Just came back from my first cruise and overall it was good. Maybe an 8 out of 10. As a marketer, I’m always looking for lessons I can take away and apply to my clients’ business and also my own. Here are 10 things we can learn from those hotels on water.
- They are the Gods of Upsell. Now upselling could be good and bad. The key is to gauge a customer’s appetite for purchasing more and match the approach to the degree of desire. If you are going to upsell robotically and on every turn, then that’s just wrong and off-putting. For me, that was the main area where my Carnival cruise lost some points. Staff should be told “Upsell Responsibly”
- Capture e-mails for permission based marketing and feedback
- Customer Experience is what you are really selling. No matter what business you’re in. Your customer’s experience with your brand helps you to jump out of the pack
- Make sure all your staff are on the same page. There were approximately 1 staff for every 3 customers on board. (3600 guests/1200) It was evident how well cross-trained all staff were on FAQ’s
- Not all customers are the same. Match your offerings to customer segments. The couple with teenage children have different needs to the couple celebrating their 25th Anniversary
- Always add a few pleasant surprises to your offerings. Like the serving staff breaking out in song and dancing on table tops
- Encourage your people to be their real selves. Customers value authenticity from brands
- Be prepared for anything. Have a plan B. You can’t send for a plumber in the middle of the ocean
- Make sure you always give exceptional value. Hint: Value does not mean cheap
- Understand that customers will tell others about their experience with your brand. (like this blog) In fact, word-of-mouth is the single most influential form of advertising. The internet makes it so easy to share far and wide. Make sure people have good things to say about their contact with your brand
