Nice Guys Get the Worm
Last week, our little family of three set off on our yearly escape. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city. No 4G. No Wi-Fi. No nothing. We totally switched off from the outside world.
Those who know me well enough know that we will make our trip to Avillion Water Chalets at Port Dickson every year, without fail. This year was no different. It just so happens that this was in conjunction with our fifth year wedding anniversary.
We checked in at Holiday Villas for the night on Wednesday evening to escape the expected traffic jam because of Good Friday*. We booked a Deluxe Room and was expecting to be given that. But no.
We jokingly asked if there was a presidential suite available. The hotel receptionist said there wasn’t, but there was a Premium Suite that she could check us into.
The room was nothing short of spectacular.
The next day, we said our thanks and bid adieu to the hotel. It was a good 2 hours drive to PD on the North-South Highway, maintaining a steady rate of 150km/h. Heck, I even clocked my fastest ever at 180km/h^.
We even spotted a double rainbow. 😁
Upon arrival at the resort in PD, we were given our usual Premium Water Chalet. Checked in and did our usual activities for the day.
Went back in the room for a quick shower and that’s when my son said “Daddy, worm!”. There was a 10–15cm worm in the open shower area. Like a gung-ho dad, I scooped it up and located it into the bottom of the sea.
End of the episode? Not really. My wife said we could probably get another upgrade if we told the front office. Worth a try in my opinion. Made a call, told them about the worm and specifically asked if we could be moved or upgraded. Credit to the staff, they were really apologetic and offered to upgrade us without a second request.
Lo and behold!
We were given a 1-Room Water Villa, furthest out into the sea. 2 upgrades in 2 days. This was even easier than getting a client sign-off!
On TOP of that, premium access to AviSpa, their award winning spa experience.
Lesson 1: Planning pays off.
Real-Life
Failure to plan is planning to fail. We analysed the potential traffic and delays we could have encountered if we were to drive off in the morning. Do we want to spend that extra 3–4 hours just waiting? Nope. We decided to set off the night before and beat the traffic.
Work Life
Analyse the upcoming weeks if you’ve a major milestone. Write down what are the items required to meet that objective and set it into motion.
Lesson 2: Being nice, asking politely could really do wonders!
Real Life
In the above examples, we politely asked if we could be upgraded. It was just a simple request, not even a demand. I’m surprised at how easy it was to actually get that upgrade.
Work Life
In our line of work, I deal with clients and vendors to get our projects moving. I usually get asked for some out-of-scope work. Should I do it? Well it really depends how nice you can be.
Q1 – Is the client cooperative, even nice?
Q2 – Was it a screw up that could sour the relationship?
Q3 – Is the relationship worth continuing?
When I have the 3 ticks, I usually oblige. The Art of War you may say. Strategy.
An extra hour or two in exchange for another decent project is well worth it.
Lesson 3: Acknowledge fault, explain and move on.
Real Life
Imagine if the front office would said that “it was just a worm”. No doubt that would leave us with a bad impression and feeling throughout the stay. Instead, sincere and multiple apologies were made, explaining that this was a rare incident and offered to move us into another room.
Work Life
Mistakes are bound to be made in the line of our work. Being unable to meet a 2pm deadline because Photoshop decided to crash could turn the sweetest client into a living hell. Apologise (yes, even if it’s a machine issue), explain and manage their expectations.
If you were in my position, what would you have done differently? Or did you face a similar experience and how did you handled it? Share them with me.
* Being a PM has made me a well prepared beast. Plan in advance.
^ Going downhill on a straight road.
+ Unfortunately, the worm was harmed in this episode.