Insight #23 - Anticipation - The Magic Ingredient Of Great Customer Service
Let me recount a recent experience. My mother called our neighbourhood chemist, who has been looking after us for over 2 decades now, to order a hot water bottle/bag for her neck pain. He sent the bottle as ordered, but he also sent a balm. He called her to ask her to try it. 'it will help' he said.
It did help. It also made an extra sale for him, but that is secondary.
Why is this amazing? He anticipated what the customer needed, not just what she wanted. He proactively provided it.
Three Steps Of Service according to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Gold Standards are:
A warm and sincere greeting.
Use the guest's name. Anticipation and fulfilment of each guest's needs.
Fond farewell. Give a warm goodbye and use the guest's name.
Anticipation is the key.
Why is this relevant to Hospitality & Service Industries?
Anticipation is the key ingredient to creating a remarkable customer experience. When a customer is met with the surprise and delight of having their unexpressed needs fulfilled, it creates a compelling emotional connection and keeps them coming back for more. - Ryan Estis
Actionable Insights
Guest Point Of View. Look at everything, from GPOV
You know your hotel lobby. You work there, you see it every day, you know where everything is, but that is not true for your guests. Is there enough signage?
A guest once asked me 'why don't you have little lights as they have in aeroplanes, that tell you if the loo is vacant?'. In restaurants or spaces that have only one facility, this makes sense. It makes sure the guest does not need to keep checking and rattling the doorknob, which makes it very disturbing for the guest inside too.
Be Proactive
Anticipation is a stay ahead of the curve game. If you change something or introduce something because of a customer complaint, that is not anticipation. It's when you create a solution that the customer just loves and thinks 'that's nice!' or 'that's thoughtful', then it is anticipation.
A restaurant kept some prescription reading glasses in a nice little box for guests who may not be carrying their own reading glasses with them. A very thoughtful touch to let your guests read the fine print on menus or bills.
Take Bets
Start small experiments. We mentioned it before, and it is worth mentioning again.
Here is one you can start today - If a guest visits the gym in the morning, prior to breakfast, be proactive, anticipate that she may want a healthy breakfast option and present it to her when she orders via In-Room Dining or visits your Coffee Shop.
It is a small bet you are making. One that says, this guest seems someone who might want a healthy option. It may not be true. If the guest is anything like me, probably a bigger breakfast is in order because of the morning workout. Either way, you will find out something about your guest and they will appreciate the thoughtfulness shown.
Listen & Then Go Be Responsive
VOC - Voice Of The Customer is a powerful concept. I always tell my clients, if you collect any information or feedback, it automatically creates an expectation in the mind of the customer. Answer this, how many times did a business ask you for your birthday and not wish you? That is a gap.
More importantly, listen for the unsaid. Respond to the obvious, but also, think about the not-so-obvious. Search for absurd or funny reviews and I am sure you will find a lot of them. I did. Here is one. I really think highlights all the points I am trying to make:
If you were the museum director, you throw this into the 'they don't know what they are talking about' pile or, look at this as the future coming to you faster than you think and create engaging content around your displays.
Look To Add Value
This is a brilliant way to look at Anticipation. At every step of the process, for every interaction, if you can ask the question 'how can I add value here?' you will have done a super-duper job of it.
For example, Imagine you are visiting a country or city for the first time. You book a hotel car to pick you up from the airport. Wouldn't it be nice if your valet told you approx how much time it will take to get to the hotel? The pilots of all major airlines tell you that, even though you know from the booking, the ticket etc. They tell you again, in the flight, coz you may be on multiple flights in a day. It's just a nice thing to do. It adds value.
Want to make this WOW?
Make Front Desk Predict Customer Behaviour.
Ok, this is going to sound a little out there and yet, it is something I really think you should try. As a leader, this will make work fun for your team and a little challenge never hurt anyone.
The idea is simple: After a guest checks in, ask the front desk or the guest relations team member who interacted with them to make some predictions. Will the guest eat in the hotel restaurant? Will the guest use the Spa? Is the guest going to call and ask for a room change?
Log these down. The team member who gets the maximum predictions right at the end of the month gets a reward.
This powerful exercise will 10X the ability of your team to anticipate.
Oh, I anticipate that you might need some more guidance on this. Maybe for formats, some ideas on how to get it started etc. Write to me at p.bedi@eclathospitality.com and let's get this done!
