The story of my experience at the Wingate by Wyndham in Loveland, Colorado, this week may become the foundation for multiple presentations to come in the sport management classes at Union on topics such as customer service, being others-centered, and the defining difference between transactional and transformational experiences.

Without sharing too much information on a personal matter, I will attempt to be selective in the retelling of my encounter with this hotel on Saturday in describing the overwhelming difference between a transactional experience or a transformational one.

A little background here might be warranted in efforts to provide the true mindset of a weary traveler. It is important to note that many of the experiences that led to the weariness were of my own choice that day, but here is the tale anyway. Leaving my home at 4:00 AM on Friday, I navigated the intensity of Memphis drivers (even at that early hour) to fly to Denver in my quest of completing races in all 50 states. With an early arrival in Denver, my map application programmed for Rocky Mountain National Park, and breakfast (too early for lunch) from Chick-Fil-A, I spent a glorious few hours admiring God’s creation, getting my worship on with the addition of music about my Maker. If you have never traversed the Trail Ridge Road, you may not be able to comprehend the stress of being the driver and site-seer at the same time but upon arrival in the early afternoon into Loveland, I felt the tension of the drive, the toll of the early morning flight, and knew that my decision to drive to Cheyenne after the evening race was not the wisest choice to make. Using the Wyndham app, I modified the reservation to Loveland, preferring to navigate the morning daylight hours to Wyoming.

After a restful night’s sleep in a comfortable bed and a delightful breakfast, I hop into the Rogue for a trip north on I-25 to Cheyenne for the Pink Ribbon Run. The races which support worthwhile causes are so enjoyable and with perfect temperatures, this race was no different. Completing the 3.1 miles, it’s time to make the return trip to Loveland to shower and occupy the time until the return flight to Memphis. Feeling a need to use the restroom while on I-25, I decide that returning to the hotel would be a preferable choice to stopping somewhere along the way. Or so I thought!

At this point, I will allow you to visualize your process for showering, using the restroom, and picturing the dilemma of using the last of the toilet paper and discovering there is no spare roll. Upon returning the key to the front desk for check out, my desire was to inform the staff so that a future guest might not have a similar experience. Offering a slight apology and ruing the fact that this has happened previously, the staff member begins typing on the computer. With no verbal communication about what she is doing, I inquire if there is a lobby restroom I can use while she continues whatever she is doing. After all, I still have unfinished business. Following her directions, I proceed down the hall and enter the first stall of the lobby restroom, finish my business, and look down only to find two pieces of cardboard on the dispenser. Seriously???

Now, prior to that last situation, I would have gratefully accepted a “discount” on the more than $100/night room, but at this point, I’m more than disappointed in my experience at the Wingate when that meager offer was all that was made and I had to ask for contact information for a manager who would not be in until Monday. Believe it or not, I did not lose my temper; however, as I exited the hallway out to the car, I may have loudly been saying, “All I ask for is toilet paper. Can a person not even get toilet paper at their hotel?”

As a frequent traveler, I empathize with the hospitality industry and the way front-line personnel are often berated and abused by travelers. Because it is commonly a thankless job, I attempt to draw attention when provided transformational service like Sherry Applewhite delivered from Delta Airlines at the Memphis airport in May. When employers equip and enable front line employees to satisfy a need in today’s culture, it deserves recognition. Unfortunately, this striving for excellence is lacking in society where each traveler is treated as just another transaction.

So, from my traveling experience, I offer a different scenario that could have moved this one moment in time from a transactional experience to a transformational one. What if, upon arrival at the front desk, a sincere apology would have been extended to this traveler? Following up with a question such as, “How can WE make this right?”, the Wyndham employee then demonstrates an emphasis on customer service. Americans today have a multitude of choices when choosing which organizations receive not only their business but their loyalty. As one who prefers to repeat business with companies, loyalty is a trait that I value; however, I did not feel very valued by this experience in Colorado and therefore, Wyndham damaged their brand on Saturday.

Understanding that generating revenue is paramount for a business to survive, I am not asking to take food off of someone’s table; however, I will seek out those organizations who emphasize the importance of transformational encounters rather than transactional ones. Students who enter the sport management program at Union will be exposed to the difference between these two types of interactions and will hopefully consider this concept as they emerge into the professional world because they will have a choice in deciding which organizations will employ them and how they will one day lead others.  

As you ponder your own personal experiences, are there any that stand out as being transformational rather than just transactional? Please share in the comments below.