How to deliver on customer experience with QT General Manager, Jeremy Black

This year, QT Queenstown is a proud sponsor of the Queenstown Business Awards. Held annually by the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, the awards recognise and celebrate businesses in our community doing truly epic things across 11 categories – from Excellence in Sustainable and Regenerative Business Practice to Excellence in People and Capability. With our commitment to ‘celebrating individuality in a world less conventional’, we thought ourselves fit to support an award close to our cause: Excellence in Customer Experience. We chatted to QT Queenstown General Manager, Jeremy Black, about QT’s approach to customer experience and the importance of the individual. 

Jeremy, tell us about QT’s values and how they align with the category we’re sponsoring. 

It starts with the emphasis on the individual, as you’ve just touched on – this permeates every aspect of our customer experience, ensuring that each guest feels authentically seen, valued and empowered to embrace their unique preferences, passions, and quirks throughout their stay. 

Our three core values underpin how we ensure we’re delivering exceptional customer experience at QT Queenstown. The first is possibilities. Everyday our team wakes up excited about what we do and the experiences we can create for guests. We’re always pushing boundaries to bring you the new and exciting. Anything goes here at QT, the possibilities are endless.  

The second is community. We’re constantly working to create a strong community within our team that is inclusive and inspiring, which translates to excellent customer experiences for our guests. This is underpinned by a commitment to be loved by locals. Whether through artistic collaborations, community engagements and partnerships with local suppliers, we create a sense of community at QT which our guests feel part of with every stay. 

The third is empowerment. At QT, our philosophy is to be ‘the one for one’. Celebrating individuality, empowering our team to be their best selves and being accountable for solving problems and seizing opportunities. We treat every team member and each guest as one rare, unique individual – because they are! This is the hallmark of our signature service. It’s how we hire to inspire, bring our unique selves to work every day and make an impact. 

Triple threat. Tell us about your commitment to customer service and how you ensure excellence for each guest? 

Our signature ‘Unexpected & Unrequested’ service is how we surprise and delight guests beyond the standard of your usual hotel. Nothing is off-limits and our team is empowered to make each stay unforgettable. From your hotel room filled with rainbow balloons and colourful cocktail amenities for Winter Pride, to a dedicated Director of Champagne at your service for stays in our Champagne Parlour, our team takes pride in delighting through memorable moments, each bespoke to the individual guest.  

But before you get to Unexpected and Unrequested, you have to get the basics right. Our top service has won us ‘Best of the Best’ in the 2022 Travellers Choice Awards – the highest recognition that’s presented annually to businesses whose excellent customer reviews put them in the rank of the top 1% of TripAdvisor properties worldwide. In addition, we continue to exceed guest expectations with our 9/10 status on booking.com and 4.6-star rating on Google reviews. To deliver true excellence in customer experience, you have to do it all and I think that’s what the judges will be looking for in the winner of this category.  

What do you love about the awards and why are they important to the Queenstown business community? 

We love these awards because they bring the community together to celebrate and recognise the incredible achievements, innovations and collective efforts within the amazing businesses we have here in the region. The awards inspire continuous growth and success for all involved. We’re proud to be a sponsor of the awards for 2023 and look forward to an exciting year ahead for our Queenstown community.  

Entries for the Queenstown Business Awards close on September 25, with the awards ceremony held on November 4. Visit www.businessawards.queenstownchamber.org.nz for more info and to enter. Best of luck, QTies!  

Want to try our award-winning customer experience for yourself? Book a stay. Go on, you deserve it.