Hoagland Properties, owners of the Old Town Inn and River House Inn in Florence, received the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s Siuslaw Award for Excellence in customer service.
This is the second year in a row.
Cited in their nomination are the numerous customer reviews and industry recognitions related to customer service. For example, the two inns made Oregon Business Magazine’s “100 Best Fan Favorite Destinations in Oregon” based on the publication’s research of online reviews for more than 9,000 travel destinations in Oregon.
“This is a total validation of what we do every day, a testament to our corporate values, and the evidence of the hard work of our management and staff who take pride in their work and strive daily to care for our guests so they return to Florence again and again,” said company president Craig Sanders. “But what makes this especially rewarding is that the Chamber’s recognition comes from a panel of judges comprised of local and out-of-town business leaders. Our peers recognized our hard work and success in delighting our guests.”
On TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, The River House Inn has more than 1100 reviews and the Old Town Inn has nearly 1900. Both inns ratings average a four-and-a-half out of a possible five, and rank as numbers one and two in Florence. Both are five-time TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award winners.
Ratings and reviews for both properties are similar across additional websites such as Google, Yelp, and Booking.com.
“Outstanding customer service is a hallmark of who we are. Our mission statement pretty much says it all: ‘Our mission is to exceed customer expectations with a spotless, reasonably-priced, well-appointed room and exceptional customer service.’ We live that every day. More than 3,000 positive online testimonials and words of gratitude from our customers magnify that point,” adds Sanders. “We couldn’t be more proud of Ashley Young and Cord Kravitz who manage the River House Inn, and Kelsi Snook and Aaron Stone who manage Old Town Inn.”
Sanders said hotel guests are among the most demanding of all customer types which is why managers will not release a room for use until they personally inspect it thoroughly, even to the extent of getting down on their hands and knees with a flashlight to check under beds and chairs, and behind dressers and armoires.
“Great customer service also means having staff serve like a big-time hotel concierge, recommending places to eat, shop, and things to do while in Florence,” explains Sanders. “They print maps, menus, and tide charts; make restaurant reservations; coordinate dune buggy, horseback, or airplane rides; and organize golf foursomes. Staff stay up-to-date on all the great stops for families or business travelers on the coast, and will research anything, down to what each local restaurant has on special each evening. Guests mention these services in online reviews.”