I’ve been on the road nearly non-stop in the month of November. That means I’ve floated in and out of several hotels, and let me tell you, some of them have figured out the customer service angle in very impressive ways.

 

Late last week, I spent several days at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, CA. I stayed in a lovely room overlooking the Pacific, allowing me to both wake up and fall asleep to the sound of a rolling tide. What was particularly memorable about the hotel, however, was the attitude of the staff. Whether I asked the concierge, a groundskeeper, or a housekeeper for assistance, each person replied, “It would be my pleasure.” The groundskeeper, in fact, made the extra effort to ask if I enjoyed my room, and then he thanked me for staying at the resort.

 

The Hotel Monaco in Chicago also knows a thing or two about service. I visit Chicago four or five times every year, and I always stay at The Monaco. When I arrived this past Sunday and walked through the lobby, the entire front desk staff looked up and said, “Welcome back, Ms. Crane.” It’s been four months since any of those people have seen me. The fact that they made the effort to remember my name and connect it to a face made a huge impression upon me.

 

Right now, every business I know now seeks ways to improve its bottom line. These two hotels demonstrate that leaving customers with the sense that they have been well served isn’t all that difficult. It requires simply recognizing customers and communicating to them that the business is delighted to serve their needs.