Thank you for your outstanding service!

I have to post this one from my archives. It's from the late 90s and I'm still telling this story as an example of impeccable service. Wow!

I had the pleasure to stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Resort in Banff, Alberta, Canada and to discover that outstanding service is indeed alive and well in the brisk and fresh air of the Canadian Rockies. I value great service and I know it's rare, and when I encounter it and experience it, I have to acknowledge and celebrate it. To all of the associates of the Banff Springs Hotel I say thank you for your great service. I enjoyed my stay. Your attention to detail, your warmth and efficiency made my stay very relaxing, pleasurable and memorable. I will definitely return, and I will tell everyone I know about your commitment to incredible service. ( I am telling everyone I can about you!)

It wasn't a very challenging trip but one that I needed to tack on a weekend in the mountains for inspiration. Toronto to Calgary, dinner with a client, then off to Edmonton for some business and a evening with a friend. Early morning back to Calgary, business in the afternoon, re-union with friends in the evening, and then Saturday morning off for the drive into the mountains.

The trip wasn't such a big deal, but the 'context' was - a few 'major' things going on and I was not in any mood for any aggravations. I needed the weekend get-a-way and looked forward to being in the mountains again - to feel insignificant. Hey - I may be insignificant - but it's another thing to truly know you are insignificant. The mountains do that for me, and in a strange way it inspires and energizes me to be more significant.

The reservation was painless - very efficient. Checked the website and made one call and that was it. I liked that! I want to be there Saturday evening, standard stuff, and it was done. And everything worked, first time, no problems. I didn't even think about it again until I arrived. I like having that kind of confidence when I'm travelling.

So ... here I am driving up in an 88 Olds borrowed from my pal in Calgary, wearing bluejeans and boots and looking a bit like a dot com type who's lost his way and I pull into the arrivals area - valet parking I presume. First impressions are lasting impressions, and this very friendly character pops out of nowhere as I open the door with a great welcome to the Banff Springs! He's smiling - and seems incredibly 'in' to what he's doing. In a flash he's advising me of where to go, where he will put my car ("a classic," he says), how to get my car in the morning, where to check in, how to get my bags in - I feel very welcomed. Off with the bags and then into this incredibly beautiful lobby. I can feel the history. I like it.

Check in - extremely painless. No more than 30 seconds and I'm in - Wow! And my attendent is smiling. She seems happy. I'm happy. I know where to go and she told me about breakfast and the speedy checkout! What a lovely young lady! It's almost like she likes working here - wow! So far all I've met is happy, smiling people who seem to like working here - makes me feel very good that I'm staying here.

The room - perfect. The bed - wonderful. Room service - impeccable. An open window with the cool mountain breeze made everything truly outstanding. The only thing I could even dream to complain about was the elevator - it was slow - but only once. (They're under renovation and a few elevators seem to be out of service.) But with the frame of mind I was in that just gave me a few more moments to reflect on what an incredible service experience I was having.

Breakfast - a smiling face at about 7:30 was great, and the wonderful young lady led me to a table with the best view of the mountains and outlined the intricate details of the amazing buffet and stayed to chat for a while. Hey - she didn't even think about putting me behind the pillar, she wanted me to have the best view, which I appreciated very much. And you could see she liked her job. She enjoyed her work. She was my tour guide. She seemed to be sincerely and genuinely interested in my enjoyment of the food, the hotel facilities and the view. She made my day. The other servers were wonderful - attentive, talkative, efficient - breakfast was fine - and life seemed to be unfolding as it should.

Check out - fast, very fast and efficient, with smiles, and thank you's, and come agains. A call for the car - and it's on the way. A few minutes to wait but that's no problem because it provides a few more minutes to take in the view and the fresh mountain air. I get my keys and a smile and a thank you - to complete a wonderful and very memorable experience.

Wow! I am very impressed with the consistent and absolutely wonderful attitude and execution of service. And here's a kicker. There's no doubt that I paid more than compared to a few alternatives in the area but you know ... it doesn't even enter into the picture! I wanted the best and my expectations were exceeded! The service delivery was superb in every respect!

A week later I get a call at home in Toronto, from a very professional and courteous lady to do a follow up survey. I hate telemarketing calls, but she is very careful and considerate and sensitive to the time of day and my availability. She is so very pleasant. Of course I agree. The survey is very thorough. The questions relate to every service encounter - valet parking, check-in, the room, room service, specific restaurants, check-out - every aspect that a customer would ever encounter in a stay at the hotel. I answer every question with excellent, excellent, excellent! Will I return? Most definitely! Will I recommend the hotel? No doubt - to everyone! Overall rating? Outstanding! I value customer service and I will acknowledge it and celebrate it wherever I encounter it! Now I'm double wowed! I was absolutely wowed by the experience and again wowed by the survey! What an incredible commitment to service!

Overall? An absolutely perfect service encounter! Impeccable! Outstanding! Superb!

To the management and all associates of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel:

Thank you for your outstanding service! You are indeed the best and an inspiration for us all!