Anticipating Your Customers’ Needs Before They Do

My vacation this year was to Seattle with a couple days in Victoria, B.C.  There is a ferry that takes you from the port in Seattle to downtown Victoria in about three hours.  It’s reasonably priced and includes overnight accommodations.

My sister and I were booked at the Best Western, about a 20-minute walk from the port. Having stayed at BW hotels in the past, we knew it would be a perfect place to lay our heads at the end of a busy day of sightseeing.  And it was.  But what made it even more perfect was the attention to the small details.

When we arrived, our rooms weren’t ready.  They stored our luggage and said they would send a text when our room was available.  About two hours later, I got the text – a personalized text, not an auto-response, telling me our room was ready and asked if we had any questions about Victoria as they knew we were out exploring.

Like many hotels these days, there is limited service available – for example, housekeeping is by request only.  A text message later that evening asked whether we would need housekeeping and a reminder to text back with any special requests.

Recognizing their location near restaurants and pubs, on the nightstand was a pair of earplugs, in case we were disturbed by noises we may not hear in the comfort of our own home. Nice touch.

Anticipating what their guests may need before they even know they need it is definitely customer service at its best.