“Yes, I’m <name> with Hilton’s customer service. How can I help?” 

“I want to redeem my free night certificates for a hotel stay,” I said.

“Ok, what’s the name of the hotel?” he replied.

“It’s the Waldorf Astoria in France,” I said, certain it’d be easy to locate Hilton’s only Waldorf Astoria in France. 

“Sir, can you please spell that for me?”

I was shocked!

“Aren’t you familiar with Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria hotel chain?” I asked.

“No. We’re part of central reservations and don’t know all of Hilton’s brands.” 

I was shell-shocked!

I spelled the name and he was able to locate the hotel in a minute. 

Customer service isn’t just about serving. It’s also about knowing the brand and marketing it. Else, the customer will have to spell Waldorf Astoria again!