I have received two noteworthy upgrades in my life. The first was a couple years ago when my wife and I were returning from a trip to Italy. We were just about to board our flight from Frankfurt to DC when we were informed that we were upgraded to business class. My one mistake was staying awake to eat and watch movies for the entire flight. It made the back of the plane on our flight from DC to San Diego miserable.
My second upgrade occurred just this past week. I was attending a conference at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. Thanks to the conference, hotel rates were a steal at $75 per night. Upon arrival at the hotel I was informed that my room was upgraded to a suite on the penthouse floor. What????? During my stay I spent exactly zero dollars gambling and zero dollars on alcohol so I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t characterize me as a high roller. The room was absolutely amazing and I probably used about one percent of it.
Why in the world do upgrades like this happen? I’m sure the airline needed my seat and perhaps the hotel was overbooked. Regardless, unexpected upgrades are one way to dazzle your customers, make them feel like royalty and create stories they will undoubtedly tell for years to come. Perhaps it’s not practical for companies to go to these extremes on a routine basis but what are some practical ways you can give your customers unexpected upgrades that will take their experience to the next level?
