Some of the best advice I’ve ever received came in four words from Darren Ross, the CEO of Magic Castle Hotel.
I asked him what his secret was to being the #2 rated hotel in LA and he said, “Listen Carefully, Respond Creatively.”
Listen Carefully, Respond Creatively
It sounds so simple but Darren teaches his front line people to ask questions and listen carefully to their guests answers.
One question his team often asks their guests is what brings you to LA? The answer gives the keys to how to be a Moment Maker.
What would Marilyn Do?
One guest shared that they were big Marilyn Monroe fans and were in town to see her Hollywood Star. As soon as the woman at the front desk heard this response, she sprung into action. When the family left the hotel, she left to purchase a Marilyn Monroe poster. When she arrived back she put the poster up on the wall in their room and wrote, “Thanks for coming to see me,” and signed it Marilyn.
She responded creatively. And how do you think these guests responded when they arrived back to their room? They were wowed because she showed that she cared about them. She heard what was important to them and treated them as people and not just as customers.
This front line front desk worker became a Moment Maker by paying attention and taking action.
Pay Attention & Take Action
What questions can you ask your customers? John Dijulius, the author of Customer Service Revolution, teaches the F.O.R.D. concept to build connection with customers. He challenges his team and the companies he works with to ask their customers about their family, occupation, recreation and dreams. He believes we are entering the Relationship Economy and this is how you build a relationship.
To some, this may be too forward to start a relationship but you can always follow in Yogi’s footsteps.
The great Yankees catcher and man of many words, used to always say, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
What can you notice by watching your customers? Are they wearing merchandise from a certain team? Are they reading a certain book? Are they drinking the same drink every day? What music are they listening to?
To be a Moment Maker, it’s simple: People just want to be seen and heard.
Put yourself in their shoes and follow these three simple steps: Listen carefully, pay attention and take action.
Who can you make a moment for today?
Jesse Cole is the Founder of Fans First Entertainment, Author of Find Your Yellow Tux and Owner of the Savannah Bananas, who has sold out every game for three straight seasons and has a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. Cole and his team teach and train the Fans First Experience with workshops, speaking and coaching year round.