At the Helm: Ask for what you need

I was nervous.

I’m not in the habit of mixing my home life with my work life. And yet there I was, checking into the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando with my mom and four-month-old son, Benjamin, for what is arguably the most important week of the year for Boating Industry. Producing the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo and the Top 100 Dealer Gala in one week is like participating in the Summer and the Winter Olympics one after the other.

Numerous questions were running through my head, not the least of which was:?Would I get any sleep?

That seemed to be answered for us a few minutes after we entered our hotel room. The rollaway bed we had ordered for the suite was waiting, but when I ran my hand over the top of the mattress, the springs of the bed were practically poking through.

“Oh, Liz, you can’t sleep on this,” Mom said, picking up the phone.

“I’m thinking this is as good as it gets,” I replied. She shook her head.

“As I’ve gotten older,” she explained, “I’ve learned to ask for what I need, and to do it nicely. And you know what? It works.”

The front desk sent someone to deliver a new bed. But when the young man arrived, he confirmed my suspicions that all of the rollaway beds were in similar shape. My mother didn’t let it go, though, pleading with him to find a bed that would allow me to get some much-needed sleep.

He did, and when he returned with a bed that was downright cushy, she heaped on the praise, explaining why what he had done would make such a difference for us and making him seem like a hero. When he left, she smiled triumphantly at me. Her strategy had worked.

While this was just one example of the service we received from the Rosen, our overall experience at the hotel was excellent. Had they asked, I would have given them rave reviews. But that was the thing: They didn’t ask.

It was a missed opportunity. As you can read in our feature article, “Putting MDCE to work,” online reviews written by customers are increasingly sought after by those researching future purchases; therefore, encouraging those reviews is a key strategy for success these days.

Many marine executives I’ve spoken with have concerns about embracing online reviews due to the potential for negative comments. The way I see it, one negative review in a pool of positive reviews reflects much better on your company than no reviews whatsoever. And the reviews are another opportunity for companies to identify areas of improvement.

Imagine, for example, if my mom hadn’t spoken up. I probably wouldn’t have called the front desk to ask for another bed. And if I had, once the young man arrived, I certainly wouldn’t have encouraged him to take one more look.

What a different hotel experience I would have had if I had tossed and turned all week. Not only would I have been reluctant to come back, I wouldn’t have recommended it to others. And the hotel would have been none the wiser.
Why? Because they never asked.