Over the weekend, my wife and I stayed at a high-end local hotel, since we had won a one-night "romance package" from a recent charity raffle. It was... ok. It's hard to complain when you win something, but I was less than wowed by our stay. The mini-refrigerator in the room was barely cold, making the Cokes we bought in town only a little better than lukewarm. The tv was small. Our window view was of some exposed duct-work. The bathroom did not have a fan, so after showering, the mirror fogged up and the room got hot. Also, I asked the concierge to break a $20, and it took almost 15 minutes because he had to go get his own change from the valet folks. Finally, when we left, the valet attendant initially brought the wrong car, then left it open and running while he walked down the street to berate some people who were trying to illegally park. It took about 20 minutes before we finally got someone to bring us our car, and only after I found the keys on the rack myself. The wrong car was still there when we drove off.
Whether you view my complaints as outrageous or only nitpicky, the point is that, as a customer, I was less than impressed. Maybe we got that room because it was part of the "package" and management didn't want to put a "paying" customer in there. If we had an excellent experience, though, we would have come back. Not only that, we would have recommended it to any of our friends who were looking for a weekend getaway. By apparently not taking us seriously and not making our stay memorable (in a good way), the hotel missed a strong marketing opportunity.
Our experience highlights how important it is to pay attention to even small details, and to provide a positive experience for everyone with whom you come in contact- whether they are a "paying" client or not... Because everyone is a potential client. Further, everyone is a potential marketing source. Don't you want nice things said about you?
At Obbee we regularly get great feedback on our sales leads. We use proprietary web-based tools and methodologies to provide realtors, mortgage brokers, insurance agents (home & health), and debt settlement & loan modification consultants with fresh, qualified, motivated leads. We can even match up prospects and professionals in real time. With the increase in your business, you can head out for the weekend, too- hopefully you'll have a wonderful time!
- Dave
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