Chose to stay in this property for its location/convenience, eco-friendly practices and some nostalgia…!
I was greeted with a warm namaste by all staff. It was like going into an Isha Foundation program, where volunteers do the same!
But the warmth ended there. No one to help with luggage, through the check in progress. And the check in was a not-so-happy experience.
- #MMTmoment: An #MMTmoment is when you have booked through any of those platforms, for best prices. Remember 40% discount TVC of MakeMy Trip, featuring Ranvir & Alia?
It was like, ‘you got the best price, don’t ask for more’! That is what I felt as a customer!
- I did not get a non-smoking room. They were ‘all overbooked’. When I requested for an upgrade, ‘sorry, all rooms are booked’ was the response. As I finished my check-in process, another guest was being told same story, but was given a complimentary upgrade, without even asking. The disadvantage of booking thru booking.com? The overall check in process was not a great experience.
- Same was check out experience. No warmth! The staff are trained to wish ‘namaste’. But it has become ritualistic, perhaps?!
They are an eco-friendly property, perhaps one of the pioneers. Should all hotels not be high on environment-friendliness? Food at the restaurant, one of the best vegetarian food you can get in Mumbai. Not the Udupi-style you normally get, but real south-Indian. Chettinad was the theme, made it great experience. Excellent service.
A lot of hotels are going for re-branding exercises (@LiveMint) This hotel’s strength is its strong brand. But there are other areas they can look at, especially the physical infrastructure.
What are the problems:
- Front end/customer-facing staff are not very motivated, trained enough?
- Company’s vision/mission not aligned with that of employee?
- Evolving value system of a young generation?
‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ used to be one of our key values. When did we lose it? How do we re-connect with it?
Not just in hospitality sector, but across all activities, business or otherwise.
How customer-centric is your team? How do you measure & monitor it? Having a good measure (NPS, for example) is not enough. What we do with it is more important.
Would still go back to the property, S Indian restaurant and also recommend to friends… for the affinity, nostalgia!