WOW Word-Of-the-Week #488: Class
December 11, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #488: Class
Class – of high quality; the very best.
Have you ever had “first class” treatment? Do you remember what it was that made you feel that way? Does your company strive to give your guests, customers, members or clients “the very best” service and product?
This week’s WOW is all about how you feel when you have been “obliged” beyond your wildest expectations. It’s the polar polar opposite of invisible. It’s being treated first class all the way! Class to me can be described as the “crème de la crème” as the French say or “lo mejor de lo mejor” as the Spanish say. They both mean the very best.
One of my desires for taking our last trip was to go back to Italy, (one of my favorite places in the world) to meet Chris’ sister in Trieste, and to get to see Sicily. After my speech in Rimini we drove south and ended our trip in Palermo ten days later.
Getting to the ferry landing, to go over to Sicily, was a bit tricky as the signage was not very clear. (That’s pretty much all of Italy) We had both GPS and an Italian Road Atlas which is only good for not getting lost about 95% of the time!
We did figure it out and it only took 30 minutes to cross and arrive in Messina, Sicily. We had two nights reserved at Villa Ducale in Taormina because my client
in Rimini recommended it. When we finally arrived at our hotel (after driving in what felt like circles) I was a bit frazzled to say the least! When I went to the front desk area we were greeted by Paolo the manager. I told him, “I need a cold beer.” And he immediately escorted us out to the patio area, high atop the hill overlooking the city of Taormina. The beers arrived with a plate of olives, bruschetta and cheese.
We were then greeted by Rosaria the owner (and Nico her dog) who told us, “This is the house I grew up in. We want you to feel welcome and ask for anything you want. You are like family during your stay. What can we bring for lunch? Anything you want.” That was just the beginning of two of the best days ever! The service was outstanding the entire time!
What stood out and made this feel like “first class” – Paolo came out from behind the desk, sat down with us at the couch, took out a map and explained everything about Taormina and the hotel. He gave us the “free shuttle” times to town and to the beach. If you wanted to be dropped off or picked up at a different time just tell him. They include desserts at 4 pm and appetizers at 6pm everyday at no extra charge. If you want a beverage you pay for it.
He then asked for our car keys so he could get our bags out of the car as he escorted us to our room. He then showed us how everything worked and what was included at no charge.
What made this a “first class experience” was they anticipated all of our needs up front – what a concept! We never had to ask how to get anywhere or “guess” what things were included or what they cost. When I asked if I could have eggplant parmesan that was on the breakfast buffet for dinner, they made it fresh for us that night. When we checked out there were no charges for any of the meals. All included. Nice touch! Paolo even helped us get a copy of my husband’s father’s birth certificate by calling the office to tell them the Americans were headed over.
This week’s focus is on creating a “class” act. It doesn’t matter if you work for a big company or for yourself. Do your guests, customers, members or clients have to “guess” what’s included with your product? Are your policies clear? What could you do different to create a “first class” experience? Do you ever include an item at no charge?