Bill Hanifin
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A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Trump Card, a new hotel loyalty offering from Trump Hotels. Trump Card promised to deliver superior service and in-stay experiences to its high-end guests. The idea is great, though I tempered the announcement with a reminder that solid operational execution would spell the difference between success and failure of the newly announced program.
This week, I found myself checking in at a familiar Wyndham property, one that I have frequented several times over the past six months due to several projects in the same region. I was sure I had enrolled in Wyndham ByRequest in the past, but could not find my membership information.
Later that day I started fresh and enrolled again. At the Wyndham website link, the process was easy. Having collected my “tombstone” information, I was presented with a form where I could designate my preferred room type and favorite destinations as well as note the beverage and snack that I would like to receive upon arrival. The welcome gift was to be triggered once I stayed 3 or more nights from sign up.
Before I left the hotel for a meeting, I stopped by reception and added my rewards number to my reservation. Because of the length of my stay, the reservations person informed me I qualified for a free room upgrade and continental breakfast on the executive floor the next morning. Needless to say, the immediate feedback was surprising and most welcome. Even as a relative newbie, I was beginning to feel like a valued guest.
I returned to my room after a meeting about three hours later and found a nice bottle of wine with crackers and cheese on the table with a welcome note from the hotel manager.
Talk about connecting the dots and delivering on promises, Wyndham had exceeded my expectations. The swiftness with which they recognized my qualification for benefits and the accuracy of delivery registered on my loyalty radar as exceptional in today’s market.
There was no waiting “until the next stay” or fiddling with details – Wyndham just delivered. The simplicity in execution translated into a certain elegance and, in the process, I was feeling like the hotel was intent on developing a relationship with me, not just reward me with “stuff”.
Flawless execution was the key to this stellar customer experience and cemented my intentions to stay with Wyndham on future trips. Trump Hotels and others in the category should take note!
