Darren and I decided a beach weekend was long over-due so we’re heading to Island Vista Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina tomorrow. I received a welcomed email from the resort and I realized that it represented customer service at its finest.
Dear Island Vista Guest,
Greetings from the Island Vista family! We appreciate your choosing our resort as your Myrtle Beach vacation destination and we look forward to your arrival. We are committed to providing you a memorable experience with superb accommodations and customer service. Whether your visit is for business, pleasure or a combination of both, our resort offers a wide array of amenities in addition to our beautiful indoor/outdoor pool complex and fitness room to ensure your stay is relaxing and enjoyable.
It was simple, yet effective. I’m now looking forward to my stay even more! Oh how I missed the sand between my toes and the salty ocean air.
Did you get great customer service at a hotel/resort recently? I’d love to hear about it.
Bucket List Publications 
That is both unusual and very welcome. Customer service seems to have been tossed away in this country a good while back. Enjoy your time away!
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You are indeed very lucky! Enjoy the sand between your toes! Cheers!
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Enjoy your stay, we have received confirmation greetings such as these from resorts in Virginia Beach and Orlando where customer satisfaction is always #1.
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Hope you have an amazing vacation. I grew up in SC, and have visited Myrtle Beach many times.
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This will be my first time there. I hear it’s beautiful; I’m excited 🙂
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As fulltime RVers we don’t use hotels but have found both rangers and camp hosts at the many parks we visit to make us feel very welcome. Hats off to the National Park Service, State Parks, National Forest Service and Corps of Engineers.
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That’s great customer service! A e-mail like that would make me happy when I arrive at the resort.
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Any more customer service like this is a lost art and it’s not necessarily something the market has pushed back on yet, and I hope it does! Our Internet driven culture seems to overlook the mechanization and less personalized approach all businesses, not just travel related ones, are using.
It’s one of the challenges our business faces: clients are often looking for the “best deal” and questioning the accommodations we recommend, and we have to point out that hey, there’s no quantifying the value of a hotel or B&B that we trust, have had good long term experience with, and will make your stay that much enjoyable. It’s not worth risking your overall enjoyment of the trip to save a few bucks on a questionable stay somewhere.
Once a hotel or resort or B&B makes clear they value our clients’ business, we want to continue to reward them because they’ll continue to in turn take really good care of the people we bring them.
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We have received welcome letters from the Hotels we frequent in Kentucky, Indiana, and Virginia. It always makes me look forward to the stay and the complimentary snacks and drinks are awesome after a long drive too 🙂
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No-one hears about good customer service anymore. This is lovely indeed. Good for them. Hope you enjoy your stay. You’ll have to tell us all about it.
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Enjoy the beach!
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A welcome letter/email is definitely a plus. We don’t see this everyday anymore.
Every summer, we drive to Hampton Beach in NH to enjoy some sun and sand, and always stay at one particular motel because of how clean and nice the place is. It isn’t a 5-star kind of place, but I find that the owner is very accommodating, and the staff are really nice. Oh, and we get a Christmas card in the mail every year, even last year when we went to Cape Cod instead of NH.
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We got one of those from a hotel we stayed at in Indian Wells (the Esmeralda). It was great, not only because getting it reminded me of some things I needed let the hotel know–late arrival, etc.
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I am from that area! Well, more like 15min south. If you have time or get tired of the beach (unlikely) you should check out the Murrells Inlet area. If you like seafood, they’ve got a wide selection of restaurants on the creek. It’s beautiful!
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Just looked at the link to the resort – looks fab! Love the name Myrtle Beach (I’m from the UK!)
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You’ll love that hotel! I’ve been there a few times. The acomodations are wonderful and the beach is stellar! Enjoy your vacation!
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Have fun in Myrtle Beach! I’ve been going almost every summer since I was a baby (and my parents went for many years before that)! My family has always stayed at the Caribbean, which is the resort closest to the right in the picture you’ve put up of the strand 🙂 If you’re looking for good seafood, check out Lee’s Inlet Kitchen, Chesapeake House, Divine Fish House…I kind of love Murrell’s Inlet…or River City Cafe if you want a good, quick hamburger. We usually go after all the kidos go back to school in September when the water is warm and it’s very, very quiet 🙂
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Also, check out the Family Kingdom amusement park if you have kids/or just like big ferris wheels at the beach 🙂 And if you want to do some shopping, there’s an awesome outlet mall a few miles from the beach!
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I’m heading to Vancouver in June and the hotel called us last week to ask what they could have ready in our room for us. Thought that was a very nice gesture.
