Chelsea and I recently experienced a stay at the JW Marriott in Phuket. While the view was spectacular, the services spot on, and the sun sizzling, I learned a lot about what leaders can do to make their guests have an out-of-this-world experience!

1)   Pay attention to details: From the orchid petal “eyes” of the towel animals gracing our bed to the wood trim surrounding the bed frame, every detail was thought out. Chelsea and I even started playing a game to find out what detail they didn’t pay attention to, it was so good! Details make a guest feel special. What little things are you doing to make a big difference with your customers?

2)   Treat all your guests like VIPs: Even when staff members didn’t know we held elite status they treated us like royalty with a smile, a “Hello”, a “Can I get you anything?” attitude. It was spectacular! Treat your customers as kings and queens from the moment of first contact.

3)   Create an Experience: We didn’t just stay at the JW Marriott, we experienced it. What are you doing to create an experience for your customers?

4)   Build a Community: The JW Marriot we stayed at hosted an event for elite members and gave us hors d’oeuvres and drinks while staff came around and introduced themselves to get to know us better. They went out of their way to build a community and bring people together.

5)   Be disguisable through your customer service: My preferred hotel is Marriott because of their customer service. Instead of a generic email stating “Your hotel room is ready,” we received a personal email that said, “We are looking forward to you checking in. Please let us know what we can do to make your stay even better”. I emailed them a few things I wanted to do, and they made it happen. Plus, when we checked in the woman who emailed me was there to greet us in person! What are you doing to have outstanding customer service for your customers?

6)   A smile goes a long way: Every time we walked by a staff member he or she smiled. Every time we saw staff members working, they were smiling. Smiles make you more approachable and can give the appearance that you, too, should be having a good time if the ones who are working there are happy!

Chelsea and I had such a good time that we even talked about doing our next tour exclusively at JW Marriott because of their service, their standards, and their style.

What are you doing as a leader to make your customers want to return and not care about price because of how well you treat them? As a leader, think like the JW Marriott, and make your next customer interactions ones they’ll remember! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan