I stayed at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center last weekend for a wedding. As soon as I checked in, I noticed the employee nametags had something noticeably different on them: another name. (Sorry the pic is tough to see…not an easy shot)
“Why does your nametag say ‘The Boss’ on it?” I asked Jonathan.
“Oh, Bruce is my favorite! See, we all have a different musician underneath our name – you know, to promote the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.”
“Ahhh…nice. Great idea. So, what’s your favorite Springsteen song?”
“I’d say ‘Born to Run,'” Jonathan said.
“Good call! ‘Glory Days’ is my jam,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s a great one too…well, here’s your room key, Mr. Ginsberg. And let me know if I can do anything else for you. Enjoy your stay!”
* * * *
I stay in hotels a fair amount. But rarely do I tell everyone I know about a conversation I had at the check-in counter.
And why?
Because they usually suck. Or don’t exist. Or begin with “Name?”
But in about 30 seconds, this frontline employee made an UNFORGETTABLE first impression. And a big part of that was discovering the CPI, or Common Point of Interest via his employee nametag.
Upon checking out, I wrote Jonathan a glowing comment card. That’s the first time I’ve ever done that in my life. After I handed it to him he said, “Mr. Ginsberg, I noticed you wore a nametag all weekend – even on your tux! You must really like nametags, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time a frontline employee stepped onto your front porch?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
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