Comments on: Service System Failure: A Tale of Two Hotels http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/ Leadership, followership, and purpose at work Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:29:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bret L. Simmons http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2654 Bret L. Simmons Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:21:46 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2654 Welcome, Kate! That is an AWESOME story! I've never heard of shopsavvy before but you are right that businesses that don't empower their front line folks to act quickly are going to lose. It would have been stupid of them to let you leave the story without winning your business. Now, you just told a positive story about them and that has value. I got to get me one of those phones! Thanks for sharing. Bret Welcome, Kate! That is an AWESOME story! I’ve never heard of shopsavvy before but you are right that businesses that don’t empower their front line folks to act quickly are going to lose. It would have been stupid of them to let you leave the story without winning your business. Now, you just told a positive story about them and that has value. I got to get me one of those phones! Thanks for sharing. Bret

]]> By: Kate Grey http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2650 Kate Grey Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:47:00 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2650 This story is not about a hotel. And it's not about a failure either. But your story reminded me of a recent experience with the same underlying message for management: Empower front-line employees to make instant price adjustments so you don't lose the business today, and possibly for many days to come. My husband and I were at Best Buy just before Christmas looking for a cover for his gift, a new Zune. I had my Christmas gift in hand, an Android phone. I used an application ShopSavvy to scan the bar code with my phone, and found the same cover was $10 cheaper at Amazon, and actually cheaper on Best Buy's website than in the store. An employee asked what I was doing, and I explained ShopSavvy. I was thinking we were about to leave the store and buy the cover online at home. Without any prompting from us, he said, "Oh, just show the web page on your phone to the checkout person, and we'll give you an instant price match." So we saved $10 on the spot, and Best Buy's reputation for service was cemented. As more shoppers start scanning and checking prices online at the point of purchase, businesses will need to learn to be much more flexible about this. I've already read on ShopSavvy's website about people leaving bookstores because they could save $80 buying from Amazon! This story is not about a hotel. And it’s not about a failure either. But your story reminded me of a recent experience with the same underlying message for management: Empower front-line employees to make instant price adjustments so you don’t lose the business today, and possibly for many days to come.

My husband and I were at Best Buy just before Christmas looking for a cover for his gift, a new Zune. I had my Christmas gift in hand, an Android phone. I used an application ShopSavvy to scan the bar code with my phone, and found the same cover was $10 cheaper at Amazon, and actually cheaper on Best Buy’s website than in the store. An employee asked what I was doing, and I explained ShopSavvy. I was thinking we were about to leave the store and buy the cover online at home. Without any prompting from us, he said, “Oh, just show the web page on your phone to the checkout person, and we’ll give you an instant price match.” So we saved $10 on the spot, and Best Buy’s reputation for service was cemented.

As more shoppers start scanning and checking prices online at the point of purchase, businesses will need to learn to be much more flexible about this. I’ve already read on ShopSavvy’s website about people leaving bookstores because they could save $80 buying from Amazon!

]]> By: Bret L. Simmons http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2601 Bret L. Simmons Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:55:44 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2601 Totally concur, Ajo. How can you put a price on word-of-mouth marketing? Surely it's worth $20. The sad thing is the room probably sat empty that night, so the total opportunity cost was much higher. I don't get it. Thanks for sharing! Bret Totally concur, Ajo. How can you put a price on word-of-mouth marketing? Surely it’s worth $20. The sad thing is the room probably sat empty that night, so the total opportunity cost was much higher. I don’t get it. Thanks for sharing! Bret

]]> By: Ajo Cherian http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2600 Ajo Cherian Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:36:39 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2600 Bret, I had a similar experience when trying to book a one night stay for my wife and I at the Harrah's in Reno for an event. I saw on their website that they had the room for $20 less only a few days later, but I really wanted to stay on that one night. So I called and got a person on the phone to see if they can give me the rate in exchange for my business and extended business at the restaurants on their property. No such luck. She told me she could not change the rates in "the system" (read: the computer). I too thought that was a failure of customer service when you let an opportunity to impress a customer slip through like that. The business they lost by not having me in their property and my word-of-mouth marketing is more than the $20 difference in room rates. I could not believe that they were all now slaves to "the system" without any process to go outside of it when needed. That is one way they could've been fabulous. Now, they are just like everyone else. Bret, I had a similar experience when trying to book a one night stay for my wife and I at the Harrah’s in Reno for an event. I saw on their website that they had the room for $20 less only a few days later, but I really wanted to stay on that one night. So I called and got a person on the phone to see if they can give me the rate in exchange for my business and extended business at the restaurants on their property. No such luck. She told me she could not change the rates in “the system” (read: the computer). I too thought that was a failure of customer service when you let an opportunity to impress a customer slip through like that. The business they lost by not having me in their property and my word-of-mouth marketing is more than the $20 difference in room rates. I could not believe that they were all now slaves to “the system” without any process to go outside of it when needed. That is one way they could’ve been fabulous. Now, they are just like everyone else.

]]> By: Bret L. Simmons http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2597 Bret L. Simmons Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:40:03 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2597 I've seen that somewhere before, Bruce. Very funny! Thanks for sharing. Bret I’ve seen that somewhere before, Bruce. Very funny! Thanks for sharing. Bret

]]> By: Bret L. Simmons http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2596 Bret L. Simmons Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:38:41 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2596 I think they see themselves as giving good service, and for the most part they would be correct. But their service is incomplete and that is costing them money. Thanks for the comment! Bret I think they see themselves as giving good service, and for the most part they would be correct. But their service is incomplete and that is costing them money. Thanks for the comment! Bret

]]> By: Christine Livingston http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2595 Christine Livingston Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:35:12 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2595 Oh boy! The John Asquaga's Nuggett clearly doesn't understand the impact of its bad service on its brand. Someone like yourself who uses hotels for both work and pleasure is going to be able to influence a lot of people. Here I am in the UK and I'll make sure to go to the Hyatt if I'm ever in Reno. Pity, as your first choice was the Nuggett. And you're right - the Nuggett would appear to need to take a look at its systems as they don't seem to be allowing its employees to succeed. Thanks, Bret! Oh boy! The John Asquaga’s Nuggett clearly doesn’t understand the impact of its bad service on its brand.

Someone like yourself who uses hotels for both work and pleasure is going to be able to influence a lot of people. Here I am in the UK and I’ll make sure to go to the Hyatt if I’m ever in Reno. Pity, as your first choice was the Nuggett.

And you’re right – the Nuggett would appear to need to take a look at its systems as they don’t seem to be allowing its employees to succeed.

Thanks, Bret!

]]> By: Bruce Lynn http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-02/service-system-failure-a-tale-of-two-hotels/comment-page-1/#comment-2589 Bruce Lynn Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:35:55 +0000 http://www.bretlsimmons.com/?p=2411#comment-2589 Reminded me of my favourite hotel service system failure of all time - http://www.tk421.net/humor/soap.html. Reminded me of my favourite hotel service system failure of all time – http://www.tk421.net/humor/soap.html.

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