Or, at least you should try.
Recently I sat at a meal with the leader from one of the guest retreats we served at SpringHill Camps. Doug told me that during college he had participated in the Disney College Program. It’s a prestigious program, which teaches participants how to smile, wave and point like a Disney professional. They are immersed in what is known as one of the world’s finest guest service companies.
Here’s what he said to me, “Eric, I’ve been to a lot of camps, seen a lot of things, and experienced Disney from the inside. The service we got this week at SpringHill was better than any I’ve experienced before.”
Seriously? Better than Disney? I guess there’s no reason it couldn’t be. We make it our mission to provide world-class service to every guest and every group, no matter what size. Here are three things always on my radar that help us to do just that:
1. Always find a way to say yes. People love to hear you say yes, even if it’s not to exactly what they were looking for. My previous series Say Yes to the Guest, talks about how to say yes, and how to say no without it sounding like no.
This attitude always pays off. On a guest’s survey from this weekend, she wrote, “No one ever says no at this camp!” Where there things she would have liked to see done differently? I’m sure there were. But in the end, she knows if she has a concern and brings it to us, we will find a positive way to respond.
2. Keep things changing for the better. In general, most people don’t like change. But, at SpringHill, change is a part of our fabric. Because of this, we have trained our guests to expect change. It’s like going to TJ Maxx—it’s never the same place twice. Our guests, however, know that the changes we make are always intentional, with the hope of providing a better, more impactful experience.
If a person tries something and isn’t 100% satisfied, they don’t tend to worry about it or hold it against us. They let us know—knowing we will eliminate, change or improve it next time. On the other hand, we know that if we don’t respond to the input of our guests—if we keep providing experiences that miss their expectations—they will not be pleased and may go elsewhere.
3. Be relational, not transactional. There’s nothing people value more than relationships. They want to know they are valued as people, cared for, and welcomed.
When the interaction with a guest deteriorates into a numbers game primarily about money, there is nothing you can do to please them. They will always look for ways to get what you have cheaper. They lose interest in the value you provide, and forget that you are in it to serve them.
I realize there are always going to be people who loved the speaker or hated the speaker. There are always going to be people who loved the band or hated the band. There will always be people dissatisfied with some aspect of the experience we provided. But our aim is for them to go home satisfied that we gave them world-class service, in spite of those things.
The way we respond to their needs and criticism—positively, relationally, and with the expectation of continual improvement—will help us towards that goal, of pleasing all of our guests, all of the time.
Possible? Who knows… but a worthy pursuit? Definitely.
What do you think? Is it a worthy goal to please all of the people all of the time? Share your thoughts below.