Don't Forget the Little Guy

I want to rant about businesses and the decision’s YOU shouldn’t make. When you make it big, don’t ever forget your customers. This applies to the largest AND the smallest accounts. If it was not for these sales or services, you would not be where you are.

I currently work in hotel and this mindset has gone out the window. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my job but do not agree with some of the decisions that are made. One that I have tried to wrap my head around for years is our nightclub. The hotel has an absolutely beautiful pool with sand and cabanas around it for lounging. This is a great atmosphere throughout the day but then it turns to a nightclub at night. When you think of nightclub, what comes to mind?

• R&B Music
• Dancing
• Alcohol
• Bass
• Drama (mainly because of the alcohol)

We have that plus some. The biggest problem is that the hotel acts as an amphitheater and the bass reverberates up the hotel. This means that if you face the pool, your room pulsates with the music. This can go until 2am. We do our best to inform guests checking in about the events and put people that don’t mind overlooking the area. This usually only occurs on Friday and Saturday but it happened tonight as well. It is a Tuesday and people are not expecting a party out their window. We have guests here for business, conventions, or just passing through town. Most of which will be waking up early. I do not understand why we would have an event that would risk pissing these people off. Will the ticket sales be higher than the amount of compensation given?

As a business, why would you EVER put yourself in a position to willingly compensate anyone? Here is an idea, host the nightclub inside for a couple of months. Compensation will not be necessary and more revenue will be earned. If the pool must be the area for the nightclub, install something that can reduce the bass from the hotel. This seems like a win-win situation if the nightclub could run while the hotel doesn’t comp every other guest.

Thanks for listening to me rant. Please learn from this. Customers are the foundation of your company. Don’t ruin connections or burn these bridges. Refer to my previous blog about customer service and how it can bite you in the ass. Remember that you do not know the connections these small customers may have in their inner circle. Treat every customer as you are glad to have earned their business.