It's incredible how a little thoughtful act can make your day and lift your spirit, even long after the gesture. Beyond customer service, I appreciate how those at Hilton Grand Vacations make their living being pleasant. However, it's a beautiful experience when someone who also demonstrates something more.
It may the person working the lobby desk, who always remembers your name, or the cleaning staff who has a cheerful greeting. I want to share a couple of stories of Hilton Grand Vacations team members who went beyond basic customer service with a special touch and left lasting impression I think about years later.
No Detail is Too Small
On a long weekend getaway to Las Palmeras in Orlando, we arrived to find Valentine's Day welcome treats in our unit.
Of course, the chocolate-covered strawberries in the refrigerator were a treat, but the hand-signed welcome card was an equally pleasant surprise. I know that teams at some resorts do this for many guests, but the fact that they took the time (with different pens even) was very meaningful to me.
Top-Notch Service On The Sly
My wife and I were excited to go on our first Hawaiian resort vacation—saving up points, vacation time and air miles to make it an unforgettable trip. The Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort was the right choice for our first time navigating the Big Island.
It was our base station for us as we put mile after mile of scenic driving on our rental car. We explored local eateries, zip-lined (!) and sipped Kona coffee from the very trees where the beans grew.
Mid-way through our stay, I visited a small kiosk on the property, a help desk away from the main building. While browsing the brochures and chatting with the woman working there, she asked if the trip was for anything special.
I offhandedly mentioned it fell between my wife's birthday and our 34th wedding anniversary. I then purchased two tickets to the famous Waikoloa Luau for that night, said my goodbyes and met back up with my wife.
If you haven't been to a luau before, it is quite an event. Besides great music, Hawaiian dance and other cultural demonstrations, there are beautiful stories and rituals. It begins with the presentation of the roast pig and progresses to a traditional love story. It was a night for all the senses.
And here's where someone pulled a fast one.
At the end of the love story, the emcee began recognizing the newlyweds honeymooning, calling out their names and inviting them to the front to share a dance. He then started announcing those who were there for their first, third, fifth anniversary (you can see where this is going, can't you? My wife and I didn't.).
It was a doubly special surprise to hear our names called as the longest-married couple celebrating at the luau. My wife thought I had orchestrated it, but I was as astonished as she was. It wasn't until later that evening when I worked out how the emcee could have possibly known.
When The Standard is Exceptional
The luau grapevine is probably a regular practice. However, the fact that it happened to my wife, and in such an unexpected and delightful way just cemented our convictions that we made a great decision becoming Hilton Grand Vacations Owners.
I bet that if we looked more closely, we would recognize even more instances of Hilton Grand Vacations customer service touches.
You can tell that team members genuinely enjoy being thoughtful and creative to make our stays memorable.
I look forward to catching them in the act if only to say well done and thank you.
Read “Vacation Home or Vacation Ownership?” for more reasons timeshare ownership with Hilton Grand Vacations worth considering.