Once in a while you meet a celebrity. And once in a while we get the privilege of working in person with Whitney Pennell, our founder and president. Most recently, I got to work with Whitney at a high-end club on the West Coast. For those of you who don’t know, Whitney is like the Yoda or Luke Skywalker of hospitality training. She has an answer for every question, an anecdote for every situation, and frankly, you just can’t stump her. It really is amazing to watch.
So, I was surprised when she asked me to spend some time going over the new presentation we were using at this training. Not because the concepts were new or foreign to us, but the way we were presenting it was going to be a little different. In advance of her and my meeting, I took a few minutes to review the slideshow she had put together. On one of the slides was a…how do I describe it…well, a gross picture of a hairball. And for a quick second, I thought, “That’s it. It’s happened. This business finally cracked her. What is with that picture?” But my mind quickly snapped back to why the picture was there.
In many of the trainings we do, we use staying at a hotel to demonstrate how small things that are out of place can quickly turn into a hairball of negative moments. And these moments may eventually be impossible to overcome during that stay, or in a member’s case, during a visit to the club. We use a hotel as an example because, so far at least, every single person we train has stayed at a hotel at least once in their lives.
In early September, I was in Chicago for two days of training at a local club. I booked a hotel with the Marriott family of hotels, as we usually do. The hotel was right near O’Hare airport and a short distance from the club and a few good restaurants. When I walked in, it was BUSY! The reception desk was swamped with pilots and flight attendants from Emirates Airlines. You know which flight attendants I am talking about. The ones whose uniforms are immaculate and identical, hair in the exact same bun, and it looks like they all have the same person doing their makeup. They’re the ones you see on TV inviting travelers onto the plane towards a cabin I may never be able to afford. So, standing in this hotel lobby, I felt a little like a fish out of water.
Until I met Allie. Allie was possibly the warmest, most inviting receptionist I have had the pleasure of meeting. She smiled…the entire time. She made eye contact…the entire time. When she realized I was a Marriott member, she thanked me. Not by saying “we appreciate you” or “Marriott appreciates your loyalty”, both of which would have been just fine. Instead, she said, “Thank you for being a Marriott member, Chris. I appreciate it.” She said I. She made it personal. After three or four minutes of making me feel welcome and important, she handed me my key, and I was off to my room to unwind for a few minutes before deciding on dinner.
I reached my room on the top floor of the hotel. There was a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. Uh oh, I thought. Am I going to walk in on someone? What is about to happen? I gingerly opened the door, and I immediately saw dinner leftovers on the table directly inside. As the door opened further, I could see a half-empty gallon-sized water bottle and half-empty glasses. And upon entering the room, I could see an unmade bed. Fortunately, there was no one in the room, but it was obvious that the room was not ready. I sheepishly retreated into the hallway and began the trek back down to the lobby.
Now, in most cases this might upset someone, a lot! In other situations, like the following week when I was delayed over four hours getting into St. Louis, I may not have had the patience to do what I did, which was patiently make my way back to Allie and have the issue corrected. Why was I so patient? Why didn’t I react differently when I entered a room that was so unacceptable that it was already its own hairball? The answer: Allie. The warm and welcoming atmosphere she created when I checked in had already prevented a hairball that neither of us could have possibly anticipated.
When I explained what I found, she was mortified. That emotion quickly turned into a sincere apology and a quick resolution without placing blame or trying to figure out what happened. Her priority was me first and figuring out what went wrong second. Presumably with a manager after I was taken care of and relaxing in my room. As I got the new keys, she explained that she had added the complimentary 16th-floor lounge to my reservation, which included complimentary breakfast and afternoon appetizers. We had a quick laugh about the mishap, and I retreated to my room.
My experience was a great reminder that we don’t always know where the next hairball is going to come from. Mistakes happen. Orders get delayed. Departments miscommunicate. Someone misses a detail. And sometimes, members simply show up with bad energy because of travel delays or family trouble.
But every positive interaction gives us a little more room when something does go wrong.
When we train together, Whitney describes this concept as an “emotional piggy bank”. Every member has one, and the more we can make deposits into it, instead of withdrawals, the better chance you have of creating memorable experiences. Allie couldn’t have known what was waiting for me upstairs, but the few minutes she spent making me feel welcome changed how I reacted when I got there.
Great hospitality doesn’t mean everything goes perfectly. Sometimes it means you’ve built enough goodwill before something goes wrong that a potential hairball never has the chance to become one.
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About the Author: Chris Sarten
Chris Sarten is an experienced food and beverage leader with over 25 years of experience. His career began bussing tables as a teenager. His private club journey began at the age of 21 in Las Vegas, NV where he would work his way through the ranks and begin his first position as Food & Beverage Director. Chris has spent much of his career at the Food and Beverage Director level. Working at prestigious private clubs, Chris developed a record of improving operations to increase revenues, improve overall financial success and elevate the member experience. Chris has overseen club renovations, openings and has worked at the regional level to assist other properties to achieve operational goals. Chris’ experience at both for profit and equity clubs has allowed him to manage the member experience through multiple lenses. Through training, mentorship and system implementation, Chris believes that each team and individual can have the opportunity to deliver the high level of service their memberships expect.