Well Played, Carnival

The cruise industry has taken a beating for the past couple years, and Carnival has gotten the most whacks.

And it’s Carnival that just instituted an interesting 110% guarantee that’s got people, including me, talking about them in a positive light.

They call it the Great Vacation Guarantee: If you’re not having fun in the first 24 hours of your cruise, they’ll pay to fly you home, plus take care of any necessary hotel and ground travel to get you there, plus give you a $100 credit toward a future Carnival cruise if you change your mind someday.

We all make mistakes… it’s how we fix things that people tend to remember. This strikes me as a good step for Carnival, and you can learn something from it.

Make your guarantees hurt you a little when you have to honor them. It makes us trust you. Show us… don’t just tell us.

“If something breaks down after we service, we’ll refund your money!”

Why market that? That’s what you should do if you’re a decent human being.

“If something breaks down after we service it, we’ll not only refund your money but buy you dinner for two at your favorite restaurant and pay for your babysitter.”

That’s a guarantee that’s worth marketing. That’s a guarantee people in your market would remember and talk about.

Sail on, Carnival. Hope it’s a lovely cruise.