• Kimpton’s active listeners

    Posted on January 31st, 2007 by and currently 4 commenting.

    rouge.jpgIn my January travels, I had the good fortune to try out 2 different Kimpton properties in Washington DC – the Hotels Rouge and Helix. Because of our more frequent visits to DC and my intention of staying at these properties again, I took the time over the weekend to fill out their lengthy follow up customer survey. Many of the things about the Rouge are far beyond expectations (early check in, service, size & furnishing of the room), but the room service, spotty Wi-FI and hotel gym situations were sub-par so I let them know.

    I almost deleted an email today from the Front Office Manager of the Rouge, assuming it must have been a form letter. It was anything but:

    Thank you for the scores you gave the hotel and its staff in the survey, I will pass this on to the departments. We greatly appreciate your feedback. I am glad that we were able to get your into your rooms early. That is the level of service we try to provide for our guests. And there is no problem about the wireless we have that upgrade scheduled for completion this year. Perhaps we will have it for your return trip! We are looking at changing our F&B operation. Some additions to the breakfast room service include a parfait, muslei with apples and bannanas, freshly made waffles with a choice of toppings, revised bagel lox and fresh juices. We are also looking at the lounge menu’s for dinner as well. Can you suggest anything that you would like to see on the menu or changes to be made regarding service? I do apologize about the location and style of our exercise room.

    It would be helpful if you could offer any further comments or information about your stay so that I may be of more assistance in the future. Your comments are appreciated. Thank you for your time and support as a Kimpton In Touch member. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a great day and thank you for responding to our electronic comment card!

    This note did a couple of things for me:

    1. Proved they read my feedback
    2. Engaged me by asking for my suggestions for hot item additions to the room service menu
    3. Apologized for what they realistically can’t fix – the crappy gym.

    They want to have a relationship with me and have met me more than halfway. We will be back to the Rouge on our next trip – bad gym or no.  What do you do to engage customers who offer suggestions on how you can improve?  Do you treat them as a nuisance squeaky wheel, or a potential evangelist?

  • http://johnbell.typepad.com John Bell

    Make sure you stay at the Monaco in DC (and ring me when you come to town). It’s another Kimpton and in this terrific old post office building. Also Jackie Huba shared about being in the “president’s club” for Kimpton (or some such prestigious club of which I am not a member). That gave her the phone mumber of the President which she had the occaision to ring up during a problem. And he answered!
    Cheers from teh Hotel de la Paix in Cambodia!

  • Kate D.

    My recent stay at a gross, unfriendly Hilton (in great contrast to the fabulous, warm Conrad Hilton where we stayed after we left said crappy Hilton) will be a test of how a big chain responds to honest feedback. I am not optimistic. I see a Kimpton in my future.

  • http://www.kimptonhotels.com/loyalty.aspx Keith Brophy

    The program is called Kimpton InTouch and the elite level members are called Inner Circle members. One of the many benefits they receive for reaching this level is the direct line of the Kimpton CEO is printed onto their Inner Circle membershipicard and members are invited to use the number when they seem fit, whether it is to sing the praises of a staff member who made a difference in their stay or to let us know where they fell short in exceeding the guest’s expectations.

  • Pingback: Marketing Environmentalism » High End Hotels Reward with Experiences, not Clutter