A week ago, I was the “Guest of the Day” at the Hilton Garden Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz. A really nice sign on the check-in counter said so. The desk clerk shook my hand, enthusiastically congratulated me, thanked me for my customer loyalty, and gave me special bag of goodies complete with two bottled waters. Inside the bag tied with a pretty ribbon was a personalized, hand written note from the hotel staff.
What was the occasion? The note revealed the impetus of my being the one to get affirmed. It was my 276th stay with a Hilton Garden Inn. The number gave away the fact that this particular affirmation was random. Not the 200th or the 2000th—my 276th stay. It made me feel pleased, not programmed. Someone randomly selected me as a loyal guest of the day and telegraphed their recognition in a very tailored manner.
We live in an era of mechanized service. My florist reminds me to send flowers to my mother and, with a click, turns my intention into action. The online greeting card company suggests I send a birthday greeting again this year to my brother.
We hear stories of a company’s red-carpet celebration of their 1,000,000th customer. These are automated “thank-yous.” They come in a time of super busyness coupled with the technology to remember, schedule, and execute gestures on our behalf. Companies have CRMized their systems to enable them to “customerize” their dealings.
But as customers, we are not nearly as authentically affirmed as we are through those moments when we receive random affirmation that is truly personalized, not cleverly mechanized.
Randomly affirm those you serve just because you are grateful for their patronage. And, monogram your affirmation!