Company Culture: three ways Gaylord Opryland houses exceptional customer service

March 29, 2018

At gunnercooke, our model is based around a culture of innovation.

Great companies recognise the long-term value of looking after their regular customers.

It is often repeat business which really helps to generate profits and spread the word about a product or service. After all, what better or more genuine PR than a glowing recommendation to family and friends?

Gaylord Opryland is an American hotel renowned for long-standing relationships based on brilliant customer service. They embrace any opportunity to WOW their guests, turning regular visitors into fans for life. Take this particular story for example…

They engage in two-way conversations

A particular guest stayed at the hotel three year in a row when attending an annual conference. During their visits, they developed an affinity for their bedside alarm clock’s ‘spa sounds’ setting. Despite several attempts to purchase the clock for their own bedroom, the guest was unable to find the correct model in every store they looked in. Through the power of social media, customers can contact businesses directly and engage in two-way conversations, and so this particular guest decided to message the hotel on Twitter to ask about securing the clock. The hotel responded with a link to purchase a replica of the clock. Unfortunately, this particular clock didn’t provide the features the guest wanted, and so the hotel took another approach…

They put experience first

After the hotel’s first attempt to resolve the query was unsuccessful, the guest attended the conference for another year having given up on their hunt for the ‘elusive’ alarm clock. For many businesses, the story would end here. However, having reflected on the guest’s disappointment, Gaylord Opryland decided that they couldn’t let it ruin their experience of staying at the hotel and risk their relationship suffering.

They exceeded expectations

When the guest returned to their room they found two alarm clocks waiting for them, one with a handwritten note to say thank-you for following the hotel on Twitter and that they hope their guest enjoys the spa sounds at home and should there be anything else they should need then to not hesitate to get in touch. Five-star customer service or what!

Found this interesting? Take a look at our other blogs included in our Company Culture Series:

Three best applications of Apple’s excellent customer service

Three approaches Lush have taken to apply expertly crafted customer service

Three practices Virgin Trains use to ensure they go the extra mile

Three techniques Ritz-Carlton use to cater extraordinarily for their guests

Three attributes Metro Bank invest to guarantee they execute quality customer service

Three features that help travel counsellors deliver the service you need