Yesterday I checked into the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago for the Marketing 2 Moms conference, went up to my beautiful room, plopped down my stuff and headed into the bathroom. The bathroom with the ginormous picture window facing all of downtown.
I tweeted:
And in a stroke of social media mastery, within minutes, the Hard Rock Hotel tweeted back:
Which directed me to a most awesome exchange on the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago Facebook Page in which the general manager responded to a complaint from the adjacent office building with equal measures diplomacy and snark.
Thank you Hard Rock Hotel. For saving me from abject humiliation from the certain circulation of internet photos of my postpartum ass.
—-
Follow up: Not only is the GM a class act (see his comment on this post) but I just received a little note from the eCommerce manager of the Hard Rock, thanking me for sharing my praises of the hotel on Twitter. The note was attached to a small box of Vosges chocolate. VOSGES CHOCOLATE PEOPLE.
And with that, a Hard Rock Hotel Chicago fan for life is born.
Omg – funniest and most horrifying thing I read all morning. And the best and worst use of twitter ever.
I've gotta hit send before I pee myself – and Im so not twittering that
This is the most awesome example of social media “customer service” that I have ever heard. Way to go, Hard Rock!
That is so awesome it probably spoiled any potentially awesome thing that would have happened to me today, because now it won't be as awesome as this just was.
I had no idea that ass could be postpartum! This explains so much.
We pride ourselves in hosting many exhibitionists – so when your ass returns to normal, feel free to return if you get the urge to flaunt it!
Many thanks for the “ad”
JP
GM HRHC
That is an awesome response by the HRC! I wish all responses were that diplomatic and comical in nature. Maybe the guy in the office should get his own blinds.
I hope you're enjoying your trip!
That's a riot!
Oh Man! I love it- you always have the best stories! And to think the office guy is complaining about seeing something that people usually have to pay for!
On a side note: I will now ALWAYS close the blinds in hotel rooms. It never occurred to me that the windows would NOT be tinted. In fact, office guy could have been referring to ME from my last trip to Chicago…. except I didn't actually stay at that hotel; but the point is that I do not remember closing the blinds.
OMG. Hilarious. Who knew Twitter could be so helpful for someone in the restroom?
That is sooo funny!!!
First off, awesome that the HRC twittered you back, and so quickly. Don't you just love social media?
Second, the responses that the GM made on the Facebook page and right here in your comments are so funny! I'm getting such a great chuckle! Those are the kinds of people who I want running the places I go!
Chicago, maybe not, but I think naked Liz would ROCK Fargo. Do they have a Hard Rock there?
That is wonderful. I'm sending this to my SIL who works in the hotel business. She'll enjoy.
Major props to Hard Rock Chicago – both for tweeting you back and for that masterfully crafted response to the dissatisfied office worker.
Now THAT is a business that is using social media well. Seriously.
Although, maybe, a note in the bathroom itself would be in order? Because while it's cool that they're on top of it, it would be even cooler if you didn't have to wonder and tweet about it in the first place, you know?
And that is the miracle of social media.
So Hard Rock in Chicago is great, as long as I don't have to pee? I'll try and keep that in mind.
Took the Peanut to the High Line on Saturday afternoon. We were walking amiably with our cones of gelato from Chelsea market. Suddenly, my daughter looks up and yells, “Look, daddy! Butts!”
Needless to say, the windows in the Standard Hotel are not tinted. All the rumors are true. I counted no less than 2 porn shoots going on in the hotel at once (along with a few amateurs.)
And yes, this was on a Saturday afternoon.
Achtung!
This is a (semi)unpaid advertisement for…(insert your most favourate name brand here.)
It also comes courtesy of a blogger who keeps urging the unschooled bloggers, and the rest of the human race, to keep our chins up and not sell out for dimes and such. The notion of writer's integrity and self-awareness in the current predatory market place would be brought up occasioanlly.
I don't get it! You seem to contradict your own prescriptions for fighting the malaise of cheap sell-off of one's independence. Is it a matter of price which buys the praise? A matter of comfort? Illuminate the idealists, please!
Hahaha that is so funny and cool at the same time!!
That's about the coolest damn thing I have seen in awhile!
I want to know how the GM knew to follow you on Twitter? Does he follow every guest?
Anon 7:32 – Really? You genuinely don't see the difference?
Okay. I'll bite.
Liz tweeted a witty observance about her surroundings. She received an unexpected tweet in return – one that was actually really helpful and relevant to her own tweet.
She followed the link out of curiosity and found the destination to be worth sharing. (I agree, I read it.)
All of the above made for a great story, so Liz wrote about it. There was no “selling” involved; the GM's reference to an “ad” was tongue in cheek.
Too funny Liz.
To Maria's question: didn't you tweet before that how much you liked the hotel? They probably picked you up that way. Or maybe they are just that social media smart and decided to follow the folks at M2M who might talk about them (something I now plan to do with speakers with any event I might host). Either way, priceless.
To Anon — Huh? Liz was staying in a hotel as part of a conference speaking gig. Something interesting happened related to the hotel. She tweeted and wrote about it. Color me confused, but I don't see how that contradicts anything she has ever said about best practices for working with marketers.
There's nothing wrong with tweeting about products. Or hotels. You just have to disclose your interests. In this case, I would say Liz's are pretty clear.
Something along the lines of not providing a peep show to downtown Chicago.
Well, now I know where to do my Mominatrix publicity stunt.
Oh wow, this makes me proud to be a Chicagoan. Enjoy your stay!
Social media at its finest. Really great work, Mr. Price. Stuff like this makes life worth living. (Serious!)
ooooh girl, I think your speaking fee just went waaaaaaaaaaaay up…just check out gigs beforehand and make sure no one hs handlebar mustaches or “bom chick a bom bom” music playing anywhere.
And VOSGES??? yes. I, too would be a true evangelist, transparent, authentic, with a big ring of chocolate adorning my happy face. Have fun, mama!
I think I'd get a kick out of knowing that someone could be watching me use the bathroom. Because why the hell would anyone want to watch ANYONE use the toilet? I've never stayed at a Hard Rock hotel but the level of service you received and their excellent use of social media makes me want to check them out in the future.
That is the funniest thing I've read all week. And I'm glad I can tell people my ass is postpartum. That should excuse at least 10 pounds.
Maria, my prev tweet mentioned the HRH Chicago specifically (I thaked them for playing Shock the Monkey in the lobby) so presumably that ended up in their twit search column, and they just saw the other tweet from there when they clicked over to my account.
Or? Psychic. One or the other.
Scratching my head over anon's comment.
Anyway, pretty awesome example of the power of Twitter!
That poor poor woman “cleaning her junk!” I am CERTAIN she had no ideas of exhibitionism in her mind! Yikes! I have always had an irrational fear that “someone is watching me” We've had our family reunions in Vegas for years and years and years. What have people seen of me? CRINGE!!!!
Excellent reporting, 101. Love the GM too, it is refreshing to see someone enjoying their job and not taking life so dang seriously!!!
Amazing use of social networking. Like others have already said… how awesome they have a sense of humor AND good customer service.
It's pretty easy to fish out tweets with key words, and I'm sure there are programs companies use to find things in real time. Yay Hard Rock Chicago!
that is awesome. and the hard rock people had me at the little dog with a mohawk.
too too funny.
I've stayed at the Hard Rock Chicago too and if the office worker could see if the showering woman needed a wax, well, he was probably using binoculars. 'Nuff said.