Luxury Horror Story With A $10,000 Business Lesson

On our annual company retreat, we got an unexpected masterclass in "what not to do" in hospitality (or any service business, really).

Picture this:

• A visibly sick check-in person coughing all over our room key (post-pandemic awareness, anyone?)
• A room with enough crumbs and dirt to feed a small army (even AFTER requesting a re-clean... twice)
• The "luxurious turndown service" that consisted of tossing a breakfast menu on our untouched bed while the crumbs and dirt remained
• Despite the hotel being practically empty, we got front-row seats to our neighbor's late-night concert through adjoining doors, leading to a midnight room change

The worst part? The recovery attempt: a measly $100 credit and an empty "next time will be better" promise. (Spoiler alert: There won't be a next time!)

But this isn't just a vent session. This story contains what I call $10,000 Lessons - insights that will either cost you at least $10,000 if you ignore them in your business OR help you make many tens of thousands if you implement them.

Lesson 1: Energy is EVERYTHING

Every employee's attitude screamed "I'd rather be anywhere else" - from the disgruntled bartender annoyed we interrupted his TV show for gasp drink requests, to the uninterested housekeeping staff.

Consider this in your business: Are your client-facing team members treating your customers like gold? Are you training your people to be examples of your business Vision and values?

Lesson 2: Details Aren't Just Details - They Make or Break the Experience

A dirty room isn't just untidy; it shows a complete disregard for the guest (and some glaring leadership and communication issues too).

In your business: Are you backing up your marketing and sales promises with your delivery? Do you have systems in place so that important things don't fall through the cracks and break trust with your customers?

Lesson 3: Problem-solving Should Be Proactive, Not Reactive

The hotel knew we were coming on a work retreat. They could have easily given us a clean room away from a rowdy group the moment there was an issue. Instead, they waited until we were upset and had to move in the middle of the night.

In your business: What are the stumbling blocks that create tension with your customers? How can you resolve those the moment you see them and fix your systems so they aren't a problem in the future?

Lesson 4: When Things Go Wrong, Make it RIGHT

A partial refund doesn't even begin to fix a failed experience. This hotel had one job, to provide a clean, quiet space for us to get our work done and they missed the mark at every turn.

But then they made it worse by doing the bare minimum they could have to repair the experience and we lost a full day of work because of their lack of hospitality.

If a manager had taken even five minutes to call us after the fact, they could have learned something valuable to improve their business. Instead, they're probably going to keep making the same mistakes and lose other customers as a result.

In your business: Yes, mistakes happen. But if you don't have a true service recovery plan that takes full responsibility, shows genuine empathy, and provides meaningful repair for your clients, you likely won't have clients for long.

Sometimes that means going above and beyond what the customer expects - because rebuilding trust requires more than a minimal effort.

The Bottom Line

Your clients feel EVERYTHING. Their experience isn't just about the service you provide - it's about how you make them feel at every touchpoint.

If you're ready to up-level your customer experience from the moment someone finds out about you to the point where they become raving fans who refer you to everyone they know, we can help. Erin is offering a small number of VIP Business Intensives where we'll focus on your customer experience plan and help you design a client journey so remarkable that your customers never want to leave.

Ready to transform your customer experience? Learn more and book your private virtual intensive here.