Members of Hyatt's Gold Passport loyalty program already enjoy numerous benefits when they visit one of the company's hotels. Soon, however, they'll also benefit from a new initiative at the company to deliver random acts of kindness.
Hyatt's mission is to provide what it calls "authentic hospitality," defined—in the words of CEO Mark Hoplamazian—as "making a difference in the lives of the people we touch, including guests, employees and others." As part of a new effort to take better care of its Gold Passport members, the company will soon begin targeting those guests with pleasant surprises designed to delight them during their stay. "We will be empowering hotel employees to perform what we’re calling random acts of generosity," Hoplamazian wrote in a recent blog post. "So, don’t be surprised if Gold Passport picks up your bar tab, comps your massage or treats your family to breakfast. It’s part of bringing authentic hospitality to life and making you feel more than welcome."
Not only does the effort stand a good chance of boosting the authenticity of Hyatt's service delivery, it's also a shining example of the kind of corporate generosity that's increasingly being sought by disillusioned consumers and offered by clued-in brands. (A similar example from our sister site's briefing on Generation G: Wings, a credit card brand owned by one of Turkey's largest banks, partnered with five upscale restaurants in Istanbul to offer a random selection of lucky cardholders a pleasant surprise. After having dinner at one of the restaurants and paying with their Wings card, the customer was notified that Wings would foot the bill.) Time to start spreading some kindness of your own? (Related: Clothing brand asks its wearers to be kind — Online game focuses on real-world kindness.)
Website: goldpassport.hyatt.com
Contact: goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/contact_us.jsp
Spotted by: Judy McRae
What a simple, but effective approach to thinking like a customer. In this case, Hyatt is correctly rewarding its elite customers through actions that will create tremendous buzz and much higher customer loyalty to the Hyatt brand. Powerful, positive and thoughtful. Great job, Hyatt.
I like this idea but it still smacks of corporate realism and cynicism. I would like to see an opportunity for guests to 'pay it forward"...similar to people randomly paying a bridge toll or bus fare for person behind them. The problem would be trust...wuld you trust Hyatt to actually do what you requested.
Stick with the rewards...just offer the option.