Opinion / When your name becomes the ultimate luxury – why brands should learn to be less transactional and make a more personal connection with customers
Warm personal interactions with staff at Ermenegildo Zegna in New York, Mexico’s Viceroy Los Cabos and Geneva’s Hotel President Wilson reminded me of a simple truth – being recognised and remembered makes customers feel special
In March 2019, I visited the Geneva Motor Show. My first event there was the world premiere of the Pininfarina Battista, a US$2 million electric hypercar, but my train from Paris was delayed and I arrived at the fancy Hotel President Wilson, site of the event, already late. When the doorman opened the taxi door, I experienced something I did not expect: I was greeted by name. Given the hundreds of people arriving at the hotel that day, I never expected this. Even more, the doorman knew I was attending the show. He smiled and said, “Welcome Dr Langer, I know you are late, let me take care of everything in regards to your luggage. We will bring you directly to the event, so that you can fully focus on that.”
The power of using a guest’s name and even anticipating their emotional state was a game changer. I felt like I was arriving home. Taken care of. Valued. In a moment when I was stressed and annoyed, the personal touch and full attention towards me made all the difference. It created a memory I will never forget.
I recently visited the stunning Viceroy Los Cabos resort in Mexico to give a leadership seminar. There, I experienced something even more memorable: not only did every one of the staff greet me by name, but they all introduced themselves. After a few days I knew the names of half of the staff and every conversation felt like one between friends. The staff knew where I was going, where I had been before, how I spent my day and they saw me many times busy preparing my class and in on-site meetings. The highlight was a waiter named Pablo Marban, who always smiled, always joked about me forgetting his name, and made every morning a delight. I consider the experience with him the best customer experience I ever had in my life. Exchanging names was a significant part of it.
During these interactions I realised how underutilised the power of names is. Using them transformed an already great experience into a total luxury immersion that felt maximally personal. When I asked him about that, Peter Bowling, general manager of the Viceroy Los Cabos, told me that he wants the guests to feel “at home, and cared for”. To me, this is the ultimate luxury.
