Two topics that have been on my mind recently:

1. the impact of individual actions on customer experiences
2. the importance of adapting to life’s changes

While these subjects may seem unrelated at first glance, I believe they both highlight the crucial role that people play in our lives.

Posts about lousy customer service and ridiculously horrid experiences get more clicks and traction, however, I believe it is also critical to make the effort to also note when something goes right.  My personal experience has been that when something falls apart – like my recent stay at the Hampton Inn West in Amarillo – it’s because leadership failed in its job to model the customer approaches they want to see from their team. Many times, though, when something is great, it’s because individual team members take it upon themselves to deliver for their customers.

That was the case with Carson, the front desk clerk at the Hampton Inn in Rolla, Missouri, the very next night of our trip.

With a big smile and warm manner, this young man sincerely welcomed us to the property. He showed me where the luggage carts were and helped ensure that we got to our room promptly and easily. He made certain we had a couple of bottles of water – our choice: room temperature or chilled – and told us our dogs were extremely cute. (A sure-fire way to score points with us!) And he directed us to precisely the right place to park both my car and the SUV with the U-Haul trailer that Tammy was driving. (Obviously a major improvement over the previous evening!)

After we got settled in our room, we noticed the toilet was running. We couldn’t get it to stop – so I called the front desk. Carson not only answered promptly, he was in our room in mere moments to fix the toilet! He even apologized to us that because his shift was ending, he would not see us as we checked out the next morning. He wanted to wish us safe travels and hoped we would return to this Hampton Inn again in the future.

Here’s the point: our previous night in Amarillo was horrendous. This night in Rolla, Missouri, was terrific. Same hotel chain. Same décor. Same room, same mattress, same everything.

The difference was Carson.

Carson’s exceptional service not only made our stay in Rolla pleasant but also restored our faith in the Hampton Inn chain after the disappointing experience we had in Amarillo the previous night.

Your job is to:

1. create more Carsons through your leadership and training for your team; and,
2. model the behavior for your team that will help them become a group of Carsons

It’s been said by every writer and speaker on CX, “Your people make the difference.” It’s a cliché because it’s true.

Carson’s impact on our hotel experience serves as a reminder of how the people in our lives can make all the difference, which brings me to the second topic I’d like to discuss: changes in life.

This next point is a strange segment to share because I’ve lived for many years in Vegas and have loved my time there. However, as family members are getting older and some are facing health challenges, Tammy and I have decided it’s right for us to move back to Indiana for a year or so. In the past year, Tam has lost three aunts, and I lost the last member of my late Dad’s family of twelve siblings. (Thankfully, my Mom is still doing well.)

The driving trip I discussed in the last couple of messages was because we are relocating to Fort Wayne for the next twelve months or so. My business will still be officially based in Las Vegas, and we plan to return to the West in the future, but the time is right for us to be Hoosiers who are based in Indiana again for a little while.

The two seemingly disparate topics discussed in this post – the impact of individual actions on customer experiences and the importance of adapting to life’s changes – are more interconnected than they may initially appear.

Just as Carson’s personal dedication to providing excellent service transformed a routine hotel stay into a memorable experience, the people in our lives have the power to make even the most challenging transitions more manageable and meaningful. By focusing on cultivating these connections and striving to be the “Carson” in someone else’s story, we can navigate life’s ups and downs with grace, resilience, and a greater appreciation for the people who make the journey worthwhile.

Sometimes life throws a curve or two – and it is in these times that we should be reminded of the importance of the people in our lives…and how they are more impactful than the places where we may be residing.

And while Fort Wayne and Las Vegas aren’t too much alike (to say the least), and my travel will be different from the small airport here instead of the huge one in Sin City, it’s an adventure.

I just wanted you to know – and we both appreciate the love and support we receive from our friends, family, and our clients who have become our friends and like a family. Thank you.