It can just take one person to make or break your business and very often that person is answering your phone and/or manning your front desk.
Take my check in experience at The Mount Somerset Hotel – 21:30 last night I arrive after an evening presentation to Lloyds/TSB customers in nearby Taunton.
It’s dark and one of those country house hotels that doesn’t appear on the SatNav and is approached along windy lanes under a moonlit sky.
I pull up outside the front door and walk in with my bags.
In the entrance hall is an attractive young girl at a desk in the main reception area, a winding staircase behind her.
“Mr Barrow?” she asks and when I confirm she adds,’I was getting a little worried that you had been delayed.”
Already I know I’m in the right place – in the first millionth of a second she has popped herself into the “competent and cares” box.
She escorts me to my room – a long walk to the rear of this Regency pile – and engages me in conversation all the way, asking how my day was, whether I would like a wake up call, newspaper, breakfast timings.
I ask what time the hotel doors normally open and, on hearing 07:00, ask if they could be opened at 06:30 so I can take my morning run.
“No problem, leave that with me.”
I ask for an iron and ironing board.
“No problem.”
She (Kaley I now discover) asks if I would like early coffee or tea – and a few minutes later she arrives with an individual tea tray set out for the morning.
Having delivered the iron and board herself, she wishes me a pleasant evening.
This morning I return from my jog to find her sat there, dressed well, made up, hair done – and ready for another day of outstanding customer service.
An ambassador for her employers – I hope they know.
Kaley, you are a lynchpin and you deserve to go far.
All this and a lovely environment (my room was superb and this morning I relished a monsoon shower after my run) – for £120.
This morning I asked for porridge (not on the menu).
“No problem” replied my waitress.
Get here for a weekend break.