Things have come a long way, and quickly, in the hospitality industry since that era. Corinne Heyl has worked at multiple luxury hotels in leadership positions and is now VP of Hotel Operations for The Boca Raton, overseeing four related hotels in South Florida: The Yacht Club, The Tower, The Cloisters, and The Bungalows.
Heyl’s obsession is “the pursuit of wow,” which she defines as “giving our guests something unexpected, meaningful, and relevant.” I asked her for some principles for how you too can create moments of wow for your customers, clients, or guests.
1. Always have your eyes out for “wow” opportunities.
Be constantly on the lookout for opportunities to wow your customers, and when you find them, apply all your creativity and your ability to think on the spot. Early in her career, Heyl briefly managed a ski-oriented resort in the mountainous Swiss town of St. Moritz. “I encountered two guests late in the day who looked absolutely stricken because the lifts were closed for the night. In the twilight, our house driver and I took the guests ourselves to the top of the mountain in the hotel’s Audi–all-wheel-drive, thank heavens–so the guests could have their wish fulfilled. It will be a long time before either the guests or I will forget that excursion.”
2. Wow doesn’t have to cost a penny.
When Heyl’s team delivers an incoming package (think: Amazon) to a guestroom, they have been known to accompany it with a pair of high-end scissors, to take away that little bit of friction of opening the package without the proper tool. Says Heyl, “It’s a great and unexpected way to make a guest feel particularly cared for. And beyond a nominal initial investment in scissors, it’s a wow we can provide at absolutely no cost to the hotel.”
3. A wow is best received if you bring an unexpected extra.
Heyl recalls the time when a guest arrived after a long day of flight delays, and as the bell team took his luggage out of the car, they discovered that the airline had broken off a wheel from a suitcase. “The bell team reported this, and we went on a shopping trip and bought a new suitcase–same dimensions, but hopefully sturdier–for the guest.”
4. Strive to empower employees in every position to deliver wow.
Give your people the freedom to diverge from their regularly scheduled activities to focus on delivering a wow moment to a customer. The four related hotels Heyl manages are connected by a water taxi, and occasionally, minor things go wrong. As a guest was stepping out of the boat, her shoe slipped off her foot and into the water. The shoe was Hermès, so losing it was a very big deal to the guest. So, without giving it another thought, the captain grabbed his diving gear, dove in, and succeeded in retrieving her footwear.
5. Be sure to celebrate every wow.
This is how you establish, spread, and sustain the wow spirit. When you celebrate and share an incident of wow customer service delivered by a single employee, you inspire the rest of your team and perpetuate the positive.
Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta