Why Details Matter in Print Client Relations

Credit: Bill Gillespie

I checked into my hotel. I stowed my stuff, grabbed some water and headed out to a local eatery. My gig wasn't until the next day so I was set to enjoy some "me time."

I get a text from an unknown number. The photo below is attached. There is no message. There is only the photo of my stuff and someone's feet.

I ask, "who is this?"

A while later I get another text. The sender explains that we have the same last name. He arrived after me and was sent to the same room.

He found my stuff and assumed things had been left by mistake. He took everything downstairs where the staff discovered their error. He was assigned a different room and my belongings were returned.

End of story? Not so fast. The hotel people, charming as they have been, have a listening problem. They talk when they should be silent. They claim to have solved issues that have yet to be shared.

My television screen said "welcome Joe." That's not the real name. They claimed to know Bill was in the room but the welcome monitor had it wrong.

The next day I received a receipt by email. It had the right room number but was addressed to Joe. It was Joe's name but my home address.

I went back to the front desk. I said, "I got this receipt. I think your system has my email address and my home address and my room assigned to the wrong reservation. I'm here for another day."

I was assured that it was a computer snafu. I was told to discard and ignore the first receipt. They would print one for me when I checked out. It would be correct.

It wasn't. The printed receipt, received at check out, was for exactly the right amount and for exactly the right room. It even had my name correct. But my street address and reservation number, they were wrong. Once again, I was told, "don't worry. Your card will only be charged once and it will be the right amount."

Guess what. I received my credit card statement today by email. The first charge, the one I was told to ignore, the one with Joe Gillespie's name on it was on my bill. Poor Joe, wherever he is, will receive a charge for two nights rather than one. My name will be on his receipt but it will be his address.

I called the hotel office. The client experience professional said, "that can't happen. What you describe isn't possible." I responded that I thought so too. I assured her that it did happen and the absurdity was still writing itself.

Later that night, my phone rings. A voice, in broken English asks "is this Joe Gillespie." I told him it was not, answered some questions and started to show my frustration.

This is the capper. The dude says, "I need you to prove who you are before I can correct the charges." I had a Bill Gillespie moment. Some of you have seen those. They can be loud.

I said, "you called me. My card has been charged half as much as it should have been. I'm ahead and you're scr#%@d. Goodnight."

The hell of it is, it's a great hotel. They did everything right on the room service and dining side. They fumbled billing and don't listen.

Can this happen in our industry? You bet it can. A perfectly printed piece can be a source of irritation if delivery instructions are fumbled or if billing is incorrect. Details matter. Details are everything. Attention to details earns trust.

I wish I could remember where I read it. I copied it down but didn’t make note of the source. I’ll share them here but know that I’m not the author.

If you want to have secure client relationships the following basic requirements must be met.

1. Accuracy (you have to deliver what was promised)
2. Availability (someone that can provide answers has to exist)
3. Compassion-Partnership (someone has to listen and care)
4. Advice (you must improve the situation not simply exist within it.)

It’s worth noting that these things are hierarchical too. You can’t advance to items 2-4 if you
can’t master No. 1.

I have an ongoing need to be in the area of my recent hotel. The jury is out on whether I’ll be a returning guest. If I had to decide today, I’d pick a different spot. Their fumbles made the delivered service less valuable.

Details matter!