Travelodge Hotel Accuses You

At the Travelodge Hotel You Are Guilty Till Proven Innocent


At the Travelodge Hotel, (Burlington on the Lake) you are guilty till proven innocent. How’s that for customer service? How’s that for marketing?

I attended a morning seminar at the Travelodge Hotel in Burlington. After the seminar I found this notice on the windshield of my car which I had parked in the Travelodge parking lot.

________________________________________________________
Travelodge Hotel
Burlington on the Lake

PARKING NOTICE
PRIVATE PROPERTY

YOU ARE CURRENTLY PARKED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY RESEVERED FOR HOTEL GUESTS AND RESTAURANT PARTRONS IN THE DESIGNATED AREA. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE A MONTHLY PARKING PASS PLEASE CONTACT THE FRONT DESK.

PLEASE REMOVE YOUR CAR

YOU WILL BE TICKETED OR TOWED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS NOTICE.

______________________________________________________________

(Yes it was typed in all CAPS with the extra large and bold print.)

How would you feel if you found this notice on your car? You just attended a meeting at the hotel. You parked legitimately in the regular parking lot and you are accused of being a trespasser, thief or worst. And you are threatened with fines and the hassle and embarrassment of having your car towed.

How would you feel?

Confused? Annoyed? Ticked?

I was all of those – plus curious. Curious about how anyone could be so stupid, insensitive and I was curious about the “explanation”.

So unlike most unhappy customers who would simple feel pissed-off and drive away – I walked back into the hotel.

I was curious and on a mission of discovery. I approached the front counter, placed the notice on the counter and asked the clerk, “What is this about?” She backed away as if I had vampire fangs. A manager from the back room approached the front desk to address my concerns. He did not introduce himself.

Same question for him, “What is this about?”

He immediately went into a defensive tirade. This was for my protection so I would have a place to park.

My next question, “Why have you accused me of an offense?”

“This was the only way we can protect your ability to park” After a few rounds of nonsense I left. There was no apology – only a self-righteous defense. And most importantly no “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”

Not only did I feel falsely accused and abused by the Travelodge Hotel – I also felt unappreciated for bringing this mistake to their attention.

Anyone can make a mistake. Only a fool would persist in defending that mistake.

I guess that the Travelodge Hotel is a fool.

George Torok

Power Marketing

Marketing Truths

Marketing is about sending messages
Everything you do or don’t do sends a message. Your customer service, policies, telephone manner, community presence, supplier relationships, are all marketing. Marketing is much more than advertising.

Marketing is about building relationships
We would rather buy from those we know and like. Marketing is how you help prospects know and like you. Marketing builds and maintains the relationship that keeps them coming back for more.

Marketing is long term
The pay back on your marketing of today might happen next week, next month or next year. In some businesses the cycle could be even longer.

Marketing is part art, part science
Effective marketing is built on systematic principles. The delivery of your marketing is differentiated by your personal flair.

Marketing is always happening – whether you intend it or not
Some business owners claim they don’t do marketing. Nonsense! Everything you do is marketing.

Marketing is everyone’s role and responsibility
It might be easier to identify your sales staff as the ones who close the deals. You are missing the point if you think marketing is the sole responsibility of your “marketing department”. Everyone in your company is marketing, from the delivery-van driver to the accounts payable clerk, to the production foreman.

Marketing is everything you do that makes it easier to sell
Good marketing helps you close deals. Bad marketing wastes money and kills deals.

Marketing is occurring on both a direct and indirect level
The Facts and the Feeling.
The Intellect and the Emotion.
The Look and the Smell.
The Realities and the Perceptions.

It is the second part of each of these comparisons that moves people.

George Torok
Power Marketing

Bad to Worst - Website breakin

Just when I thought that the worst thing that could happen to my websites was to have them down - it gets worst.

Two of my websites were hacked and substituted with the hacker's graffiti.

I feel like a train car plastered with graffiti tags. It feels like a personal infraction, a personal foul - an incursion into my space.

Futher insult to injury has been the lack of communication from my webhost over the past couple weeks of problems. This one is only the latest.

The first time I discovered this hacking - I cursed. Then I showed a couple of friends and laughed. Now I am planning to move my sites to new hosts.

Customers always vote best with their feet. Just because your customers are not yelling at you doesn't mean they are happy or returning.

George Torok

Websites Down this Week

A few of my websites are down this week. My host has been having a few problems over the past week. I'm not sure when the sites will be up and fully working.

The sites affected are:
www.Torok.com
www.PowerMarketing.ca
www.BusinessInMotion.ca

If you are looking for these sites - thank you for your patience.

George Torok

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

Marketing is about sending messages. Marketing is not about lying. Unfortunately, some marketers don’t understand the difference. Lying is not sustainable marketing - nor is it ethical marketing.

Marketing is about telling good and flattering stories. It is not about telling untrue stories. Please don’t lie. For example, it is one thing to report that one of your customers claims that you “walk on water”. It is another thing for you to claim that you walk on water.

Don’t state that you are the nation’s leading, number one or the best – unless you have clear supporting evidence of those claims.

If you received an award, then boast about that award – but don’t pretend that a regional award is a national title.

Tell your marketing story - but please don’t lie.

George Torok
Power Marketing