Steer
service through storms from the inside out
Serve It Up
Roberta Nedry |
As
soon as our feet touched Bahamian soil outside the airport
gates, our driver greeted us with the warmth and familiarity
of an old friend.
The first
point of contact can be such a mood setter and truly
steer any guest experience in the right direction, even
before they set foot on their destined vessel.
Setting the stage for the right guest experience is
all about managing each point of contact and recognizing
that every touch point makes a difference. Whether three
seconds, three minutes or three days, each interaction
has so much power to set and deliver expectations.
I
was in the Bahamas recently as a guest on a five-day
mixture of business and pleasure aboard the 95-foot
megayacht Lady Alice, a private yacht served by a crew
of four.
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As we approached the
passerelle and bared our feet for official arrival on board,
four smiling faces greeted us and introduced us to our floating
home for the next few days.
As I reflect on that experience,
I recognize how much those first few moments set the tone
for an amazing service experience, truly from the inside out.
Inside the bridge, inside the galley, inside the staterooms,
and inside the belly of the yacht were a team consistently
united in spirit and attitude.
Their appearance was always
clean and crisp no matter what time of day, and the best thing
they wore was a cheery disposition. Genuine hospitality was
the name of their game and they took their roles seriously
and with enthusiastic commitment.
Even when things went awry,
the captain maintained a sense of control, humor and compassion
for his guests. Though at one point serious mechanical troubles
confronted him and the crew, he kept an intent focus on ensuring
that guests were comfortable and happy. In turn, he set an
excellent example for the crew.
The captain knew that his own
troubles and challenges could not and should not impact his
guests’ experience and shielded them from any of the
discomfort that unexpected problems might cause.
The crew remained ready to
serve guests and ensure their every comfort and pleasure even
while their own discomfort and displeasure may have increased.
This ability to provide “service
through the storms” is invaluable and critical to owners
and the guests they serve. It’s easy to deliver service
when guests are happy and all is going well. It is more difficult
to deliver service when guests are uneasy and crew members
are challenged.
Having strong role models who
are walking/talking service excellence examples should be
key in establishing any crew team. When I asked the crew why
they were so committed and enthusiastic even when their own
frustrations may have been strong, they noted the value of
an owner who cared and a captain who also was a true example
of exceptional service leadership.
When employees feel cared for,
they care more about their guests. A red carpet attitude starts
from the top and the first ones to walk on that carpet should
always be employees.
In turn, employees should be
trained with specifics in how to follow service excellence
footsteps as well as how to navigate the stormy moments that
may ensue.
Make sure that any crew members
who are hired are properly trained in guest experience management
and exceptional service delivery as well as the essential
skills they must perform in their specific roles.
Charting a course for guest
experience excellence is not that hard. The true challenge
may be maintaining the course and steering through rough and
calm waters with consistently and intuitively positive service
attitudes.
Focus on each moment and every
point of contact to make the memorable difference and the
experiences that are cherished most.
