I know I am taking a huge risk by writing this post about a “moment of magic” I have yet to experience. I’m tempting the fates for sure but let’s just say I’m feeling lucky. Here is what is happening:
Last week I went to make hotel reservations for my mom, sister and me for our now annual trip to NYC. One of my criteria was that we could have three beds in one room, which would require that a cot be brought in to a room with two beds already. (We share DNA; we want our own beds.) So when I was scouring the hotel options, I chose one that had a happy check mark next to “cots available”. Done!
A day or so later, I get a cheery email from the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square where I made my reservation, reminding me of my upcoming stay and offering to make it as wonderful as possible. But it wasn’t the usual form email. It came from a personal email box – Nicole Cermele, Guest Experience Manager. Nice touch. And I’ve never met a Nicole I didn’t like. So I responded, telling her that the only thing we needed was a cot so we could each have our own bed. I can picture Nicole’s poor face when she read my note. It was evident in her response which read:
Thank you for your email. We are so excited to be welcoming you, your mother and your sister for this great girl’s night out. I would like to apologize for some wrong information you received. We will be unable to place a cot in your room. It is a fire hazard to place a cot in a room with 2 Queen beds; I do apologize for the inconvenience. I assure you we will do our very best to make you all comfortable. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can assist you with.I decided not to argue the fire hazard angle although I could have – offering that we are all quite nimble and could vault over the cot in the event of a fire. Instead, I wrote back and nicely suggested that they should fix the website as I made my hotel selection based on this information. And I asked if we could put a cot in a king room. If we were going to have to share a bed – it might as well be a king so the chance of us touching each other during the night (oh the horror) would be less. Nicole replied immediately:
Hello again Ms. Mendell, Again, I am sorry for the confusion. What I have done is I have modified your reservation and upgraded you and your family into a King Corner Evolution Room. This room has a King bed and a sofa bed that pulls out. We will also place a cot in the room for you so that all of you will have your own beds. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.MOMENT OF MAGIC!!!!! It was like sighting f the Loch Ness Monster in a good way. You hear about these people who actually make an effort, who take their title of “Guest Experience Manager” seriously, and when possible, go above and beyond to win customers for life. But you’re never quite sure they REALLY exist. For every time I face off against a lousy customer service rep who obviously doesn’t give a hoot about me, I will remember Nicole and know that not all Guest Exepreience Managers are created equal. Kudos to her and to Hilton for hiring her.
