for my snack and drink. She was still on the phone. And, she was helping herself to the snacks, so her back was turned to me and she didn’t know I was there. I stood there, not knowing quite what to do. Should I tap her on the shoulder, stand and wait for her to get her food, or just push her out of the way? The problem was that she was grazing in place, nibbling off the different trays and it didn’t appear that she had any intention of leaving the spot. I opted to get a drink and make some noise so she would notice me and move, which she did, and I got my snack…she was still on the phone.
How many times a day do your customers deal with someone who’s not paying attention to them? It’s so common that we hardly notice, unless we’re in a place where better than average (lousy) service is expected. Think about how powerful it would be to have all of your front line associates really focused on the customer at the moment when the customer is working with them. Think about how pleasant that would be for the customer, and how rewarding it could be for the associate. What a powerful idea…paying attention to the customer.
We’re all busy, we all multi-task, but when associates are in front of a customer, that individual needs to be the center of attention until they are done. Or at the very least, stay off the cell phone.
HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME! Is that too much to ask?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hey! Pay attention to me!
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1 comments:
I think you just basically described the reason why Walt Disney World is considered teh Happiest Place on Earth. When I was there last year, there wasn't a speck of trash on the ground, every single employee, and I mean ALL OF THEm, were courteous and acted like you were the most important person they had ever met. And it was crowded, making this seem even more impressive. From the snack vendors to the ride operators to the older woman who took my towels after a swim, they were all unified in their vision of you as the best person to come there in a long time. So you talk about the power of it...there it is. Disney's rides and attractions in the park are not as thrilling or adrenaline-inducing as their competitors, but most people save up their whole lives just to go there, and you can't say that for Six Flags or Cedar Pointe.
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