We’re Sorry About the Rooster. Here’s a Muffin. The Art of Service Recovery S1E13

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Have you ever wondered what separates good hospitality from unforgettable hospitality? It's not perfection—it's what happens when things go hilariously, epically wrong.

Welcome to the world of service recovery, where a prehistoric-screaming rooster at 4:53 AM becomes not a disaster but an opportunity for magic. In this episode, Rob Powell shares the unforgettable story of how one boutique luxury property transformed a potential one-star TripAdvisor tantrum into a viral social media win with nothing more than warm muffins, a handwritten note, and a healthy dose of humor.

We dive deep into why most properties get recovery wrong. Too many brands rely on robotic apologies or passive-aggressive responses when things fall apart. But here's the truth: hospitality is a relationship business, and relationships are built in the challenging moments, not the perfect ones. Guests might forget your turndown service or lobby jazz playlist, but they'll never forget how you made them feel after something went wrong.

The art of service recovery is a performance that requires empathy, agility, and creativity. From roosters to raccoons, the most memorable hospitality experiences often start with something unexpected. Learn why great recovery isn't just about solving problems—it's about turning problems into opportunities to demonstrate your values and create lasting connections with guests. Whether you're a seasoned hospitality professional or just someone who appreciates the human side of service, this episode offers both practical wisdom and heartwarming moments that remind us why hospitality truly is the business of creating unforgettable experiences—especially when things don't go as planned.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey there, friends, welcome back to Housekeeping.
Didn't Come the podcast thatproves the best hospitality
stories start with somethinggoing hilariously, epically
wrong.
I'm Rob Powell, instructor,practitioner and a man who has
personally apologized foreverything from a cold omelet to
a live animal in a guestcorridor.
True story, not even theweirdest one.

(00:22):
Today's episode is called we'reSorry About the Rooster, here's
a Muffin, and it's about theart and magic of service
recovery.
Yes, there was a rooster.
So here's the setup.
A boutique property I onceconsulted for was in the rustic
luxury category.
You know the type Candlelight,clawfoot tubs, chickens

(00:44):
wandering the grounds like theyown the place.
One morning a very vocalrooster wandered up to a guest's
patio and let out a prehistoricscream at 4 53 am.
This guest was, of course, atravel blogger with a following
and jet lag and no sense ofhumor.
The next morning the roosterreturned.

(01:04):
So did the guest, this timewith complaints so sharp you
could have used them to slicegrapefruit.
So what did the front deskstaff do?
They offered a full apology,upgraded the guest's rooms and
sent over a warm basket ofblueberry muffins that were
fantastic.
With a handwritten note, we'vespoken sternly to the rooster.

(01:24):
He's been demoted.
Please accept our sincerestapologies and a muffin.
Recovery is theater too.
That moment could have been aone-star trip advisor tantrum.
Instead it became a viral tweet.
Why?
Because recovery isn't justabout solving the problem.
It's about turning the probleminto a performance, a personal,

(01:45):
thoughtful, even funnyperformance that says we see you
, we hear you and we value you.
What most properties get wrong.
Too many brands think servicerecovery means a coupon, a
robotic apology or a passive,aggressive.
We're sorry you feel that way.
Hospitality is not a call centerscript.

(02:07):
It's a relationship, business,and relationships are built in
the bad moments, not the perfectones.
When guests remember you isimportant the truth.
Guests don't always rememberyour turndown service or your
lobby jazz playlist, but theywill remember how you made them
feel after things fell apart.

(02:27):
Recovery is your chance to belegendary.
All it takes is a littleempathy, a lot of agility and
yes, sometimes pastries.
We teach this and more At theUniversity of Arkansas
Hospitality Management Program.
We teach students that guestsatisfaction is only half the
game.
The other half recovering withgrace, creativity and a whole

(02:50):
lot of what-if scenarios.
Because if you've never had toexplain to a honeymoon couple
why their balcony was visited bya raccoon, you haven't really
worked in hospitality.
So the takeaways here remembermistakes happen, but a great
recovery, that's where the magicis.
Be the property that apologizeswith heart, with humor, and if

(03:13):
all else fails, bring muffins.
Thanks for tuning in toHousekeeping Didn't Come.
If this episode gave you achuckle or reminded you of a
time you had to recover fromchaos, share it with a fellow
hospitality warrior.
And if you're ready to trainfor all of it, from five-star
standards to rooster relatedcrisis, check out the University
of Arkansas HospitalityManagement Program.

(03:34):
We'll teach you everything fromservice recovery to strategic
pastry deployment.
See you next time.