The Power of Posing An Alternative

It’s a common misbelief that the hospitality industry is a “just say yes” industry.  Of course a front line employee should do everything in their power to say yes.  However, sometimes a business simply can’t, due to logistical or financial reasons.  This is where the art of posing an alternative is vitally important and is often a missed opportunity.  Proactively posing a suitable alternative is an excellent service recovery tool and will almost always insure your customer walks away happy. 

Allow me to provide a great example…

While in Hong Kong recently I had the opportunity to visit one of the world’s tallest hotels.  The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is located in the International Commerce Center, the 7th tallest building in the world.  Its lobby is on the 103rd Floor and in order to partake in the stunning views of Victoria Harbour I was planning to stay for afternoon tea.  Upon arriving to the hotel at 4:30pm I was politely informed by a front line employee that no window tables were left.  Before I could even utter a look of disappointment I was provided with a few alternatives.  I could stay for afternoon tea, but with a less than desirable interior table, or instead I could enjoy awe-inspiring views from their bar, Ozone, located on the 118th floor.  The bar was set to open at 5pm and I would be able to secure a table with an excellent view. 

Because of the simple alternative that was provided by a front line employee, I enjoyed a drink at the bar, spent money at their hotel, left extremely happy, and have now shared my positive experience with you.  

Is your staff too often saying no, or perhaps saying yes and over promising?  Contact me so your staff can begin posing alternatives with ease. 

Re-Posted with Permission from http://www.jcoopconsulting.com/the-power-of-posing-an-alternative/

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