WOW Word-Of-the-Week #485: Invisible
November 21, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #485: Invisible
Invisible – not seen or noticed.
Have you ever felt invisible? Can you remember the last time you entered a business and were not seen or noticed, or felt as if you weren’t even there? Do you make sure that all of your guests, customers, members or clients know that you see them as soon as they walk into your business?
When we were on our Adriatic cruise last month we made friends with a lovely English couple. In talking about our travels, they had told us they had just taken the Orient Express (a lifelong dream for them) from London to Venice. The train trip was 2 days and 1 night and included a two-night stay at a 5 star hotel in Venice. (Not to mention names, but it was the Hilton.)
Out of curiosity I looked up the cost for that trip and it is over $3,000 per person. YIKES!
They said, “It was the worst experience we’ve ever had at a hotel. We felt as if we were invisible. We had to stand in line to check in (not enough staff to accommodate everyone from the train) and then waited over an hour for our luggage to arrive to our room. When it didn’t we went down and brought it up ourselves.”
I must say I am glad that didn’t happen to us! I would be livid if I spent that much money and was treated so poorly. Déjà vu: The Rocky Mountaineer train trip we did back in 2011 that was a disaster too! Are you like me, and the more you spend the pickier you get? Have you ever thought about it? I get more upset about bad service relative to the cost.
This week is all about not being invisible. How would you feel if you were on your “trip of a lifetime” and you felt as if you were invisible and no one even noticed you? Or that matter, anyplace where you were? When you are busy with another guest, member, customer or client – either in person or over the phone – do you let people waiting know that you will be right with them? Are there enough staff scheduled to handle all of your business?