No one would dispute the fact that the most important aspect of customer service is a friendly smile and a warm greeting to a guest. Without this important first impression, it is difficult to convince a guest that you really care and are happy that they have chosen to patronize your establishment. But what about your property or the services you provide? How customer friendly are they? A smile can only go so far and can’t make up for facilities or services that frustrate, confuse or are difficult to navigate. Guests don’t like to admit that they can’t work the remote or the shower faucets, and may never tell you about it. Or, they can share their misery by complaining and demanding upgrades or other compensation.
On our trip to Scotland, I found a perfect example of a company that thought ahead and made it easy to use a very complicated shower system. It was one where you could select the water pressure, temperature, and whether you wanted to use it as a shower or a soaking tub. It was something that I had never seen in my years of traveling in the U.S. Without the thoughtfulness and planning of the hotel, I may have spent days of frustration trying to figure out how to use it.
On the inside shower wall at eye level was a diagram of the shower system with all the parts labeled and simple instructions on how the different handles worked (see picture.) One handle was used to regulate the water pressure, the other for temperature. Each one had a button on it, which was a stop for pressure and the heat of the water. If you wanted to go beyond the suggested limits, you could push the button and regulate either yourself. It occurred to me that these made great safety sense, since the guest had to make a conscious decision to go beyond the recommended settings. The shower head could be used by hand or attached to the clip on the shower wall like a regular fixed shower head.
Simple clear instructions do more than help the customer. They help the service provider as well. That simple diagram on the shower wall probably answers 95% of the questions guests would have had to ask someone at the desk, eliminating phone calls and time to explain (again and again) how to use an unfamiliar system. It also eliminates those situations when guests insist that some staff member come up to their room to demonstrate how the system works. It can help to avoid accidents (and lawsuits) by giving clear instructions at the point of use. It makes guests feel cared for and comfortable tackling an unfamiliar piece of equipment. How many other situations or systems could be made more clear and user-friendly by having a simple explanation of use handy for the guests? You wouldn’t want the walls to look like wallpaper with notes and instructions on every wall, but a thoughtful examination of your own products and services can uncover ways that your business can be more customer-friendly.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
On our trip to Scotland, I found a perfect example of a company that thought ahead and made it easy to use a very complicated shower system. It was one where you could select the water pressure, temperature, and whether you wanted to use it as a shower or a soaking tub. It was something that I had never seen in my years of traveling in the U.S. Without the thoughtfulness and planning of the hotel, I may have spent days of frustration trying to figure out how to use it.
On the inside shower wall at eye level was a diagram of the shower system with all the parts labeled and simple instructions on how the different handles worked (see picture.) One handle was used to regulate the water pressure, the other for temperature. Each one had a button on it, which was a stop for pressure and the heat of the water. If you wanted to go beyond the suggested limits, you could push the button and regulate either yourself. It occurred to me that these made great safety sense, since the guest had to make a conscious decision to go beyond the recommended settings. The shower head could be used by hand or attached to the clip on the shower wall like a regular fixed shower head.
Simple clear instructions do more than help the customer. They help the service provider as well. That simple diagram on the shower wall probably answers 95% of the questions guests would have had to ask someone at the desk, eliminating phone calls and time to explain (again and again) how to use an unfamiliar system. It also eliminates those situations when guests insist that some staff member come up to their room to demonstrate how the system works. It can help to avoid accidents (and lawsuits) by giving clear instructions at the point of use. It makes guests feel cared for and comfortable tackling an unfamiliar piece of equipment. How many other situations or systems could be made more clear and user-friendly by having a simple explanation of use handy for the guests? You wouldn’t want the walls to look like wallpaper with notes and instructions on every wall, but a thoughtful examination of your own products and services can uncover ways that your business can be more customer-friendly.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
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