Pulse June 2018 | Page 50

tHE MaKiNg of aN all-star
( conTInUEd FRoM PAgE 46 )
shaw coté
Spa Director Four Seasons Resort Lana ’ i
LAnA ’ I cITy , HAWAII
“ I recall one woman having a terrific experience in the spa from check-in to check-out . She was charming and personable when she arrived and beaming as she left , chuckling about how her therapist relaxed her to the point she couldn ’ t do math to figure the proper gratuity ,” remembers Shaw Coté , spa director at Four Seasons Resort Lana ’ i . “ An hour later she returned in a panic saying she had definitely left her heirloom necklace in the pocket of her robe . All the beam had turned to a flush of panic . I thanked her for letting us know so quickly and led her to the spa lounge to wait with some calming herbal tea while we conducted a search . I instructed both of our spa attendants to do a full search of the spa and recently filled linen bin . We came up with nothing . I asked them to do it one more time , nothing . After that , one more time , still nothing . Every bag , every robe , every pocket , two sets of
eyes , three times , no necklace . I faced the guest calmly , but disappointed that we had not yet found it , and asked for more time . I then asked our fitness attendant to go through the robes for a fourth time — it was found in less than three minutes in one of the robes that had been searched three times already . What impressed the guest the most was that I didn ’ t stop at two times .”
Coté ’ s tale of diligence in customer service proves that he will stop at nothing to make a guest happy and comfortable . From the tea to soothe her nerves to the thoroughness with which he searched , you can tell Coté cares a lot about his customers .
That ’ s probably why Kristine Huffman , partner at Hutchinson Consulting , recommended Coté as a customer service all-star , saying he “ has instituted a lot of wonderful customer surprises that delight the guest . His guest satisfaction scores have climbed a lot during the last year .”
Delight is an understatement when it comes to Coté ’ s attention to his customers . “ I try to get the guest to take off their armor and share their true personality and something about themselves before they ever finish checking in or completing a booking ,” notes Coté . “ By showing my own tiP : Keep your Eye on the Ball
“ Four words : get every detail right ! Accuracy and efficiency of service are your guests ’ minimum expectations . Each careless inattention to detail erodes the trust you are trying to build in your entire team . When it ’ s all perfect and seamless , the relaxation is already starting . Think of them as a nervous backseat driver in desperate need to relax and you ’ re a world-class chauffeur . If something doesn ’ t go right , show that the recovery is your top priority . Show empathy to their disappointment , and that you care about their entire experience , not just the treatment . relaxed comfort level in the interaction , enough personality to show vulnerability without being overly familiar or casual , I invite them to shed a layer too .” To Cote , customer service is warm , open , and relaxed yet attentive . It ’ s not nervous , minimal , scripted , or desperate to impress . It ’ s all about natural but elevated interactions with customers that make guests feel comfortable and come back again and again .
attila Koronczay
General Manager Éminence organic Skin care vAncoUvER , BRITISH coLUMBIA , cAnAdA
For Attila Koronczay , general manager at Éminence Organic Skin Care , good customer service is the minimum standard for being in business today . He believes in providing extraordinary service , which is essential to form true partnerships in the spa industry . “ We seek ways to go above and beyond to ensure the spa ’ s success ,” he adds . “ Providing extraordinary service helps build trust , retain loyal clients and solidify long-term partnerships .”
In every interaction , Koronczay wants the customer to feel satisfied and heard – and if he can make them laugh , even better ! Koronczay also tries to instill the idea of always going above and beyond into his staff members . Bringing lunch to a meeting that would otherwise take up a client ’ s lunch hour , baking cookies to appeal to a client ’ s sweet tooth or bringing coffee to an early meeting seems like a simple gesture , but can mean a lot to an unsuspecting client . Koronczay lets
( conTInUEd on PAgE 50 )
48 PULSE ■ June 2018