| I was making arrangements to attend a | | | | and made another reservation, again using my |
| conference in Los Angeles, California.As a | | | | frequent flyer award coupon and my new |
| frequent flyer, I receive award coupons offering a | | | | Premium Club membership number. This time I |
| 50% discount from normal hotel rates. I | | | | kept my mouth shut about attending any |
| contacted the call center of a major hotel chain | | | | conference.I paid $100 per night when I went to |
| to make my reservation.The reservations clerk | | | | Los Angeles. I enjoyed the Towers room and a |
| was friendly and very helpful. She took my name | | | | complimentary fruit basket upon arrival. No |
| and contact numbers. She confirmed the dates, | | | | thanks, though, to this hotel's absurd policy and |
| my room preference and credit card number. She | | | | customer-unfriendly procedures.Somewhere deep |
| asked if I was a 'Premium Club' member, which I | | | | within the marketing department of this hotel |
| was not. So she registered me for Club status | | | | chain, yield-management professionals carefully |
| over the phone.Then she remarked, 'Mr. Kaufman, | | | | calculate the maximum rate they can squeeze |
| now that you are a Premium Club member, I can | | | | from participants at each international |
| offer you an even lower rate for an upgraded | | | | conference.Meanwhile conference participants are |
| room on a higher floor. And a fruit basket will be | | | | also thinkers...real, live customers! Yield managers, |
| waiting for you upon arrival.'I was surprised and | | | | are you listening? |
| delighted. My special room rate was just $100 per | | | | Key Learning Point |
| night.Signing off from this great telephone | | | | |
| experience, I said: 'Thank you for your help. I am | | | | ------------ |
| looking forward to staying at the hotel during the | | | | |
| conference.''The conference?', she quickly replied, | | | | When your policies cross, collide or contradict, |
| 'What conference are you attending?'When I told | | | | your customers will find out. Clean up the |
| her about the event, she said, 'Oh. If you are | | | | confusion! |
| attending that conference, you have to use our | | | | Action Steps |
| conference rate of $124.'I laughed and assured | | | | |
| her I was happy with the special rate and Club | | | | ------------ |
| status she had already confirmed.'Oh no,' she | | | | |
| repeated. 'If you are coming for the conference, | | | | Review the many ways your customers can |
| you must use the special rate. We have a block | | | | confirm, order, book, engage, hire, rent or |
| of rooms already reserved for you on a lower | | | | purchase your products and service. Look for |
| floor. And I'm afraid you don't get the fruit | | | | mismatches and inconsistencies in the policies and |
| basket.'A lower floor, higher rate and no fruit | | | | procedures. Get them back in line so your |
| basket? I protested. But my protest was in vain. | | | | company and your customers stay aligned.Ron |
| She checked with her supervisor, who concurred. | | | | Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator |
| 'I'm sorry, but that's our policy,' she said without | | | | and motivator for partnerships and quality |
| much concern.I surrendered to her insistence, | | | | customer service. He is author of the bestselling |
| listened sadly as she cancelled my Premium Club | | | | "UP Your Service!" and founder of "UP Your |
| reservation, but declined to have her book me | | | | Service College". Visit for more such Customer |
| back into the hotel at the higher conference rate. | | | | Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or to |
| I hung up the phone in disbelief.Then I called right | | | | buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on |
| back and reached a different reservations clerk | | | | Customer Service from his secure Online Store. |