Best practice: Whatever whenever service by W hotels

Whatever Whenever Service by W
Whatever Whenever Service by W
INSIGHT / BELIEF

There is no traffic jam along the extra mile.

CHALLENGE

Excellent customer service is the new normal. So how to communicate that effectively?

SOLUTION

“Whatever/Whenever service”, delivering whatever guests need – as long as it’s legal.

BENEFITS
  • Satisfaction
  • Free publicity

The W hotels style might be the closest thing for me to coming to a hotel style I hate. The flashy, vibrant, exorbitant style is a bit too much for a simple guy like me. I prefer Indigo, Kimpton or Design Hotels hotel styles (I wrote on my favorite hotel experiences on my travel blog). I guess that makes it even more credible that I just loooove W’s “Whatever/Whenever service.” It promises to try and deliver whatever guests request to their room – as long as it’s legal. What I love about is both the dedication of the brand to go the extra mile (“there is no traffic jam along the extra mile”) as well as their smart communication to boost awareness.

Whatever Whenever Service by W

Whatever/Whenever …

W’s “Whatever/Whenever service” promises to try and deliver whatever guests request to their room – as long as it’s legal. You can contact the team in the hotels, via social media, via phone, via email.

… including on your hotel room phone.

Additionally, there is a special Whatever/Whenever button on W hotels hotel room phones. Since the launch of Whatever/Whenever, W guests around the world from San Diego to Seoul have requested anything and everything from a pair jogging shoes at 2am to private Jet service to the Hamptons to everyone’s favorite – a bathtub filled with chocolates.

Whatever Whenever button

Based on the feedback through the years, over the years several amenities have become part of the Whatever/Whenever experience in every hotel:

You’ve Got Text

W Hotels were one of the first hotel brands to use SMS text messaging, as a way to communicate with its guests during their stay. Upon the guest’s request, Whatever/Whenever – which has its own department in every hotel! – will let guests know when their room is ready after check-in, when a package has arrived, when their dry cleaning has been delivered and more by sending a quick text message to their cell phone. W guests can also communicate with Whatever/Whenever to confirm or change reservations for restaurants, spa appointments and any other needs or wishes. Higher phone bills won’t be an issue as the hotels will credit the guest’s account for all W communication during their stay.

When Waking Up Is Hard to Do

For the sleepy-eyed guest who dreads the uninspiring wake-up call on the road, W has created a four-option menu, enabling the guest to select how they would like to start the day. For the philosopher, W will call with an inspiring message to get the day started on a positive note, or for the guest on the go, a quick simple call with the time and date will be offered. Guests whose days are packed with meetings can be awakened with the location and time of their first appointment. And for the adventurous guest who isn’t sure where he or she will end up, W will also offer wake up calls to cell phones.

Make a B-line For Neverland

Guests are sure to find the most comfortable slumber ever when W introduces its new pillow menu. The menu consists of three pillow types – perfect for making guests feel at home away from home. A neck-roll pillow for those who prefer support, a body pillow for those wishing to snuggle up with something soft, and a hypoallergenic pillow for guests with sensitive noses will be offered through the menu.

Yes, We’ll Take On Your Baggage

W has partnered with Luggage Free to help guests say goodbye to the hassle of carrying bulky bags and overstuffed suitcases through crowded airports and in and out of cars. For those who like to spend their travels shopping Madison, Melrose, or the Miracle Mile – accumulating too many packages will no longer be a problem. Luggage Free offers guests door-to-door delivery of packages. And for those who hate coming home to laundry, W will clean clothes from the stay and have them sent home. With Luggage Free, W guests no longer have to feel restrained by golf clubs, strollers, skis or other bulky objects – nothing is too big, too heavy, or too burdensome, making traveling easier than ever.

Board With a Bite

With food service on airplanes nearly extinct, W has created an amenity to ensure its busy guests will never go hungry. In addition to printing airline-boarding passes for departing guests, the hotels offer freshly-made meals to go, including a sandwich of choice from W’s in-room dining menu, a bag of chips, a bottle of Voss water, an apple, and cookies. Guests also receive a piece of “W in-flight entertainment”, which might include a mini puzzle, silly putty or something else to help keep them content up in the clouds.

My personal experience with W’s Whatever Whenever service

Hello Polle,

Greetings from W Amman, We hope you’re having a FAB day.

Regarding your request, unfortunately we don’t have this service here at W Amman.

But we’re Whatever/Whenever so we will double check and get back to you ASAP

Thank you for being a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Member.

Cheers,

When I was planning for my second attempt on hiking the Jordan Trail in Jordan, I was planning to spend one night in the W in Amman to visit a friend, before traveling on and starting my hike. I contacted the W to see if there would be any way to ship part of my food and gear from Amman to the Marriott hotel in Petra, so I would not have to carry these items on the first 2-3 days of my hike. I quickly got forwarded to the Whatever Whenever service team who left no stone unturned in their effort to find a way to make that happen. They tried at least 3 different delivery services and also tried people in the team, but were unable to help eventually (key problem turned out to be that I wanted to ship food, which is a clear NO for most services). I was still impressed (see copy above – you just got to love that), but them the team also was kind enough to share their tips for food on the Jordan Trail:

Here’s few tips about what you should look for in food marts, Consider this a checklist of things to look for your resupply since it’s easy to temporarily lose your mind when you walk into a stores after being on the trail, You might already eat like this, but if not, it will feed you properly 🙂

Nuts
* Smoked Almonds
* Shelled Pistachios
* Peanuts

Bread, Pasta, and Grains
* Loaf of Bread, White or Wheat
* Dried Pasta
* Minute Rice
* Instant Oatmeal
* Triscuits
* Animal Crackers (probably the least worst snack food)

Toppings
* Peanut Butter
* Jam
* Honey

Fruits
* Fresh Bananas
* Fresh Apples
* Raisins
* Dried Fruit Mix

Dairy and Protein
* Block Cheese
* Beef Jerky

*Remember, Keep it light and pack the essentials.

A perfect example of great service. Again, what I love about is both the dedication of the brand to go the extra mile (“there is no traffic jam along the extra mile”) as well as their smart communication to boost awareness.

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