Creating customer delight

In December last year, I delivered some training in Poland for the European Graduate Programme of one of my clients. Arriving at the hotel after a stupidly long-day of airports and travel, I discovered 2 things: The hotel had a spa with pool and I really should have packed my swimming trunks 😦

 

I asked if the hotel could give me some (clean) trunks from lost-property. With a big smile and much sympathy, the lady at reception told me they could not. But she did offer to arrange a taxi to a large shopping centre just down the road. Already tired, hungry and not motivated, I declined and added: “It doesn’t matter. It’s not a problem.”

 

At that very moment, the hotel general manager had just arrived. He asked “Is everything OK?” and I told him that everything was perfect, I was just disappointed not to profit from the pool at the end of a long day. He looked me straight in the eyes and said: “I will go to the shop and buy you some trunks. What size would you like?”

 

As a polite English man, I felt this was too much to ask and replied that it was OK, not necessary. Again, he looked me straight in the eye and added “I want to help you and I would like you to be able to really profit from our hotel. Please, let me go.”

 

And he did.

 

While he was gone, I ate a great Indian room-service meal and wondered how I would deal with paying for the trunks, whilst not having it on the hotel invoice I would be sending my client and accountant.

 

45 minutes later, a knock came at the door and a smiley face gave me a package: Wrapped in Christmas paper were my new Adidas swimming trunks with a note that they were offered with the compliments of the hotel and wishing me a good stay.

 

In this example, the service was amazing. Conscious of my situation, the hotel went way beyond the standard to satisfy my needs. Since that day, I have been telling everyone about this hotel, posting videos and comments on their Facebook page with my great review.

 

Of course, not everyone can give their time (or swimming trunks) for free. And customer delight doesn’t necessarily come from giving (in) to everything your customer asks. But if you are in the business of serving clients, there is surely something to be learnt here: Whatever your work and whomever your client, are you (not) delivering against expectations or are you creating delight and loyalty with real care, long-term relationships and results?

 

 

ps – when I went back to that hotel last month, I found an inflatable swimming pool ring and arm-bands waiting on my bed 🙂

 

 

Creation of a training concept in pharma industry

Dan nous a aidé à créer un nouveau concept au niveau de la formation médicale continue des médecins généralistes. Il s’agissait d’un programme qui était soutenu par une des plus grandes sociétés pharmaceutiques.

Sans qu’il ait une expérience dans le domaine médicale et/ou pharmaceutique, son apport a été très riche et nous a surtout permis de réfléchir ‘out of the box’.

Il est enthousiasmant, crédible et surtout fiable.

Kristof Canoot
Sales Director
Medipress Services

Implementing a Competence Mgt System

J’ai collaboré avec Dan Steer dans le cadre de la conception d’un CMS (« Competence Management System »). Dan est intervenu comme consultant externe, et expert en CMS.

Dan allie une très bonne capacité d’analyse et de réflexion, avec un talent inné pour animer des brainstormings créatifs, il a véritablement une double casquette de consultant et de formateur. Il dispose d’une grande flexibilité
mentale et d’un bon talent créatif, qui lui ont permis d’apporter de la valeur ajoutée concrète dans le projet.

Je re-choisirais Dan sans hésiter pour un projet du même style.

Didier De Greef
Operations Manager
EDUCAM