Customer Value Is A Moving Target.
“Value” is a constantly moving target. It depends not only on the person, but the time, mood, need and context. A personal example: Hotels. Clean beds. Hot Water. Coffee. Those are the basics for me. But then again…
On my recent road trip to Oklahoma, I stayed in two hotels which are about as far apart on the (perceived) value spectrum as you can get. At the high end, I stayed at the “only luxury boutique hotel” in Oklahoma City, the Colcord, on Friday night. On the other end, there is the HiWay Express hotel in Antlers (The “Deer Capital of the World” Seriously. School closes for part of deer-hunting season. Population: 2552). The Colcord was twice the price of the Hi-Way. (and yet still an incredible bargain compared to similar hotels in Manhattan, which would easily run over $400 a night.)
Was my customer experience reflective of that? Yes and No.
In The Yes Column:
Colcord history and ambiance: My friends will tell you – travel with me and you’re going to be staying in “heritage” and “luxury boutique” hotels. Colcord was built in 1910 and was the first “skyscraper” in OKC. Gorgeous marble lobby. BIG rooms with oh-so-chic modern decor. BIG oh-so-comfortable beds. Large flat panel television. Cordless phones. Fluffy robes. Big towels. Bottled water. Radio (with I-Pod docking station) tuned to classical when I checked in. Chocolates on the pillow. Rose petals on request (really – romantic package). Caviar on the room service menu. Etc. etc.
- Walking distance to OKC Bricktown (which is still very much a work-in-progress, but restaurants, shops, a canal…).
- Melitta coffee maker (”euro” or “american” selection) in the room.
- Great location – across the street from the Botanical Gardens (catch that next trip).
- French restaurant on the premises.
In The No Column:
- Construction noise down the street from the Colcord through the wee hours. Dead quiet at Hi-Way (granted, not a lot of skyscrapers being built there…but, when I checked in the woman suggested second floor back because it was quieter, away from the hi-way.) .
- Wifi didn’t work at Colcord. Wifi fired right up at HiWay (no password required either.)
- The fancy-schmancy Philips flat panel television volumes were whacked. My ancient big box at home works much better. The off-brand (some Asian company) flat panel at HiWay worked fine.
- Had to pay for parking across the street from the Colcord. Then, haul my stuff through a dark, semi-abandoned downtown mall (thinking of every horror movie I’ve ever seen as I trundled through the dark, wishing I’d thought to pack some garlic…;-) They don’t even have a parking meter anywhere in Antlers.
Value Context: While I enjoyed the Colcord overall – it is located in a city of a million people. I’d expect to find “luxury” accommodations. I was thrilled to find a new hotel (with coffee and wifi) in Antlers. (No offense to Mom and my relatives, but heretofore, my best hotel options were in Paris, Tx, over 40 miles away. A lot of driving, after a whole LOT of driving…)
So, there I was on Saturday night. All tucked in my big comfy, clean bed, after a long, hot shower, watching my Hulu queue (ain’t technology grand?)….at the HiWay Express in Antlers, Oklahoma (with my bottle of wine chilling in the fridge for refills.)
The overall value winner? HiWay. They were a very welcome comfort…their wifi worked…the television volume worked (it’s the not-so-little things) and the coffee next morning (albeit I had to go all the way down one story to the lobby) was piping hot and good (oh-so-better than having to get dressed and drive to the Sonic.) This even when taking into consideration my return stay at the Colcord on Sunday when the wifi worked and room service was excellent. (See above re French restaurant.)
I’d stay at both again (and will)…and be happy about it. For different reasons.
…and then there have been those road trips when I would have been thrilled to see a flickering “Motel 6, $29.99 double” sign in the distance. (”Hey! a flat surface to lay down on and indoor plumbing!”) Value is a (sometimes literally) moving target.
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Mary
This made me laugh out loud and long for the HiWay. I recently was determined to find the cheapest “safe” place to bunk in the midst of a long drive. My choice, in the Quad Cities area of Iowa/Illinois, had a few big rigs nearby, and a sign advertising “free breakfast.” SOLD! The “bullet proof glass” and pass-through drawer gave me pause, but it wasn’t 11 p.m. yet so I got to actually walk in.)
The room itself had a cinder block wall and just inside the door, a huge “sconce” light fixture that would look more appropriate outside. Slightly peculiar smell, some cracks in fixtures, and the SMALLEST BAR OF SOAP I have ever seen in my life. I used my own and saved the tiny freebie to scan for a future blog post.
I decided to go back out to the car for something when I crossed paths with a large, shirtless, paunchy gent patting his belly as he strode in flip flops from his room to his nearby pickup. He caught my eye and, in a Sopranos-approved accent, grunted “How ya doin’?”
For some reason, I felt compelled to return the grunt with the most Neanderthal “hey” I could muster.
But the best moment was in the morning. The free breakfast was in a pair of rooms with a wall removed. There was a table…next to a treadmill…next to some maintenance equipment. And on the table was an open bag of stale Pepperidge Farm Mini Bagels with about three left, half a jug of 2% milk, and a Tupperware container of unidentified (and identifiable) breakfast cereal.
Now this wasn’t a particularly good customer value regardless of time, mood,need, and context. But my bar for customer value is a lot lower now than it used to be. Next time, I’ll be satisfied with a room TWO doors down from the axe murderer.