A few years ago, a team of researchers found that happiness, rather than being directly in ratio to pleasant circumstances, existed in the space between reality and expectation. (Happiness = Reality – Expectations) It may sound overly simplistic but it’s a basic premise that has far-reaching applications.
For anyone working in service industries, the happiest customers aren’t those whose expectations have been met, it’s those whose expectations have been exceeded. Disappointment, on the other hand, comes when expectations are not met. For hotels, honest marketing photos and reviews can have a great impact on gaining happy (and therefore loyal) guests because they create fair expectations that can be met and exceeded.
Another way to raise the sum of happiness is to break through the standard lowered expectations with things like eliminating lines at check in, speedy check out, and personalized experiences. These are some of the reasons we continually speak about using technology to enhance customer service and elevate the guest experience. Click here for case studies on using mobile technology to increase guest happiness.