Online Ratings - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

It is highly recommended to stay in a hotel where the customer service is not only great but consistent. Guests should not be treated to dramatic oscillations in service. The best chains of hotels are those that have employees that are attentive and discreet at all times. It is the name of the brand and one that makes a hotel great.

Apart from the customer service, the best hotels are those that can greet you by name, even if it’s your first time staying with them. This displays incredible information-gathering and management. This signifies that the chain is ready and can take the next step in ensuring a pleasant stay.

Children’s amenities: More parents are choosing a hotel for their family vacations. The reason is simple; families get to rest away from their home in a comfy and safe environment. However, not all hotels are equipped to handle all of the kids’ needs. Parents should take the time to research on which hotels would be able to distract their children.

Concierge: This is different from the general service but on the same level. Great hotels have impeccable concierge service. Guests should be made to feel that they can rely on the concierge to make dinner reservations or find the best local playground. Concierges should also address all transportation concerns.

Businesses are botching the moments that matter in their customer experience.

Bath amenities: Guests often forget this consideration, but bathroom amenities are crucial in making a great hotel stay. This does not mean splurging on high-end brands (although some chains do that), but just using products that make the guests feel pampered and welcomed.

The most important factor is guest satisfaction. Recall that the goal of hotels is to make sure their guests arrive and leave happy.

According to a recent study, a little more than 70 percent of millennials, the largest generation now in U.S., would rather spend money on experiences, instead of material things. Similarly, research by American Express showed that the same percentage of the population prefers having a personalized travel experience.

And it is not just millennials who look for customized experiences. Airbnb reports the over-50 sector are also craving the same when traveling.

Guests now are more demanding on the value of their dollar. Hotels need to be competitive in how they respond to new challenges. Managers need to become more aware of small details. If possible, staff are expected to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Another great advice is to ask guests to fill out a suggestion sheet on how service within a hotel can be improved.

The happier you are with a brand, the longer you stay with them. And so if you treat your customers poorly and ignore their customer service emails, then they are more likely to leave. This is why companies that deliver a superior customer service and experience outperform their competition.

A business cannot exist without its customers, and this is why companies are focusing on how to win new customers and perhaps more importantly, retain existing customers.

A 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek survey revealed that “delivering a great customer experience” has become the new imperative: 80% of the companies polled rated customer experience as a top strategic objective.
However, only 20% of these companies believe that they, themselves, are actually doing a good job.

So the key question is: How can organizations create a customer experience that is truly differentiating and provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage?
It's quite clear that your business has to focus  on customer experience for 21st century business success.

Customer expectations are rising, and faster than the speed that companies can improve their customer experience. Customers expect every interaction as the best experience they have with any company, so the question is remains, how can your organization create a great customer experience?

Create an emotional connection with your customers
You’ve heard the phrase “it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it”?
Well, the best customer experiences are achieved when a member of your team creates an emotional connection with a customer.

Customers become loyal because they are emotionally attached and they remember how they feel when they use a product or service. A business that optimizes for an emotional connection outperforms competitors by 85% in sales growth.

Capture customer feedback in real time
How can you tell if you are delivering a wow customer experience?
You need to ask – And ideally you do this by capturing feedback in real time. Post-interaction surveys and similar customer experience tools can be delivered using a variety of automated tools through email and calls.

Measuring customer experience is one of the biggest challenges faced by organizations, 

And as the customer becomes even more empowered, it increases the importance of the customer service experience.

Customer experience is an area that needs constant nurturing and care and with a greater focus on customer experience strategy, companies will realize a positive impact on customer loyalty, higher retention and increased revenues