I went glamping and learnt these customer service lessons

Every year I go away with a group of girlfriends for a weekend of great company, food, wine and a sore tummy from laughing so hard, it hurts. This year we went ‘glamping’ and the extraordinary service we received from our hosts Colin, Chris and Tammy exceeded anything I’ve ever experienced in a 5-star hotel.

Here are the five things they did to make me feel super-special and ensure I was a raving fan by the time I left:

1. Got personal

When we arrived, they introduced themselves and learnt my name. From that point on they interacted with me as a person rather than a ‘paying guest’.

2. Anticipated my needs

They quickly learnt I liked my tea with honey and that ‘bubbles’ is my favourite. For the rest of the weekend, whenever I walked into the room, they’d offer me ‘Tea, water or bubbles?’ My response just depended on what time of day it was!

3. Did everything with pleasure

There were 11 women in my group, including three vegetarians, some that ate bacon, some that didn’t eat mushrooms, three that don’t eat fish but one that eats prawns, plus a gluten-intolerant thrown in for good measure. All our meals were of exceptional quality and tailored to requirements without any concern or judgement.

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4. Got involved

The team were genuinely attentive; it wasn’t just a job for them. Chris (a criminal lawyer) is taking some time out of his stressful career and served our raucous (and sometimes a little naughty) group with aplomb. They all interacted and joined in but also gave us our space. I have no doubt it would be a different experience if you were there with your partner – still great but different and appropriate

5. Tailored everything

Their main goal was for all of us to have a great time. And they did many little things to determine what a ‘good time’ looked like for each of us and ensured we had it.

What customer service lessons can soloists learn from the above? The main thing to note is that nothing I mentioned above is excessively expensive, time-consuming or out of the reach of the average small business. It is simple – put your client at the centre of everything that you do and work back from there.

What can you change today to make your clients feel special and ensure they rave about you to everyone they meet?