Would You Have Stayed on Hold?
It happens to the best of us.
We think we are booking through a hotel or airline website, but instead, we actually book through a third party.
This happened to me last week when I booked our room at the Hilton for our West Coast vacation.
When I realized my error and also saw that the room I booked was garden level (not ocean view) and was $200 more than the upgraded room, I got on the phone.
I called the third party company with a calm demeanor. Even after they said I was one day past the cancellation policy and they couldn’t help me, I stayed at it with an assertive, yet friendly, tone. I wanted to know what they could do or what I could do to make this process run smoothly.
I spent at least 45 minutes on hold over the span of two different times and all the while, I was not angry or impulsive in my conversation. That doesn’t solve anything! The woman I was speaking to was actually surprised I was okay with being on hold that long.
At the same time I was talking to the third party, I was also talking to the Hilton directly, so they could book me the room I desired. They were extremely kind and helpful through the process. Again, it wasn’t their fault any of this was happening, so even though the situation was frustrating, there was no need to lash out at the wrong people. It was my fault and I needed to course correct.
The third party ended up opening a ticket to help and while I was told I had to call back in 24, 48 and 72 hours for an answer, I responded with a “that’s fine.”
We don’t always get it right on the first try, especially in business. It’s about staying positive and asking for help, while not being overly aggressive, but also standing your ground.
So what was the outcome?
I kept showing up and I took notes of every conversation, what they said and whom I spoke to. I continued to keep my patience, it was my mistake and I knew if I stayed the course I could correct it.
It’s important in business to keep showing up, it is a strong belief of mine and has always been a strong belief. Show up for your clients, show up for your team, show up when there are issues that need resolution, show up to celebrate the good times, show up 100%.
I called the company that made the reservation daily to follow-up, as well as called the hotel. I built relationships with the front desk staff and asked for the people I spoke to, Omar, Jennifer and Justin the manager. When the third party told me they reached out and the hotel would not cancel, I called the staff I was building the relationship with. They were keeping notes, as well, and had never heard from the third party booker. I politely reached back out via writing and phone and shared that there was an untruth and called them out. It took perseverance and patience and I eventually received the credit from the third party.
My key lessons that I often teach other business leaders and, of course, I teach myself on a daily basis:
Show up consistently
Have patience
Build relationships
Follow-up
Say thank you!