The Baer Facts Issue 61: It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference

⏰  It's the Little Things That Make a Big Difference

If you're in the USA, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. 

For me, it was terrific to have both my kids back at home, AND we debuted an astonishing new scalloped potatoes recipe (reply if you want it).

Given my heavy travel schedule, I mentally couple Thanksgiving with the dreaded CHANGING OF THE CLOCKS. 

An unspeakably giant meal feels like fair recompense for the daylight saving time dance, does it not?

And every year about this time, I have the SAME experience and am frustrated in the SAME way, so I finally decided to write about it...

Who changes the clocks in the hotel?

I was recently in a JW Marriott. Not a regular Marriott. Or a Courtyard. Or a Residence Inn. A JW Marriott, runner-up on their totem pole of brands, behind only the Ritz-Carlton.  

Four days after daylight saving time, yet the clock in my room remained uncorrected. 

Yes, I do realize that I carry a clock with me at all times, making the existence of a clock in a hotel room just a bit of unnecessary nostalgia, like Mel Gibson making new films.

But, if you're going to take up 77% of the nightstand with this black box, I'd love for it to be accurate.

it's not 7:13

It's a very busy hotel in a very busy city, so there's no chance the room has been unoccupied from when the time changed until my arrival.

Thus, I deduced that only two explanations are possible.

Option A: the housekeeping staff at the JW has not been taught to change the clocks, or just chooses not to do so

This is unsettling to ponder, as it begs the question "what else are they overlooking?" And why is such a prominent brand - in the hospitality sector - not able to make this work?

Option B: the JW has decided that the guests are responsible for clock time accuracy

I guess I understand this thesis. After all, housekeeping itself has become optional in most hotels. And we've moved from mini toiletries on the sink to an oil tanker of shampoo screwed to the shower wall, which also saves time for the staff (and is good for the environment, granted).

If the guests are to be the clock changers, I can get behind that idea, for the good of the union. 

But if that's the case, then the clock must be changeable without a degree in electrical engineering. 

I grabbed that clock and murmured "Fine, JW Marriott. I'm Katniss. I'm volunteering as tribute. I'm going to make this clock right."

10 minutes later...still wrong.

At this point, there are very few hotel clocks I haven't encountered. Across all their brands, I have more than 1,700 nights spent in Marriott hotels alone.

But this clock? This clock is diabolical. So many switches, buttons, dials. I poked and prodded. Twisted. Turned. 

It legitimately seemed to be obfuscated on purpose. This clock held its secrets like the ancient Sphinx.

I was defeated by this clock. I suspect it remains an hour off as of this writing, and will remain so until spring. 

So, now I add even more questions to my list:

1. does housekeeping not know how to do this?
2. is it my job to do it?
3. why is this clock so difficult to change?
4. if 2 and 3 are true, why don't they have instructions?
5. why did they buy 500+ giant, impossible-to-change clocks?
6. don't they make clocks that change themselves now?

None of these questions are core to the mission of the JW Marriott. And none of them are helpful to their overall customer experience, or brand-building.

Is this a huge problem? Of course not. But stacked together, little things make a big difference.

And the little things are often invisible to business owners and managers because the missteps aren't dire enough to create complaints. 

Which is why it's so critical that you spend time IN your business not just ON your business. 

Secret shopping yourself is truly the best way to find and eliminate these little annoyances that keep your customer experience from crossing the chasm between good and great. 

I'm reminded of Charlie Herrin, who used to run customer experience at Comcast Xfinity. He purposefully didn't pay his own bill, and let it go all the way to collections, just to see what that experience was like for his customers. 

If a Marriott executive spent just one night in that room, I can guarantee that clock issue would be solved.

To be truly outstanding at customer experience, you need to live it, you can't just talk about it in a conference room. 

📗 The Books Report

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You may not need every page of this book, but for the elements of your digital marketing that you don't have locked in yet, this will give you the structure needed to reach the decisions you need to make.

And, thanks to Mike (whom I ran into at an event recently), just for readers of The Baer Facts, the book is just $13.99 for a couple days (regular price is $36.98). Thanks, Mike! 

✅ Jay's Faves

Super excited for the new Fall/Winter items in the TequilaJayBaer.com online store. 

Some nifty, high-quality, cozy sweatshirts and hoodies. Plus, a new I Love Tequila trucker hat. And, our famous Agave cocktail mugs.

And a lot more. 

Use promo code FRIENDOFJAY to save $5. 

AND shipping is free through November 30. 

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Thanks! I'll be back in your inbox in two weeks. Also, do you have the new book yet? Just $9.95.