The fast track to success? Service and a smile
I knew it wasn’t just another Eastern European border guard asking for my passport. Even the knock on the train cabin door was different; more polite, and friendlier, if a knock can even be those things. “Welcome to Budapest!” he said with a big smile, his attitude refreshing and quite a contrast from those I encountered in Poland 12 hours before.
Hungary understands customer service. They know that tourists are money, and that the better you treat them, the longer they stay, the more glowing the reports taken back home, and ultimately, the more likely they and their friends are to return.
Capitalism has been a long time coming to Eastern Europe, and the way different countries have grasped it is a study of consumerism in its infancy. The young man with the friendly knock at the train door can teach us all something about customers, perception and marketing.
Train travel in Europe is often the best way to get around and I wanted to experience the romance of a night train, first class from Krakow to Budapest: the plush private cars, the hot pots of tea and little cakes at dawn, the attentive service.
I’m still looking for that experience. What I found was a train that seemed to run in circles before finally getting out of Poland, rude Czech Republic border guards and spotty heat. So, what a refreshing greeting we had when that young man from Budapest knocked on the door.
It turns out that a number of Budapest hotels have banded together and hired bilingual young people to work the trains, planes and buses. They make their rounds, looking for tourists who don’t have reservations, and come prepared with price and location information, including pictures.
At first we eyed such an arrangement with suspicion; we’re cynical Americans, after all. But this young man’s non-pushy demeanor, the information he presented and his overall professionalism swayed us. After we selected a place to stay, he used his cell phone to confirm our choice, handed us a business card and went on to find more customers.
When the train stopped at Budapest Station, the young man gathered us and another couple and directed us away from those who were offering the same services at the station platform toward our transportation. What a step up he had on his competition.
On the ride to the hotel he armed us with tourist maps in the appropriate languages, suggestions of what to see and do in the city, offers of tours, and a great overview of public transportation. When the driver stopped in front of our hotel, the young man from the train walked us to the front desk and turned us over to the desk agent. Wow, what service.
The experience showed me that potential customers are out there, everywhere, and begs that we as business owners and agents ask ourselves these questions:
• What are you doing to get to them before your competition?
• What are you doing to make them run to your competition?
• Attitude is 90 percent of all experiences, so when was the last time you checked your company attitude?
• What sets you apart from the next guy offering the same product?
Sometimes you need to take a train into your own station to gain new perspective. You just might be surprised what your competitors are doing and why potential and current customers make different choices. What better time than the New Year to evaluate your attitude, your marketing and your goals for 2006.