"Our Take" - Limited Service

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
8/1/07 - On the Other Side of the Survey
I am often asked to participate in customer satisfaction surveys after a consumer transaction such as a purchase, a transaction, a dinner, etc. I'm sure you get many requests as well. I don't know about you but I rarely spend the time to complete a survey because I don’t think anyone reads them. I recently completed an online request from a hotel chain. What a pleasant surprise when I received the following from the general manager of the actual hotel:
 
"Thank you for completing our survey regarding your recent stay at our hotel. Your feedback is very important to us. We greatly appreciate that you took the time to respond to our survey. I study every survey to help us improve our customer service and make positive changes. I would like to learn more about your stay when you have the time, please feel free to call me when you have a few moments."
 
This hotel chain has over 500 properties and markets itself as "limited-service." So while we often turn our attention to the four-star establishments for best-in-class examples of great customer service, I think we should also give credit to the businesses that provide the four-star touch especially when it is unexpected. Send me an email if you want to know the name of the hotel chain.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
8/2/07 - Limited Service
Yesterday, I discussed the customer feedback survey I took from a national hotel chain. More specifically, I shared the response I received from the general manager of the specific hotel I visited. I didn't mention the hotel chain by name yesterday but let me tell you today that it is La Quinta.
 
One of the interesting descriptions from their web site is that they are a "limited-service" hotel. The term "limited-service" piqued my senses. I imagine “limited-service” is industry nomenclature for segmentation. However, it also may have unique properties in expectation setting for guests. While this chain may be "limited-service," they offer free internet, a full hot breakfast, a swimming pool, in-room amenities like coffee makers, premium television channels, etc.
 
So where is the line between full service and limited service? Comparing my experience at La Quinta to my stay at a four-star hotel would certainly be apples-to-oranges but so would the price. Does a property like La Quinta get higher customer satisfaction numbers because they set expectations low and then proceed to exceed them?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
8/3/07 - What Did You Expect?
Yesterday, I talked about how one hotel chain described itself as limited service. Furthermore, I asked the question if businesses can benefit from positioning themselves as limited service in order to be in a better position to exceed expectations. In other words, is it easier to get "10s" on the customer satisfaction survey if the customer didn't expect much to begin with?
 
One reader asked the following question: "Do they deliberately set expectations low so they can exceed them? That's an interesting thought, that if true, will only help them for a short period of time. In working with dozens of companies on their customer service issues, we say time and again that your exceeded expectations become norm after awhile. Expectations are set both by the customer and the product/service provider. That's why companies have to constantly look for ways to raise the bar."
 
Within the context of the hospitality industry, let me give you an example - free internet. It wasn't that long ago that internet service required a daily fee. I find it interesting that the more I pay for a hotel room, the more likely I still have to pay the daily internet fee. What's up with that?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)