b'We hand out Captain Go Above and BeyondAlways give people more than what they expect to get.for the Day stickers to Nelson Boswell, self-help authorany children on boardYour goal should not be to meet expectations but to exceed them. If your team continues to search for ways to go above (though many adults wantand beyond, your guests will notice. This is what they will them, too), because whenwrite in their Google reviews and what will set you apart from the competition.the kids get excited, otherLeave a Lasting Impressionpassengers are touched.There is a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer. Never settle for satisfied. Shep Hyken, Small acts like this customer service expert, author, blogger, and speakercan create a positive and A story is the best way to explain this one. During one of our private charters, a crew member danced with the memorable experience nights honoree, an elderly woman celebrating a milestone birthday. Luckily, it was filmed, and you could see how for everyone. much fun everyone was having and how genuine our crew was in being a part of that. That experience led to a won-derful testimonial and a client that returns multiple times coverage! A local news team came out and recorded a wholea year. And thats how the human touch can leave a lasting segment about the event. In other words, they shouted ourimpression in a way that technology cannot.exceptional customer service through the radio for all to hear. Had our team not gone the extra mile to investigate,In conclusion, I will leave you with this: technology and or had we said, sorry to hear that, and walked away, noneAI can meet expectations, but it takes a human touch to of that would have happened. Instead, that human touchexceed them.snowballed into Watermark for the Win.STRATEGY FOR SUCCESSNow that we have the full picture, lets talk about a strategy that has proven to be successful when leveraging human touch over the use of technology in customer service: About the Author 1. Always try to say yes.2. Go above and beyond. GABRIELLA SHEWFELT3. Leave a lasting impression. MARKETING MANAGER, WATERMARKAlways Try to Say Yes GabriellaShewfeltisthemarketingmanagerfor Loyaltyisnotbuiltonfeaturesandbenefits.FeaturesWatermark, based in Maryland. Entering the tourism and benefits do not inspire. Loyalty and long-lasting rela- industry during the pandemic, she quickly established tionships are based on something deeper. Simon Sinek,herself as a key player. Specializing in both traditional author and motivational speaker and digital marketing channels, Gabriella crafts in-Humans dont work in binary code with set inputs andnovative strategies that effectively engage her target outputs like computers do. We are flexible and can pivotaudienceanddriveimpactfulresults.Hercreative and customize to meet our guests needs. We can be dy- approach and dedication have made her a rising star namic and creative problem solvers. in the tourism and hospitality sectors and point to a bright future in marketing.15 NOVEMBER 2024'