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We got really wonderful customer service at the Holiday Inn in Savannah near the River. They were super nice at the front desk and left us a little treat bag including a bottle of wine in our room with a note for my husbands birthday.
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Nice. Just nice. Enjoy.
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What a beautiful welcoming indeed. Happy Vacationing!!
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That’s exciting! Enjoy
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Have fun Leslie.. We just got back from Ocean Isle Beach.. Myrtle Beach will not compare to your fuji beaches but you will have a great time!!
It’s not Hotel customer service but Savannah and I go to Chick-Fil-A every thursday after swim class.. Their customer service cannot be beat. I have never been there and not been greeted with a smile and a kind word. The staff at the Arboretum always make me feel appreciated.. We love Mr. Greg & Mrs. Tamera they take great care of us!
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My Dad lives there, I love it there and lucky to go a few times a year 🙂 Enjoy the splendor and give a shout if you need any food suggestions, check out drunken jacks hush puppies and strawberry butter! To die for! Enjoy!
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Yes from wilderness resort at wis dells and Hilton…. Although I seldom read them… Opps!!! Just skim for important facts… But maybe I will in the further… Creates anticipation!!!
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You will enjoy Myrtle Beach. It’s great for family vacation (a lot of activities to do). I’ve spent many there with my family over the years from the time I was a little one up to the present. I know you’re in NC and I wonder if you’ve had the chance to travel to beaches here.
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I love Myrtle Beach… Relax and enjoy… Beautiful…
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Love the sound of this place! i am sure it;s going to be as dreamy as it sounds! have fun!
LV x
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We got one from the Sonesta Hotel in Baltimore
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South Carolina should be lovely this time of year. Have fun, and thanks for stopping by my blog.
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I was surprised to see I received one from La Quinta in Coeur D’Alene Idaho recently, if this is a marketing trend, I love it!
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Well that certainly is great customer service. Now I feel the need for a vacation. Like, today. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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Ha! do I have a great customer service story for you! Enjoy your week-end
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Hooray – I grew up in Myrtle Beach : ) I hope you have a great time!
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I’m a little bit jealous, but still wishing you a great weekend! Be safe and have fun!!
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Actually, I got great service from the man whose house I rented in Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. He and I talked on the phone a few times and he gave me all kinds of great advice and tips as I was planning my trip, and then when I got there. He called to make sure everything was okay with the house and made himself available to answer any questions. Then he suggested several restaurants for us. It was like having a personal tour guide, despite the fact that he was actually back in Maryland.
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The best customer service we’ve ever gotten was on our trip to Cuba. I couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was and how out of their way they went to make sure you were enjoying their country. Havana was a life changing experience…if you haven’t visited yet, you’ve got to go!
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I have visited many times. Cuba is one of my favorite countries.
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I LOVE the little things like this. And it is so easy for companies to do. Cost them nothing and makes people happy! Enjoy!
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Have a lovely time!
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That’s great customer service! And it does make you excited about your holiday, ‘Only 10 days until you arrive!’ I would be excited. What a way to brighten your day 🙂 (I didn’t mean for that to rhyme, how lame)
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That’s great customer service and think about how simple that was to do! Now you’re telling people about them and your trip.. it’s tiny little things that don’t take a lot of time or money that we all appreciate the most and in turn motives each of us, yet it goes overlooked by the vast majority of businesses.
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Love Myrtle Beach! The Carolina beaches are beautiful. I envy you. We are currently in the desert. It’s very attractive in the spring,but very dry!
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I can’t praise The Ambrose in Santa Monica too highly! It’s a mile or so from the main action at the beach but I had no problem with that – I had plenty of opportunities to walk and see the different streets of the neighbourhood.
There’s a small garden at the front and I sat out there for breakfast most mornings, watching the resident squirrel and hummingbird start their day. And the breakfast itself – well, it’s worth staying just one night to be there when the croissants and muffins are laid out in their rich variety.
All the staff were friendly and helpful. Room service, laundry, mail – there wasn’t a question they couldn’t answer for me. Even when I was organising the bookings from Perth their emails were prompt and informative.
I wish I could buy the Ambrose. I’d live there forever.
http://www.ambrosehotel.com/
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Sounds like fun, enjoy.
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I used to work in Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrtle Beach…I love that towm! You’ll love it there! Have fun!
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I envy you (in a good cheery way 🙂 ) I always wanted to visit Myrtle Beach ever since I saw October Sky and the mother was so insistent on living there. 🙂 enjoy your vacation!
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awesome; your one lucky person
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Your posts are so upbeat and awesome! Thanks for looking at my small local adventures and liking them! I enjoy reading about your destinations and arrivals! Enjoy and thank you for sharing so we can live vicariously through your travels!
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