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Peak travel is slowing down so stock up on those free teddy bears
Yes, you read that correctly. I want you to stock up on those teddy bears now.
I chose that phrase because I have experienced this scenerio, firsthand.
My husband and I treated our kids to a weekend getaway, which promised a themed room full of our kids’ favorite characters, a nightly tuck in by one of the characters and best of all, a stuffed bear of the character.
My kids were beyond excited!
When we checked in, everything seemed to go smoothly, until we stepped into our room only to find ONE stuffed bear. I quickly thought, ‘Hmmm, this must be a mistake. I’ll just call the concierge to remind them that there are two children here and not one.’ I did just that.
I was shocked to hear these words, “Oh, I apologize Mrs. Jackson, we are out of stock.”
‘Out of stock! Are you kidding me!’ I replied. I explained how unacceptable this was. When you advertise a program that promises a package deal [giveaways/freebies] you’d better be sure that everything is in place to ensure that this happens.
After counting to 10, taking three deep breaths and providing a little coaching to the general manager of the hotel, they found a way to get that other stuffed animal to my child and promised that this would not happen again.
So you see, now is an excellent time for you and your team to discuss what programs you have coming up that involve some type of giveaway and take inventory. Things are slowing down, families are gearing up for back to school and now is the time to evaluate what you will need for the next wave.
Thinking ahead and being prepared is the best way to come out a winner among the family traveler.
It’s all in how you show up that really counts
Have you ever heard that first impressions are lasting impressions or that you only get 30 seconds to make a good first impression?
I’ve heard of them both, and I stand behind their truth 100%. I think these cliches hold especially true for new guests at your resort, hotel, restaraunt or airline.
When was the last time you discussed with your team about making a good first impression? It has probably been a while.
I don’t want you to get stuck here. Let’s downsize for a minute. I know for many of you, your mind naturally flows to the budget. You must know by now that I’m all about using what you already have to make a difference. In some cases, if there are resources involved, I’ll make it work in your favor.
Making a good first impression can be as little as rolling out a red carpet when you know that the family is arriving at the hotel to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary. Why not have a random drawing for a family to board the plane first, after first class passengers, of course, and make a big deal about it over the intercom system. You can take it even a step further by having light refreshments waiting for them at their seats.
There are so many ways to make a good first impression for your brand.
Here are three reasons why making a good first impression is paramount to the success of your brand among the family traveler:
1. No one else in the travel industry is really going all out to impress their customers/guests.
2. You get a whole 30 seconds to make a good first impression, but it only takes about 10 seconds to get the job done.
3. Making a good first impression is totally in your control, a brand should NEVER waste this power.
When it comes to excellent customer service and making a lasting good impression, it’s important that you and your team be proactive about it. As I mentioned in point #3, this is fully in your control, unlike the power going out at the hotel or the flight being delayed. Take the time to wow the customer from the start. This strategy is an excellent way to help them forget other mishaps that may happen along the way. Not to say that it’s OK to screw up once you woo them, then again, you already knew that.
