Do Your Guests Have a Theme Song?
I recently listened to a podcast interview with Laurie Meacham, leader of the Social Media Team for JetBlue Airlines. She recounted a fantastic story of Gavin Donovan, a JetBlue customer who decided to have a little fun with the brand. He’d heard the hype about the company’s commitment to customer service, and tweeted the following:
Gavin did give them a heads up, and JetBlue did indeed see what they could do. On Gavin’s next flight, he arrived at the gate to hear a PA announcement asking him to report to an agent. When he did, the agent smiled and said, “Grab your stuff and get on board.” “Made in America” started to blare over the intercom, and to Gavin’s surprise and delight, he saw this sign at the top of the jetway:
An incredulous Gavin boarded the plane to high fives from airline attendants and more than a few curious stares from onlookers. I don’t have to tell you the awesomeness that is contained in this story. Pulling this off took (a) a social media team committed to the wow factor of their customers, (b) a culture which allowed employees to think outside the box, and (c) an over-the-top approach to grab Gavin’s picture from Twitter / make a poster / download a song / coordinate with the gate agents and flight crew.
Wow.
Here’s my question: do your guests have a theme song? Is there that same commitment to go above and beyond the norm of parking cars and opening doors? Do you pay enough attention to your guests to know what their song is? Do you make a big deal when they show up? Do you make them want to come back?
You already know the answer: every single one of our guests have a song. Everyone has something that connects with them on a personal level. Every one of them has that – thing – that gives us the chance to deliver surprise and delight. It’s our mission to find it and crank it up.
