Last week’s travels included lodging in two Hilton family hotels on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. In both properties, the staff exhibited a willingness to go above and beyond what one would expect to make sure your stay was exceptional. This is an elusive quality that I find difficult to define but clearly understand when I am experiencing it first-hand. For purposes of this blog post, we will simply call that elusive and highly desirable trait – professionalism.
Service is all about professionalism
The word “professional” can be a tricky one. Many associate that term with doctors, lawyers and even athletes who practice their trade at the highest level for million dollar annual contracts. And while that definition of the word may or may not be correct, it has absolutely nothing to do with the kind of professionalism I’m talking about.
I was traveling with my business partner Shelby last week and on the plane home as we discussed this blog post, she made a comment that she had not opened a door for herself all week. Now while my mom would hope that’s because she raised a gentleman and I held the door for a lady at every opportunity, the truth is the hotel doormen took care of that for me. Before you start thinking this makes us sound like snobs, take a step back and let me explain why this matters.
Quite often when we are entering and leaving hotels, we have our bags with us. We might also be engaged in a conversation (or staring at our cell phones). It’s nice to get a hello or “Welcome back, Mr. Raffel” (yes, at the second property they knew my name somehow). On top of that when your hands are full, it’s nice to not have to juggle everything to get the door. And even if that makes me sound like a snob, it also should make the doormen sound like the professionals they are.
Time is money for them and us
Between two appointments in Manhattan, Shelby had to do some emergency shopping and the timing was tight to make it to our next appointment. She didn’t really want to bring the shopping bags to the next appointment so we had the cab stop at the hotel and asked the doorman if he could get them to her room for her. As you might imagine, his response was “Absolutely.” Yes, I tipped him for that service. After all, he’s not there for charity sake and his time was just as valuable as ours at that moment.
Professionalism is in the details
Repeatedly throughout the week, I was impressed by the people who staffed the hotels in which we stayed and the restaurants we chose to dine in. Even the corner bar we happened into in Manhattan was a case study in knowing your clientele and treating them appropriately. In that bar, they couldn’t remember my name, but they knew our drinks and that my tab was “the one you couldn’t find the first time.” It sounds silly; but I felt like they cared we were there and that our business was valuable to them.
Is that how you’re treating your customers? Do they feel valued and appreciated for the business they bring you? That’s true professionalism. A great many small errors and omissions can be overlooked if I feel valued and you willingly and graciously circle back to fix whatever wasn’t done correctly the first time.
How does this definition of professionalism look to you? Leave a comment and let me know.
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