What She Could Have Said…

Recently I was driving through Florida, after a harrowing day of dodging semis all the way through Tennessee and Georgia.* **

* I once got sideswiped by a crazed, Type-A semi driver. He bounced me off the freeway and into a ditch at 70 mph. Fortunately my own personal human body was not injured, although my car was reshaped into something resembling a bobsled. Since the evil semi didn’t stop — or even slow down — a good semi followed him and called the county sheriff. Fortunately, they caught him and brought him to justice. But ever since then I’ve had a love-hate relationship with semis — I’m always wary. Especially at speed.

** People rightly think LA, Washington DC, and Miami have brutal traffic, but Atlanta at rush hour is like entering the gates of hell. Don’t get me wrong, I like Atlanta. It’s a fun city full of great people. But at rush hour you could swear you’ve entered the Daytona 500.

At 11PM I was ready to pull off and find a bed. I exited the freeway in Ocala, and saw two motels. Across the median was a Quality Inn with a flashing red sign advertising $39.95 rooms with free wifi. Right next to me was the Days Inn, with no room price in view.

Since the Days Inn was easier to get to, I pulled in to check their rate. The lobby was large and quiet, and a very nice young woman told me they had a manager’s special for $49.95. Me being the bargain hunting, value-loving, cheapskate that I am, I mentioned that right across the street it was ten bucks cheaper, thinking she’d probably match it. But she gave me a sad little frown and replied, “I know,” with a facial expression that said, I can’t compete with that. Sorry, I give up.

And the interaction was clearly over.

So I drove across the street to the Quality Inn. The hip hop party in the lounge was so deafening the lobby walls were quaking. The clerk at the counter had to SPEAK LOUDLY. But sure enough, their rooms were $39.95 with free wifi, and they even offered a $4 hot breakfast. Not bad, IF I could get a room far away from the musical cacophony careening through my cranium.

The room was fine, clean, decent bed, soft pillows. But it was a noisy motel, catering to younger customers on a Friday night. I cranked up the white noise on my laptop to drown out all the conversation. All was well enough.

But here’s the thing. The lobby at the Days Inn across the street had been spacious, quiet and peaceful. The girl at the counter was friendly and welcoming. It felt like a nice, serene place. I’m sure I would have enjoyed staying there. I was tired. All she had to do when I mentioned the lower price across the street was NOT match it, but give me one bit of encouragement.

She could have tried a witty tack and said, “Yes, they really need to charge less over there!”

Or even better, she could have said something like, “Yes, but I’ll give you a lovely, clean, quiet room. And I’ll be here all night if you need anything. And you’re here already. You look tired. Why not just check in now and let us take good care of you.”

Anything along those lines, and she had a new customer, delighted to pay the extra ten bucks for a bit of personal charm.

Value can beat price, almost always.

© 2011 Greg Tamblyn