When Waiting Becomes an Experience: How Presentation Makes All the Difference in Luxury Service

Allow me to share a tale of a dissatisfied client who recently stayed at a prestigious palace. He entrusted his shoes to a professional in a carefully crafted space within the hotel's lobby. The employee promised to treat the shoes with such care that it would be almost like a "dance of love." The masculine and luxurious atmosphere, with its intoxicating scent of leather, added to the ultra-sophisticated experience for which the client was willing to pay an exorbitant price.

However, when the client asked how long it would take, the professional replied, "15 minutes." The client was deeply disappointed. He felt as if he had been cheated because how can one perform a "dance of love" with shoes in just 15 minutes?

This story highlights the importance of presentation in a luxury experience. While we all strive to reduce wait times, this tale reminds us that it can sometimes be a moment of excitement and anticipation for the client in a luxury experience. However, it is crucial that the wait time be well-presented and correspond to the overall experience being offered.

Consistency and quality service at each stage of the client's experience are essential to ensure their satisfaction.

In this case, the professional had created high expectations with a polished presentation but disappointed the client with a too-short wait time. This illustrates the importance of consistency and quality service at every stage of the client's experience, with a spirit of benevolence and care to meet the highest expectations of our most demanding clients.

Let me now tell you another story that illustrates a different situation. In the ultimate luxury company, a large-scale business offering diverse services, clients have been giving feedback for years that they are irritated by the voicemail messages played during wait times to receive a response. While it can last ten minutes or more, after the client selects their preferred language and service, it still lasts at least two minutes. This situation causes great dissatisfaction, until the company, overwhelmed by clients, finally removes the annoying presentation.

But was it really the presentation with soft music and a pleasant voice that was the problem? We must tell you that it was not. The problem was and remains the excessive wait time, which in this case cannot be justified in any way. In fact, for a high-end service, the phone response time should not exceed one minute. The solution to this situation can only be found by increasing the number of telephone specialists. Thus, it would be possible to reintroduce pleasant music that clients will not have time to listen to in full, as an operator will quickly answer their call.

The third example we discussed illustrates the rule described by Kanneman.

Which inner square is darker?

They are the same, but here works the framing effect.

he same range of services and hospitality can be perceived differently depending on how it is framed.

The framing effect can have an impact on the perception of services and hospitality offered. Indeed, presenting the wait time to a client can be done in various ways.

We have often heard phrases such as "I will get back to you soon." However, such a formulation must be banned. An unexplained wait always seems longer than an explained one. Thus, the client will be more satisfied if we communicate with them in the following manner: "I will respond to you within the day, Madam" or "Mister Bond, I will give you a response in X minutes."

In summary, a polished presentation, quality service, attention to detail, and benevolence towards our most demanding clients are the pillars of our luxury experience. We must strive to always offer unforgettable experiences in consistency with our commitments to ensure the satisfaction of our clients.

Anastasia Shevchenko