CX And the City
And just like that…
In a world of rooftop bars, overpriced menus, and five-star hotel check-ins, I started to wonder — was luxury really about labels… or about how someone made you feel?
It was six years ago. I wasn’t in Manhattan — I was deep in the heart of Minas Gerais, Brazil, heading to a music festival at Inhotim. My budget? Let’s just say it was more back-alley vintage shop than Bergdorf’s. So I booked the only place I could afford: a tiny wooden house on Airbnb, tucked an hour away down a dirt road, somewhere between the mountains and nowhere.
The house was… modest. One bed, a miniature bathroom, and cold — the kind of cold that curls up next to you at night because there’s no heater to keep it away.
But on the first morning, something happened.
I opened the door and there it was: a small thermos of hot coffee, a paper bag with goiabada, doce de leite, and queijo de Minas — and a handwritten note from the elderly couple who owned the property.
They hoped we’d slept well. That we were warm enough. That we felt at home.
It wasn’t room service, it wasn’t a spa robe or a champagne welcome. But in that moment, it was the most luxurious gesture I could’ve imagined.
So I went on a quest — not for love this time, but for something just as elusive: truly great customer experience.
I read books. I watched movies and TV shows — from The Bear, with its kitchen chaos, to Home Alone 2, where even the concierge had enough heart to make a lost child feel seen.
And of course, I found every excuse to spend money on spas, hotels, salons, and shops I’d always dreamed of entering. For research, only.
I spoke to people. I was completely ignored. I received a generous amount of empty compliments from retail staff who didn’t even look me in the eyes. I answered more than enough mid-bite ‘How’s the first bite going?’ questions with my mouth still full.
But I also met people who listened before they spoke. I got massages in places where every detail was intentional — from the playlist to the towel temperature. I drank unforgettable coffees. I was impressed by thoughtful packaging, warm greetings, and spaces designed to slow me down.
And just like that…
I decided to come back to my Substack. Not to sell anything — but to tell stories. To prove that customer experience lives in the details, in the intention, and in the moments that say: you matter.
Because the truth is… the price tag? It has very little to do with it.