I’ve stayed in a lot of different hotels this year, from humble hostels to five-star specials.
But regardless of the brand or quality, they’ve ALL had one thing in common: a woefully inaccurate thermostat in the bedroom.
The one that really took the biscuit was the Hotel Adlon in Berlin – a beautiful hotel, but with a thermostat that swore blind that it was 18 degrees in the room.
And having set my home thermostat at that temperature to keep costs down, I can tell you one thing: I KNOW what 18 degrees feels like.
As I’ve experienced over many months now, 18 degrees means warm socks, a woolly jumper, and a blanket if I’m watching TV.
“18 degrees” at the Adlon? A different temperature entirely – the kind you could sit in wearing a summer dress and still feel pleasantly warm.
I flagged it up to the hotel, but they were adamant – if that’s what the thermostat says, then that’s what the temperature it is.
This got me thinking about marketing, measurement and results.
Advisors and experts will tell you that the Google AdWords, SEO or print ads you’re paying for are “working, honest, just give them some time to get started”; the equivalent of doubling down on the 18 degrees claim when the evidence to the contrary is incontrovertible.
If you don’t think your marketing is working, then it probably isn’t.
Have your leads increased? Have sales increased?
Time is too precious to waste it on something that doesn’t work, so the sooner you recognise what works and what doesn’t, the quicker you can start getting more leads, getting more customers and growing your business.
As for myself, I now take around my own room thermostat to prove to the hotel authorities that it is usually way hotter than their a/c says it is – trust is good, facts are better!