Do Not Disturb ...

OK, admittedly, I stay in a lot of hotels - nice hotels. Hotels with business centres, convenience stores, mini-bars, a couple of restaurants and shuttle services.

After enduring airports, crowds, pushing, shoving, being shoved into seats that are small - even for me - I look for a little peace, quiet and space at the end of my travels. Most times I am completely rested after one quiet, peaceful and restful night's sleep of no interruptions. You see, there is supposed to be a secret weapon for guests that hang on the back of the door to each hotel room: the "Do Not Disturb" sign. This sign is supposed to ensure that a guest in a hotel is not disturbed when the sign hangs outside the door.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a "whine" session. I've actually stayed in hotels where the guests and the housekeeping staff are quiet and respect the noise levels in the halls. However, some hotels take a view of indifference on this matter.

(Actual conversation this week:)
Clerk: Checking out sir?
Me: Yes
Clerk: How was your stay?
Me: Noisy.
Clerk: How's that?
Me: Some of your guests don't care that people are sleeping early in the morning. They're noisy in the halls.
Clerk: Not much we can do.
Me: Oh? How about signs in the elevators and in the halls that ask guests to walk quietly through the halls. Maybe something that says "We do our best to offer our guests a quiet, relaxing stay. Do your part. Keep the convesations down in the halls. After all, you're a guest too!"
Clerk: I'll pass along your suggestion, sir.
Me: To who?
Clerk: Someone.
Me: What about housekeeping?
Clerk: I don't think that's their department.
Me: But they're the noisiest of all. They yell to each other in the hall, run the vacuums without closing room doors, and clang and bang their carts into the walls.
Clerk: (Nothing)
Me: (dripping with sarcasm) Perhaps you should call your printer and replace your "Do Not Disturb" signs with signs that read: "Make All The Noise You Want, Just Don't Knock On My Door." That would be closer to the actual experience.
Clerk: That'll be (amount) dollars sir. On your credit card?
Me: (shaking head) Sigh!

Whatever happened to customer service accountability? The customer experience is everyone's responsibility. The sooner we all get that, the better customer service is going be. Pass it on to your co-workers. Everyone, no matter what the job title, is responsible for a great customer experience. No exceptions.

Do it and watch business grow.