Should we leave the blinds open?

Transparency is a very delicate topic in the hospitality industry, open window and transparent or blinds shut and opaque.  Since we're selling and providing an experience, whether it's flying on a plane to your vacation, dining in a resort 5 star restaurant, or taking a trip staying with your family, we as hospitality industry people want it to be a positive one.  We try to sugar coat sometimes negative things, and in hopes that a positive experience does not have to suffer.  Obviously serious issues, and or things that you anticipate will create a situation personally for the customer/guest have to be disclosed before a disturbance can occur, but in the most diplomatic way possible of course.

When a customer/guest is not happy, they most likely will not return, and may feel the need to share their negative experience with friends, family members, co-workers, and even on a public forum or blog.  (“have a good experience tell 2 people, have a bad experience tell 10-20 people”).  This article written by the chairman/co-founder of TripAdvisor writes about why it’s very important to address these issues when they arise, giving perspective from the hotel standpoint in addition to allowing the customer/guest to have some closure about their issue.  This way, readers of the blog or future potential customers can draw their own conclusions, and the result of accusations hopefully not as damaging. 

One thing about transparency is that you would never want to fully divulge all types of information, relevant or not relevant if you foresee the possibility of this having no ill effect personally for your patrons, and for them to be better off if they don’t know the ugly truth.  For example: I don’t tell you that there was a jumper on the roof this morning at a hotel, neglect to tell you that a part of the wing fell off on an airplane yesterday night (although it’s fixed now), perhaps leave out the fact that we have a bedbug infestation on the lowest floor which is closed and being fumigated, don't show you what your airplane seat or hotel carpet/furniture/comforter look like under a black light.  In certain cases it’s better to be opaque, ingnorance is bliss, and please leave the blinds closed.