Nov
How was your stay?
Bruce MacLellan
Our company has an annual team retreat where everyone from all offices gather together to hear about the company results, attend education sessions and celebrate our success. It’s always a lot of fun. Over 14 years, we have gone to many resorts and hotels around Ontario and Quebec.
This year, we went to the Westin Trillium Hotel in Collingwood, Ontario, in late October. The service from staff during the event was fine. But unlike every previous hotel, not one staff member acknowledged me or thanked me for bringing our team to the property. When I checked out, the desk clerk did not ask me how my stay was or say anything about our conference experience.
The same applies to our company’s conference manager who handled the booking and logistics with the hotel. No one said thank you for choosing the Westin. Furthermore, it is the first time in 14 years that the venue hasn’t contacted us post-event to ask about the experience. We did get a generic survey from the Starwood Resorts Group (they own and manage the Westin).
It is a serious problem when a client that spends almost $60,000 is essentially ignored and it is even more egregious in a period of economic downturn. This experience may highlight a training problem, but also a fundamental relationship management issue.
The world is full of choices and clients have more access to travel destinations thanks to the Internet. A hotel chain that has grown so insensitive that conference clients are virtually ignored will not earn loyalty or repeat business.
Service excellence has always been a fundamental part of our business. We also go out of our way to thank clients for their business and ask for their feedback – good or bad. It is much better to hear criticism from a client and respond with solutions than to find out they have decided to leave. As it stands, the Westin organization has no idea what I think.
The other side is when places ask you 500 times for your feedback.
For example, I just got my winter tires put on and the dealership called me twice and sent me three follow-up e-mails to ask about the service. Not to mention I get a survey in the mail from them every season. Oy!
Why can’t the service industy find some place in the middle??
I had a similiar experience. Having worked in the customer service industry for as long as I can remember, I was baffled that not one person asked us for feedback or ensured we walked away happy with our stay.
When did the customer’s opinion stop mattering?
Wow Bruce …
Shame on the Westin Trillium for abusing you this way.
In as unpleasantly surprised as you were, so was I pleasantly surprised by the Crate and Barrel the month before last. I was in Los Angeles and spent a couple hundred bucks on some china pieces for my wife. It took them 10 minutes to go to the backroom to get the china and another five minutes to wrap it. They made my (15 minute) wait as pleasant as possible. Total purchase $216.71. (Sounds like a Mastercard ad)
Would you believe that by the time I got back to the east coast, I had received by snail mail, a personal thank you card, hand written by the store’s manager, apologizing that they has kept me waiting for 15 minutes and thanking me for supporting Crate and Barrel.
Want me to send the guys at the Westin, the Crate and Barrel’s phone number? Sounds like they need it
You dropped $60k and they did not even than you? In today’s downward economy, I would seriously consider taking your crew elsewhere.
Cheers —