Our Best Family Vacation
Discovering the truth about customer service and amenities of service providers.
We just returned from a wonderful family vacation to the sunny island of Puerto Rico. It was by all means the best family vacation we had ever taken. As the kids have gotten older, they are now 9 and 5 years old, things have gotten easier. We planned this trip over a year ago, and everyone was excited. I was looking most forward to the wonderful five star resort I had booked. I had done my research on the internet and by all accounts it had everything we were looking for: beach, spa, casino, kids club, excursions and lots of restaurants. We figure we would never leave our home away from home and could just relax on the gorgeous beach that we saw on the website’s pictures.
Again, I will say our trip to Puerto Rico was the best family trip we have ever taken not because of the resort or the customer service but because of the natural beauty and attractions Puerto Rico had to offer. Although the resort itself had a wonderful beach and grounds, the rooms, interior design, and customer service needed some updating. The hotel hasn’t had a renovation since its opening in 1996; it was clean but smelled of mildew. Some of the staff enjoyed what they did and it showed, but it was obvious that most of the staff was just collecting a pay check. The kids club, which online boosted wonderful age appropriate activities, in the end was a small converted suite with a TV, art table and game area. Also, the kids from age 3 to 12 did everything together and almost never left the small 2 room “kids club” (my kids didn’t spend one minute there which means we did everything together, so much for a little break for mom and dad).
I think my experience was about the same as most others. Even though I will refer people to Puerto Rico for the rainforest, bioluminescent bay, caves, San Juan forts, and great food, I will not be referring people to this resort. I think that this experience has reinforced what we strive to offer at our self storage properties. We know our clients need the whole package in order to refer a friend. They want great customer service and the amenities we offer. They want things to go smoothly and to have a connection with our team members. Everyone wants five star service, and they should expect it especially when a company advertises this to customers like we do on our website and through our advertising campaigns.
It’s hard when you are searching for a service because anyone can have a great looking website but the truth comes out when you visit the service provider. I wish I could have visited this resort before we stayed, but the good news is for most services you can visit before you buy. As with any service, not all are created equally, and even though you can shop online and on the phone you should always visit before you purchase.
