Why guest disappointment often starts before arrival, how expectations are formed, and why fewer, better-held promises now outperform louder marketing.
I have a better appreciation for the disaparity between what a customer thinks they are getting and what they actually get after reading this. I wonder if it is possible to understand what the expectation is and try to match it or at least match it to what can be delivered?
Thanks Tope, really appreciate you reading and for the thoughtful question.
There are a few ways to approach it, but they all start with getting closer to the customer. If you understand their day, their tensions, how they’re feeling when they arrive, you can start to see where expectations are being set. AI can help pressure-test that. Looking at messages by persona, what the copy implies, and what people might assume without being told.
Where it usually shows up is in small moments. The language ingredients. The wording in a booking confirmation that makes speed feel guaranteed. A room description that suggests quiet, then a bar opens underneath. A check-in script that says “just a minute” when it’s going to be ten. Those choices shape expectations long before anyone complains, which is why they’re so easy to miss.
I don’t think guests are getting pickier. I think they’re just trying not to get burned.
I just got burned in fact 😡 and I am in the industry!
With promises flying at potential guests from every direction (websites, OTAs, socials, AI summaries), they’re scanning for risk, not romance. The line about promises being operational commitments, not marketing language, is spot on. Feels like the quiet winners right now are the places that promise less… and then just do exactly that, really well.
I have a better appreciation for the disaparity between what a customer thinks they are getting and what they actually get after reading this. I wonder if it is possible to understand what the expectation is and try to match it or at least match it to what can be delivered?
Thanks Tope, really appreciate you reading and for the thoughtful question.
There are a few ways to approach it, but they all start with getting closer to the customer. If you understand their day, their tensions, how they’re feeling when they arrive, you can start to see where expectations are being set. AI can help pressure-test that. Looking at messages by persona, what the copy implies, and what people might assume without being told.
Where it usually shows up is in small moments. The language ingredients. The wording in a booking confirmation that makes speed feel guaranteed. A room description that suggests quiet, then a bar opens underneath. A check-in script that says “just a minute” when it’s going to be ten. Those choices shape expectations long before anyone complains, which is why they’re so easy to miss.
You’re welcome. I see there is no compromise on getting close to the customer. Thank you for this.
I don’t think guests are getting pickier. I think they’re just trying not to get burned.
I just got burned in fact 😡 and I am in the industry!
With promises flying at potential guests from every direction (websites, OTAs, socials, AI summaries), they’re scanning for risk, not romance. The line about promises being operational commitments, not marketing language, is spot on. Feels like the quiet winners right now are the places that promise less… and then just do exactly that, really well.