How I Made a Customer Happy - OPEYEMI JEGEDE

Being a Customer Service Representative at Hotels.ng, I am responsible for producing the best possible customer experience with the greatest selection of accommodation options, the smoothest, most intuitive process and great customer service. Overtime, I have made customers feel special and start to get excited about their holiday stay by offering little surprises through discounts and some add ons such as complimentary breakfast, dinner for two and so on. Basically, there is no limit to what I can plan to ensure a customer gets the best out of a booking. A ton of research is done to ensure prospective customers/clients enjoy their hotel stay to the fullest. Each itinerary is well thought out, from unusual accommodation to handpicked restaurants to hidden discoveries in each location. In my experience with dealing with customers, I have observed most of them want someone in management to listen to their complaints. They are not always looking for a discount; they want someone with empathy to understand their situation instead of tossing them aside. I always find difficult customers to be a personal challenge for me because I like turning them into loyal customers for repeat business. On a particular day, I had an unsatisfied customer who had stayed at this particular Hotel (Monty Suites, Calabar) more than three times and did not always get a free room upgrade since it was based on availability at the time of check in. He was so upset that he left a really critical and unfair email survey about his stay and vowed to never return or use our services. I then decided to e-mail the gentleman and told him I would take full responsibility for his future reservations, plus pay for his dinner at a local steakhouse nearby. After his stay and experience at the steakhouse, his positive feedback showed he had the best time of his life, and that was quite extraordinary. I was able to retain a customer who promised never to return to do business. I experienced a high that day. In a nutshell, it is expedient for a Customer Service Representative to go the extra mile to ensure customers are satisfied and I am always ready and willing to give customers an unforgettable experience that leaves them wanting just a little more.

• Opeyemi Jegede is a Customer Support Officer at Hotels.ng