I’ve just returned from a week-long trip to the USA, and I’ve got to say, I’m impressed with the changes I’ve seen in the country. I’m referring to the change in the attitudes of people in service jobs, whether in McDonalds, or at the hotels we stayed in, and even in the folks working at gas stations.
Back in February, I was in Orlando for a conference, and this was when I first noticed a tidal change in the attitude of the service people. The conference was at the Orange County Convention Center, one of the biggest in the country, and one that is typically booked solid all year round. I’ve been to a number of conferences there, and this time we were the only group there – a true rarity. Our group was some 13,000 strong, down from the usual numbers we have, but still a sizable conference to manage (I know from a former life in management in the catering division of a hotel that regularly hosted 10,000+ for conferences).
The service was impeccable everywhere in Orlando, unlike many past experiences, but what really stands out as an experience I will never forget is when we were leaving the final meeting of the conference, every employee of the OCCC was lined up down the hallway, cheering and applauding us for coming to their town. They actually were saying “Thank you for coming to our city; because of you, I got to work this week”. I went through that hallway twice, the feeling was so incredibly good.
So, fast-forward to my just-ended trip to New Jersey, Manhattan, and Long Island. My son & I stayed in a hotel in Elizabeth, NJ, the Country Inn, which is part of the Marriott family of hotels. A couple of years old, this hotel was outstanding in terms of cleanliness, but what really hit me was the attitude of the staff. From the front desk clerk who upgraded us to a suite, just because I asked if they had any free upgrades, to the maid who was so happy as she cleaned our room, to the shuttle bus driver who told us of all the different ways we could get from the hotel into Manhattan, the costs, and the time it would take, as well as which we shouldn’t take for various reasons. I’ve never experienced such open grattitude and happiness from service industry people in the New York area, and it was a pleasant surprise!
We went into Manhattan twice, once to see the sights of Times Square, and for my son to hit the Abercrombie & Fitch store, the Apple Store and to eat at Mickey Mantle’s restaurant on 59th St. Everywhere it was the same – gone were the jaded, who-cares attitudes I have come to expect from New Yorkers, and out in full-force were people who were genuinely happy to have the opportunity to serve you. Businesses in NYC are obviously suffering as all the hotels had plenty of vacancies and rates were dropping every day as we got closer to our intended arrival date.
So, after a couple of days, we went off to the tournament in Long Island. We stayed at a Hampton Inn on North Ocean Blvd, and the service there was even better than the previous experiences we had. There were 4 baseball teams staying there, as well as 2 weddings booked in, and the usual guests too. The staff were friendly, bending over backwards to help at every opportunity, even opening the restaurant early every day so that we could get to our games on time.
Now, I always stay at Hampton Inns, because I respect their philosophy of how they treat guests – it closely matches that which I was taught when I went to school in the US to get my degree in hotel & institutional administration. Plus, I like their decor and ammenities at all of their inns. They just siot my style and budget when travelling.
But something happens when staying at Hampton Inns here in Canada. The staff never seem so friendly or willing to bend to accomodate groups of 50 that make up a travelling hockey team or baseball team. In Canada, it always is put forward that ‘we can’t bend the rules for you, Mr. guest’. Yet, in America, they basically throw the rule book out in the name of pleasing their guests. Whether it was our team this time, or the wedding parties who could be heard raving about the service, too many Canadian’s still don’t get it; they don’t get that we have so many choices, they should work to make us happy.
That’s it – Americans look to make us happy; Canadians think they are doing us a favour. Hmmmm.
And it’s not just hotels, it’s a societal thing where the Americans know they are lucky to be working. Perhaps Canada needs a strong recession to re-instill some appreciation in people.
Just a thought . . .
