Children's Parade Canceled; Hotel & Guests Find Silver Lining

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DALLAS (CBS11) - The sometimes wretched weather is at it again. For the second time in four years, the Children's Medical Center Parade scheduled for Saturday has been canceled.

"I was sad, because I really wanted to see it," said Wendi Kennedy in downtown Dallas Friday with her two toddlers in tow.

Like so many families, the Kennedys planned an overnight stay at the Adolphus to kick off the holiday weekend. With the parade canceled, they decided to check in anyway and look for indoor fun.

"Took them to the Perot for the first time, which was a lot of fun, yeah," said Kennedy.

Other Adolphus guests were given the option of canceling their stays without penalty. No charge.

"It's not always just a business decision, it's about doing the right thing," says Tony Cournia, one of the Adolphus general managers. "We want them to come back, not only for next year's parade, but for many parades to come."

Forfeiting the room charges would appear to be a costly nod to customer service. But, only experts say, if you consider the short term impact.

"That's the thing, your don't just look at today," said Jacquelyn Thomas, a marketing expert at SMU's Cox school of business. "You look at the lifetime value of the customer."

According to Thomas, any loss in revenue from the refunded reservations will likely be repaid with interest.

"Today, I might say 'you don't have to pay', because what are you going to do in response? You're going to have a greater affinity, you're going to tell somebody: 'oh, ya know, in Dallas the weather was bad. But, we didn't have to worry, so we'll go back again next year, because if something happens they're going to take of me'," explained Thomas.

So good things are happening, even without a parade.

"We might go to the aquarium, and go to the breakfast with Santa," said Kennedy of the family's now parade-free plans, while adding with a laugh, "go to Starbucks and get some hot cocoa!"

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