Achieving the goal but not the aim
A real ‘moment of truth’ emerges after an interaction with a hotel employee or the experience from eating out; be it a telephone call with the hotel reservationist to make a room booking or when you walk away after dining at a restaurant.
Picture a hypothetical scene from the latter activity; a new restaurant (let’s call it ‘Smiles’) is due to open within a 10-kilometer radius from where you live. Its tagline or slogan is “Smiles don’t lie” – meaning that if people are smiling they are probably having a good time.
A restaurant opening been a unique opportunity to attract attention, the owner does so with eye catching advertising campaigns, both online and offline including social media and the internet to create an exciting ‘I can’t wait to visit’ customer desire.
You walk in within the first few days of the restaurant opening. Initial impressions such as the location and ambiance are pleasant; but you had to wait long for the food which turned out to be average, the service was forgettable and the bill screamed ‘rip off’.
Before you went in to dine, the picture you had of the new restaurant, from the advertised messages, was that it would be a grand experience. When you left it you feel hugely disappointed…for believing the promise of a positive dining experience, for the time and money wasted, and for being deceived. You’ve been given several reasons to not want to come back to that restaurant…and that’s no smiling matter.
Several years ago, I booked a hotel to attend a regional hospitality trade fair. The hotel’s slogan “We look after you better” was put to the test when I arrived earlier than expected. My room wasn’t ready. Nevertheless, they quickly found me a room. I took my complimentary bar beverage coupon to the bar, and being tired after a long overnight flight, requested the barman to send my drink to my room. When I reached my room, I noticed it was right next to the elevator – something which I always avoid. Upon calling the front desk, I was told not to unpack, and, within 10 minutes I was escorted to a new room (which I later discovered to be an upgrade). The receptionist who came up also carried my drink from the bar. They meant what they said about “looking after me better”.
Slogans are a way to say you care about quality in product and service. When one fails to deliver on one’s core promise it results in blaming and shaming people – especially on social media. And that can spell trouble. When it comes to the core promise, experience is the only real test. Does the brand bring to the table what it had promised, when we accept to buy its product and services? As seen in the two scenarios above, the outcome of real-life interaction with the brand can vary from a very disappointing experience to a very delighting and positive outcome.
Most hospitality-related business achieves their goal of enticing customers through their doors, but fall short of accomplishing their aim to winning the loyalty of the customer. Relying on a good slogan to play with the customer’s mind without backing it up with a solid product / service only makes the slogan an empty platitude when the results disappoint.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier.
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