Here we are at Tuesday of Customer Service Week, 2018 and I want to celebrate my travel agent. Georganne Mires at Colwick Travel in Dallas has been my travel agent for over twenty-five years. When my friends chide me about why I don’t save tons of money by booking my flights and hotels on Tripadvisor, Orbitz or Expedia, I just tell them a Georganne story.
“Assume you landed late at midnight in Columbus and your flight connection to Chicago has long gone. All the following morning flights have already been booked by passengers whose flights were canceled before you arrived. Can your travel agent find you a charter plane to get you to O’Hare in time for your 8 am keynote?”
“It is 10 pm and all flights from Newark to St. Louis are canceled. Can your travel agent re-route you to another city within driving distance, rent you a car, and book you a hotel at a cheap day rate where you can shower and change before your breakfast meeting in St. Louis—all completed inside of 10 minutes?”
Online travel sites are great if everything works like it is supposed to. But, as someone who has traveled almost every week for over thirty years, “everything works” is just a pipe dream. Nature and mechanical hiccups make Georganne worth her weight in frequent flyer points. But, the best part is her capacity to create a monogrammed experience.
My wife and I were vacationing on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington State. Knowing we enjoy unique, waterfront romantic lodging, she zeroed in on the antique Rosario Resort and Spa. When we arrived the front desk informed us that Georganne had given them strict instructions to put us in the Roundhouse Suite—a luxury, circular bungalow that sat along on the edge of a rocky bluff overlooking the ocean. Built in 1913, it was originally the Moran children’s playhouse complete with fireplace, kitchen, and panoramic view. Deer grazed outside our bedroom window and giant bald eagles sat in the trees. The sunset was to die for! Our wonderful stay has been a story to tell for several years.
This is National Customer Service Week—a time to remember your customers. One of the most powerful ways you can show your appreciation is by monogramming their experiences. Find a way to show your customers how much you know about their hopes and needs. And, if you need a great travel agent, I have one I can recommend!!
image via pixabay by theandrasbarta