customer service
The Difference Between Customer Service and Customer Experience
Shep Hyken | September 21, 2023
By Shep Hyken Every once in a while, someone will ask, “What’s the difference between customer service and customer experience?” My answer used to be easy. Customer service really drove the customer experience. That was during a time when the main way customers interacted with the companies they did business with was with people-to-people interactions. A customer could visit a store or business. Or a customer could call a phone number to ask a question, resolve a complaint, etc. It was all about delivering great customer service, which was 90% of the customer experience. Today my answer is changing, as the customer’s experien...
Stoney Creek Hotels Partners with Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center, To Boost Voice Revenue and Increase Guest Satisfaction
Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | September 19, 2023
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (September 19, 2023) — Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™, is pleased to announce that Stoney Creek Hotels (Stoney Creek), a group of 12 unique, privately owned and operated inns and hotels, has partnered with Travel Outlook to provide voice channel services for Stoney Creek. Known for its highly personalized and effective service, Travel Outlook was chosen to enhance customer service and to take advantage of upselling opportunities for the Stoney Creek brand. As the first and only call center certified by the Kennedy Training Network (KTN), Travel Outlook uses a specific sales approach developed exclus...
Doing More Than Expected (Even When It’s Not in Your Job Description)
Shep Hyken | September 14, 2023
By Shep Hyken As customers, we appreciate it when someone we’re doing business with does more than we expect. Even if we don’t consciously recognize it when it’s happening, the value of that “something extra” makes us enjoy the experience and want to come back. The same thing happens with employees inside an organization. You can usually find someone who seems to be doing more than expected – something that’s not in their job description. The other night, I was at a restaurant that had an outside patio. It looked like it was going to rain, so we opted to eat inside. About 20 minutes later, the sky opened up, and it ...
The Biggest Opportunity in Customer Service
Shep Hyken | September 7, 2023
By Shep Hyken I was asked the same question three times in the last week: “What is the biggest opportunity in customer service?” If you had asked me this question a month ago – or asked it a month from now – there could be a different answer. But today’s answer is not just timely, but also timeless. And the answer is: The Speed to Happiness The meaning of this short answer is simple. If a customer has a problem, issue or question, the speed in which you move them from concerned or upset to happy could be the difference between the customer coming back or not. And when I refer to happiness, I’m not talking about utter del...
The Difference Between What Customers Want and What They Need
Shep Hyken | August 31, 2023
By Shep Hyken Many years ago, I walked into an Ace Hardware store to find a new hinge for a swinging door. When I showed the salesperson my broken hinge, he asked if I was open to a suggestion. He sold me a better hinge that was less expensive. Who could argue with that? I had no idea that years later, I would write about this example in one of my books, Amaze Every Customer Every Time. After that, I noticed that salespeople were more helpful than “salesy.” And guess what happens when they practice helpful behavior versus typical sales behavior? They make the sale. Another example of this “helpful” level of service happe...
Don’t Fake the Personal Touch
Shep Hyken | August 24, 2023
By Shep Hyken One of the most powerful customer service and CX tactics is personalization. We interviewed more than 1,000 consumers for our CX research, and 71% said a personalized experience is important to them. When personalization is used correctly, customers feel as if you recognize them. Using their name, remembering their past purchases, their buying patterns, and more can build confidence and trust. While personalization is nice, it is not required, and if you decide to do it, there are some mistakes you must avoid. For example, if you’ve ever talked to a customer service agent who uses your name repeatedly to the point t...
Missionize Your Mission Statement
Doug Kennedy | August 23, 2023
By Doug Kennedy Turn your mission statement into meaningful daily actions that touch the hearts and minds of both staff and guests. For decades now, it has been fashionable for companies from all industries to craft a mission statement to not only summarize its purpose, but also to give work more purpose. Over the years, the original concept has evolved into creating “values” or “vision” statements. In my job as a hospitality industry trainer, I familiarize myself with what each client’s company culture involves, among other things, and determine what, if any, statement of mission, values, or vision they have in place. As one m...
Who Is to Blame for Poor Service?
Shep Hyken | August 17, 2023
By Shep Hyken The short version of the story is this. At about 9:15 p.m., I pulled into one of my favorite fast-food restaurants. There was one customer ahead of me in the drive-through lane. I assumed he was placing an order. After several minutes, I realized something else was going on. I wasn’t sure what, but the amount of time he spent talking to the person on the other end of the intercom took much longer than it should have. Eventually, he pulled around to get his food. It was now my turn. I waited for the person to welcome me and ask what I wanted. It never happened. I then pulled around to the drive-through window. The emplo...
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