Our dear friends S & D was sharing with us their recent stay experience in two hotels in Bali.
At the first property - Alila, both of them fell ill with a suspected case of food poisoning a day after arriving. Feeling much unwell throughout the first evening, they asked the hotel to call for a doctor. Thankfully, after some medication and a round of injection each, coupled with much bedrest the rest of the two days, they felt much better. They then packed and got themselves ready for check out the following day.
At this point, I asked our friends whether the hotel had made them feel well taken care of. "Not at all" was their pointed response. The employee did not show concern when they requested for a doctor, no one from the team checked in on them after the doctor’s visit, and similarly, no one asked about them during check-out. They were made to feel as if their stay was just a functional transaction.
They then transferred to the next destination at Como Canggu. During their check-in at this second hotel, the receptionist asked about them and their plans for the stay. Our friends commented they were still recovering from the earlier food poisoning and would take it easy for rest of the stay. Immediately, the lady asked how they were feeling at that moment and whether they needed any further medical attention. She also recommended for them to drink coconut water to ease the upset stomachs. (At this point, Service Bank* gets a healthy deposit of a few pluses/hearts!)
Shortly after unpacking, our friends decided to order a light meal from Room Service as they still felt a little weak and wanted to stay in. When their requested porridge arrived, the delivery person from In-Room Dining also presented them with fresh coconut juice, compliments from the hotel.
WOWWEEE! Isn't that simply amazing? Kindness, seamless collaboration and teamwork were all exemplified here. This is the very type of impressive service that all service teams should strive to achieve – service where guests look up to the team members.
Wait, the story didn't just end here. When the couple later headed to lounge by the pool to enjoy some outdoor breeze, they were warmly greeted by the pool employee, who then asked about them and if they were feeling better. Yet another top-up of the Service Bank right there and then! Next, he proceeded to offer them fresh coconut juice on the house. Simply W-O-W.
Service Bank*: 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
(*Read the first post on Service Bank Concept: https://servicebankmoments.blogspot.com/2025/01/1-service-bank-concept.html)
Reflective thoughts: In this encounter, what does it say about the management and team? What are the small touches you can do to make your guests feel (physically, emotionally, mentally) better, even if their discomfort (or misery!) had nothing to do with you or your hotel in the first place?