“After an hour spent navigating the traffic of a swarming, dusty grey city, there’s probably little else you want to do besides tumble into a 10,000-sq.ft turquoise swimming pool. Even more tempting, when you can get to the said pool by simply leaning off your balcony.”
These were the opening lines of a newspaper article I read late last month… and they most certainly did the trick! I HAD to get to the resort… and SOON… before my enthusiastic city mates discovered the “turquoise heaven” and swamped it!!!
So last weekend I was off with my family to drown all my “recession induced” stress and pressure in a 10,000 sq.ft. watery grave! We started early on Saturday morning in the dreamiest weather Chennai had experienced in months. We couldn’t have hoped for a better start to our jaunt… but there was a sense of apprehension and anxiety within me about the kind of facilities and service awaiting us at our destination. Working on my mind was the fact that the resort was barely a couple of weeks old… moreover, it was not part of any popular national/international hotel chain. Having done more than my share of traveling, I had braced myself to face the inevitable teething problems at the brand new property… but how bad these would be was the million dollar question. Would our dream turn out to be a nightmare? Hmm… only time would reveal.
Saravanan, the Front Desk Executive I had called to book the cottage, welcomed us with a warm smile. As I handed over the filled-in guest information form, he requested for the advance payment to be made in cash. Wait a second… CASH??? Did I hear that right? Yes, I did! And no, the nightmare couldn’t have begun so soon!!!
I was informed that the resort’s credit card payment facility would be functional in another week’s time… until then they could only deal in cash. But hey, I didn’t have enough cash on me (does anybody walk around with wads of currency in their pockets anymore???)… and more importantly, I wasn’t informed about the mode of payment when I called to make the booking! We were in the middle of nowhere (or was it heaven?)… so where the hell would I find an ATM machine? The calm and unfazed Saravanan acknowledged his mistake of not informing me about their “cash only” policy while taking my booking. But he also graciously enlightened me that there was an ATM approximately 6-km down the highway. Excuse me? Was he expecting me to drive 12-kms to bring him the cash before entering water world? Now, I was beginning to lose it… completely! And things weren’t looking too good for friendly and mild-mannered Saravanan.
But just before the volcano could erupt, the Operations Manager happened to pass by and immediately came up to investigate the issue. He heard out my problem patiently, empathized with my situation and apologized for the inconvenience. He then asked me to forget about the advance payment and just check-in and enjoy the stay. What’s more, he said I needn’t worry about the payment even at the time of check-out… he’d send somebody on a mobike when we drove back home… I could withdraw cash at the ATM on the way and hand over the money to the staff. WOW!!! I was floored!!!
The room was beautiful and cozy. And the pool, simply spectacular… like nothing we had ever seen before! We were also offered a DVD player in the room at no extra cost… but we weren’t here for blockbuster movies… we were here for a blockbuster holiday. And a blockbuster holiday it sure turned out to be!
We spent most of our 24-hour stay at the resort in the sparkling blue pool. The food was delectable… the waiters at the restaurant were vigilant and helpful without ever being intrusive… the room service and housekeeping staff were prompt and efficient. The attitude and demeanor of every single staff we encountered were exemplary.
As we checked out at noon the next day, Saravanan volunteered to accompany us on his mobike to collect the payment. After a 5-km drive, we had to take a 1-km diversion off the highway to reach the ATM… this meant that we had to pass a toll gate and pay the requisite fee. On reaching the ATM, I withdrew the cash and was handing over the money to Saravanan when he asked me to deduct Rs.100/- from the bill amount towards the toll fee I had just paid. Man, was I impressed!!! This was not about the meager sum of Rs.100/-… this was about the attitude and care towards a customer. This to me was about “CUSTOMER DELIGHT”… at its best!!!
The staff at the resort was faced with an irate customer and a situation that was fast spiraling out of control. But they not only managed to salvage the scene but also won over the customer. So what did they do right?
The Executive immediately acknowledged his mistake of not informing me about the payment mode.
Though I was beginning to lose my cool, the Executive remained calm and unfazed.
The Manager recognized the problem, empathized with my situation and worked out a solution.
The Executive reimbursing the toll fee meant that he was not only given responsibilities but also empowered to take decisions.
Last but not the least, the resort had great facilities, well-trained staff and outstanding service.
No wonder I was not only satisfied but DELIGHTED!!!
I will be back again… and soon!!!
