My recent visit to Montreal provided me with a few interesting items to blog about both on this blog and my B2C Hispanic blog (www.blogdecanada.com). Here I want to write about the issue of honesty and transparency. I believe, as others do, that we are entering (or have entered) an age of transparency in which companies will have a more difficult time, whether intentionally or unintentionally, bamboozling customers or potential customers.-
When I travel on business I prefer to stay at an InterContinental Hotel. My preference for the brand began with the Presidente InterContinental in Mexico City several years ago. Since then I have stayed at other InterContinental hotels and at many of the IHG properties in Canada and elsewhere. I am a member of their Priority Club at the Ambassador level and, in the spirit of full disclosure, a few years ago my sites became affiliates of IHG (www.hotelesdecanada.ca). Many IHG properties are featured throughout the Canada en Espanol Network.
-So choosing a hotel in Montreal for my recent visit was easy, stay at the InterContinental. I booked online as usual and I checked the site to learn about the hotel. Everything was OK until I showed up to check in and began to realize that the hotel is under renovation - no proper lobby, no restaurant and no business centre. I was obviously dissappointed. The hotel's website has this on the home page "Unveiling its new identity in spring 2009, the InterContinental Montreal will be showcased like never before." I must admit I had not read it, but even if I did, the statement is not specific enough and it does not tell prospective guests that they won't have access to a business centre a lobby or a restaurant (the hotel offers meal services at a restaurant/pub across the hall in a building next door, but it is not very convenient). I believe in providing feedback and I called the manager to express my dissappointment. I wanted to speak to the general manager but I was told he wasn't available and I spoke to a manager on duty who sort of apologized and told me that the only thing he could do for me was to give me a $100 discount on my next stay to which I said that I appreciated the gesture, but that my point was to let the hotel know that in this age of transparency I would appreciate it more if they had informed me in more detail about the renovations and offered me a discounted rate to stay at the hotel because I really do not appreciate a bait and switch experience, especially from brands I consider leaders in their category. And that was that.
-Later on I picked up the letter with the $100 discount, but did not open it right away. When I finally did open it because I was curious as to what it said, I was even more dissappointed with what I saw. The letter was basically a form letter that was written last year as a promotion for guests staying at the hotel during the Holidays. It even had pictures of Holiday ornaments around the text. It did indicate about a $100 discount on a future stay as long as it was before the end of April (while renovations would still be going on). Do you see why I might not have liked this letter? First, the letter was not personalized, which did not make me feel like a very valued customer. Second, the letter was just a leftover from a previous promotion. Third, the so-called discount was only valid during renovation time. I did not say anything further at that moment (was too busy working and finding suitable restaurants OUTSIDE the hotel). Ah, but at check out time...
-At check out I was asked: "How was your stay with us?" Well, other than the room, I said, terrible. It's very interesting to see the person's reaction when they don't hear what they expect to hear. I proceeded to express my views and I was pleased by the understanding shown by the woman who was doing the check out. While she wanted to do more to make me feel valued she was able to take $100 off my bill, which was a better gesture than the form letter. More importantly was her acknowledgement and understanding of my comments that restored my trust in the brand.
-The point in all of this is that I believe that in this day and age businesses must be more open and honest with customers and potential customers. Bait and switch tactics and trying to conceal things that customers will find out about later does not benefit your business in the long run. More often than not, customers will not complain (though many will do so via social media like TripAdvisor). They just won't come back and will not recommend your brand. Be honest and open and offer an incentive or discount for their inconvenience and you will gain their loyalty and understanding.
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Jaime Horwitz MBA
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