The best customer experience I’ve heard of happened to a former co-worker of mine at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, South Korea (very nice 5-star hotel). He left the equivalent of a $12 tip for the clean room staff after staying there several nights. 4 YEARS LATER he checked in on a return business trip. As he was unzipping his luggage there was a knock on the door from a hotel employee. They handed him an envelope and inside was his $12!!!

That will not happen at many hotels, especially since the right cultures and tipping guidelines have to be in place, but the good news is customer service numbers are up for the hospitality industry over the last few months, even with staff reductions. If you are interested I posted an analysis here:

http://www.uberoom.com/blogs/2009/10/15/improved-hotel-customer-service-top-3-reasons-why/

Good luck to all the hotels today. Time are tough but customer service is a big part of survival in the current environment.

Steve, how a business reacts to a customer complaint makes all the difference between getting a bad reputation & winning a customer for life.

A lot of companies only focus on the sale right at that moment, whereas they should be looking at the lifetime value of a customer.

I can imagine Steve that you’d feel awkward now if ever you buy a suit anywhere else, which is the way good businesses make their customers feel.

The lifetime value of a customer is rarely considered in real estate because lots of sellers move out of the area, but agents need to remember that most sellers leave behind lots of family & friends that the seller could refer you to.

Agents should also pamper their buyers because they are not only your future sellers but they also become residents living within your service area & they will talk poorly or kindly about you & your company for years to come depending upon the level of service you gave them.

PS: Dave, it’s human nature that people are more likely to complain or criticise than they are to make compliments or give praise. Newspapers have been sold for years based on this principle. It’s a sad indictment on our world, but it’s reality.

That aside, a customer complaint should be seen as an opportunity to create a raving fan, because unfortunately it’s the silent customer who says nothing but votes with their feet & takes their business elsewhere who’ll always have the greatest impact on the success of any business.

The first was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Years ago we were having dinner at a casual outdoor restaurant on the harbor

Is it just me, or does human nature suggest that we are more disappointed when our expectations aren’t met, than we are impressed by when they are exceeded?

If this is true, there is no greater argument for any service industry to always strive for customer service excellence. Poor service is more likely to be remembered and discussed by the recipient of that service to their friends and family, than a good customer service experience.

Keen to hear your thoughts on this

I must admit I didn’t have many suits at that time as I was reasonably new to real estate and cutting my teeth. Money was tight for me.

I wore the suit so much that my wallet wore through the back pocket. I felt a little embarassed and didn’t want to admit I had worn the suit so much. But I thought, hang on, this is supposed to be a quality suit. So I took it in hoping to have it repaired for free.

I was completely blown away. The salesperson didn’t even consult his manager and made a decision on the spot to replace the trousers. Not only did he replace the trousers that had worn through, he also provided me with an additional pair of new trousers too. My two trouser suit all of a sudden became a four trouser suit. And that came at a time in my life that it was very much appreciated.