I've just been on holiday.
More than that, I've just been on holiday with Virgin Holidays.
And the reason I chose Virgin was twofold: 1) To accumulate some Virgin Frequent Flyer miles; 2) To experience the Virgin Rockstar Service.
The holiday I chose wasn't the cheapest in market. I paid the little extra as I've always had good experiences with Virgin Atlantic.
If you look at the page here, they explain what it's all about. In a nutshell, they say "We think you deserve better than to be huddled and herded, packed in and packed off. 'Cos if you can't act like an A-lister on your holiday, when can you?" and they explain the things you get:
v-room at Gatwick and Manchester
What they say:
"Flying from London Gatwick or Manchester?
Start your holiday in style with Virgin Holidays' very own airport lounge. With free food and soft drinks, children's play area, free internet access, big screen TV, the latest video games, table football and a fantastic view of the run way - this really is the perfect way to start your Virgin holiday!"
The reality:
I got a phonecall from a very friendly lady a couple of days before the trip. She outlined that because I was getting Rockstar Service I had access to the v-room, and as my flight was at noon, it'd be a perfect way to get breakfast and relax before the trip. I agreed.
Then she said it was an extra cost of £24 per person. With alcohol extra on top of that.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap?
Definitely Spinal Tap. Charging extra for something that is clearly marketed as a perk, and then charging extra on top of the extra for alcohol? Not rock and roll at all.
Concierge Service
What they say:
"This exclusive service puts you in touch with our resort reps before you even leave the UK, allowing you to ask questions, check out facts and purchase a complete range of excursion tickets from our experts on the ground."
The reality:
I had a missed call a couple of days before I left from the rep introducing herself. She sounded very nice. She left her email address so I emailed her and said I didn't want to book any excursions until I turned up... and that was kinda the end of it.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap?
Probably a bit of both. The rep sounded very nice and helpful, but it all just seemed like a blatant upselling procedure to me. To get yet more money out of me before I've even set foot on the plane never mind getting to the resort.
Check in - chill out in the caribbean
What they say:
"Check in Chill out allows you to check in for your flight home from the Caribbean without leaving the beach or bar, giving you a little extra time to enjoy your destination. This service is available at selected hotels in Barbados, Antigua, Tobago, Grenada and St Lucia. Check with your rep in resort if you aren't staying at one of the participating hotels as you may be able to use a location nearby."
The reality:
I wasn't at one of those resorts so it didn't apply to me. What was offered was entrance to Club Mobay - a VIP lounge at the airport. I was told by the Virgin rep that I'd probably have a couple of hours to wait at the airport, and not knowing how good the airport was I thought it was a good idea. That was an extra $30. As it was the most time I spent in the airport was queuing up to check in. Once I'd done that it was straight through security (the fast-track wasn't really needed) and into Departures... which was full of cafés, bars and shops. Easily enough to keep my attention for a couple of hours.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap:
Definitely one for the Tap. Club Mobay was very comfortable, but I just felt that once again I'd been upselled to instead of being helped.
Disconnection therapy
What they say:
"Disconnection Therapy is a straightforward way of cutting the ties with your work life before you leave for exotic, more exciting locations. The aim is to help you disconnect allowing a better mind set to re-coup, recharge your batteries and get the most out of your time on holiday."
The reality:
There's a bunch of videos for you to download here. That's it. Available to all. Nothing exclusive, and nothing compelling - I haven't even bothered to look at them.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap:
Spinal Tap for sure. This added extra may be free, but it's free to all - I don't have to book a holiday to see the content. And the videos certainly don't go up to 11...
And that's kinda it... that's what Rockstar Service entails.
So what am I saying?
Well, I'll make this very clear: I am not saying I had poor service with Virgin. My holiday was great and I was looked after as you'd expect from Virgin.
But that's my whole point: I wasn't looked after any differently to people who had just booked flights and booked their hotel separately.
And the problem, for me, is the proposition of Rockstar Service. The reality simply can't deliver the promise.
You see, I see the name Rockstar Service and I want a personal rider for my flight. I want priority boarding and alighting from the aircraft. I want the best room in the hotel (or at least a bottle of champagne waiting for me). I want to be picked up in a private vehicle and not a minibus.
I don't want to be the target of upselling at every opportunity. I don't want to be like everyone else. I want to walk around with a swagger because I'm a rockstar aren't I?
There are a few things Virgin could do immediately:
1) Give me priority boarding. That is zero cost, and makes me feel great from minute one.
2) Give me a glass of champagne when I board. When people ask why I get it and they don't, you get the opportunity to explain Virgin Holidays to potential customers.
3) Give me a private vehicle to and from the airport. Make me feel like a rockstar, not Chris de Burgh on an excursion with twenty other people.
4) Give me a bottle of champagne when I check into my room.
5) Give me free wi-fi, and not charge me $90 for a week of access... (yes, $90 a week).
6) ... just give me something interesting and Rockstar to talk about! I'm sat here writing about why I feel a bit let down when I should be posting stories and media of me feeling like a rock star!
It seems to me Virgin have tried to explain their differentiator and their agency have devised the Rockstar Service proposition. Well, I'm sorry to whoever came up with it, but it's simply not true. You may have created some nice communications (I've used them in creative meetings myself to talk about consistency and good tone of voice) but they're too far away from the reality. The simple fact is there wasn't one single thing on my trip that made me feel like a rockstar. There wasn't one single thing that Rockstar Service gave me that any other package holiday provider couldn't have given me.
And herein lies the lesson: It's all well and good having distinct comms, but they have to be relevant to the reality of the product of the service.
If the comms undersell the product or service, then the agency is at fault.
If the comms oversell the product or service, then the agency is at fault.
It's as simple as that.
If being aspirational is more important than being honest you're in trouble.
