I've just had a lesson in customer service
To celebrate my wife's milestone birthday, we decided to stay a single night at The Ritz
After arranging the second mortgage we booked a DBB package for a special night away for the same price as a week away on a Greek Island, but wanted something special.
And special it was.
From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, and despite never having been there before, we were treated like the most important guests they have ever had.
Everyone greets you like that, from doorman to housekeeping.
Everyone was so proud of The Ritz. It was like we were being welcomed into a special club.
Little touches were everywhere. We sat down to dinner and the waiter greeted us by name and we were introduced to the staff. It was the same at breakfast.
Everyone was collective in their desire to make this the best experience ever. People spoke about The Ritz Experience. It really seemed to matter to them that we had a truly memorable stay.
And it got me thinking about excellent service.
This is not a post about how special The Ritz is, although it undoubtedly is.
It is a post about how we can make an experience special. How we can offer truly outstanding customer service. How we can send our clients away raving so much they we will never need to advertise, not matter how much we charge.
Because value for money is not just about monetary value, it is about immersion. It's about his we feel before, during and after our experience of service. It's about what we tell our friends.
And it got me thinking about the service I provide to my clients. I thought I was pretty good but now I am going to up my game.
I want to be the best in the business not because I think I am, but because others tell their contacts I am.
What commitments could you make to everyone you serve?
What I have seen is that value is not in how much something costs, it is about how much YOU think it is worth.
What if people felt your service was priceless
Now that's value!
Martyn Dawes is a Coach, Social Care Consultant, and Author of The Overwhelmed Manager: What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do