Don’t over promise, do over deliver

Picture the scene … it’s late. I’ve just arrived in New York and I’m too tired to go out for a snack. So I’m browsing the hotel services guide and it talks about ‘a new concept in  drinks, snacks and internet access on every floor’. I’m intrigued and it sounds like far the simplest option plus nice to see a smart hotel being generous in the way one only really expects from small, family owned ones.
I go off to explore this new concept and spot the smart doors labelled ‘drinks’ and ‘snacks’. However when I open them I find a vending machine! So I go from warm and fuzzy to disappointed and cynical.
It serves as an example however of how not to make promises to your customers. These sort of empty promises are easily spotted by customers and lead to dissatisfaction and no repeat business.
What would be your examples of how not to  deliver Customer Service?
Companies who are really great at looking after their customers tend to:
•    Sing about how great they are but never speak ill of their competitors
•    Go the extra mile and over deliver as if it were the most natural thing in the world
By way of comparison I’d cite one particular hotel I stayed in in the Lake District (whilst on a long road trip between meetings) where not only did the bags swiftly disappear off to your room but they brought you complimentary afternoon tea in the lounge so that you could enjoy the view of Lake Windermere. It worked well for them as well as it meant that all their customers had seen the menus and sampled the fare and were thus a bit more likely to eat in the hotel rather than at one of the nearby restaurants.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tags: confidence, marketing

1 Comment to Don’t over promise, do over deliver

1. [...] from Sarah’s hotel experience in ‘Don’t over promise, do over deliver’, I spotted Graham Button’s guest post for Fast Company about his designed experiences.  [...]
design stirs lust but high-class customer service lasts | on October 8th, 2009

Leave a comment