Did you ever notice that it is the little, unexpected nuances that grab your attention?

From the world of statistics comes the normal curve of outcome distribution, also known as a bell curve because of its shape on a 2D graph. This simple curve identifies that for most circumstances, the result is going to be somewhere in the middle — the hump of the curve so to speak. That is the expected.

It is the two “tails” of the curve — those outcomes that have deviated from the standard — that stand out and differentiate your property, for better or for worse. Focusing on the “for better,” it’s these positive outliers that will create those memorable moments that translate into actual word-of-mouth or a rank increase on a travel review website.

Woe vs. wow moments

Think about your trip to the office this morning. What do you remember about it, if anything? Typically, you will only recall those elements that were out of the ordinary, such as a rare car you passed or, if you took the subway, the fact that you waited drastically longer than normal due to a train delay.

Our minds don’t pay attention to the ordinary because, frankly, what’s the point? If something is normal, why waste time, energy and brain cells on the matter?

With hotel management, when we do our job just as expected, it does not generate any real acknowledgement by the guest. And, to a certain extent, we as hoteliers are not expecting accolades for this level of service either. After all, that is what the guest has paid for.

Don’t expect guests to remark that the bathroom was clean, the bed was made properly, the television worked on all channels defined in the guide or the air conditioning was adequate. This is what’s expected — as such, our brains tune it out. But woe to the hotelier whose property does not meet those basic needs! Guests are quick to report all to TripAdvisor.

On the positive side of the ledger are those activities and small interactions that generate wow comments. Wow comments have one thing in common, and contrary to what is intuitive, it is not cost — it is creativity.

It is these little nuances, these points of differentiation, that jolt our brains out of neutral gear (the expected) into full-fledged data recording (the unexpected). Your role as a hotelier is to discover and exploit these opportunities for the benefit of your guests.

Here are some examples of incredible wow moments that still jog my memory several years after experiencing them:

• Chocolate “lollipops” as a welcome amenity at the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
• Apples with the Hotel Kempinski Geneva brand literally grown into the skin of each perfect specimen
• Personalized icing on cookies at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
• Similarly, your name spelled out in burnt-wood blocks on the exterior of your cabin at San Ysidro Ranch just outside of Santa Barbara
• A “goodbye munchies snack bag” left in the car upon departure from Montage Laguna in Orange County
• London’s The Savoy with its restaurant Kaspar’s adorning each cappuccino with a chocolate-dusted logo on the foam
• Printed “At Residence” business cards at The Lanesborough, also in London
• Restaurant menu organized by wine type rather than appetizers and mains at the Boston Harbor Hotel
• The “march of the ducks” at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis
• The small jar of honey from the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, which they correctly note comes from their own apiary on the rooftop
• A different musical instrument in each suite at the Windsor Arms, also in Toronto

What other hotels can you cite that are doing things similarly? Next, examine your operations. Ask your team what you can do to create wow moments for your guests. And remember: less is more. One standout wow moment is better than 10 seemingly ordinary ones.

(Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on May 13, 2013)