Hospitality’s Post

Relationships, whether they be personal or professional, take work. Intentionality, authenticity and an investment of thoughtfulness are critical pillars to drive the success of any relationship. “I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life” is the first of the 12 Service Values at The Ritz-Carlton. Explore our latest blog post to learn more about the history of the 12 Service Values and how Ritz-Carlton Ladies and Gentlemen build strong relationships with guests to truly transform the customer experience. https://bit.ly/3VspyXQ

Having a Blast in the Hospitality Jungle - Embracing Humanity 🌴🍹 🎢 Wanna know the ultimate hurdle for someone rocking the hospitality scene? Can you take a wild guess? Yes, it's our dear customers! In my view, they fall into three main categories: 1. The Silent Spectators 🤐: These are the customers who prefer to keep their emotions under wraps. While it may seem like a smooth ride, it's not the ideal scenario for company growth. Their silence may lead to missed opportunities for feedback and improvement. They quietly slip away without a word, leaving us in the dark about any areas that need enhancement. 2. The Emotional Expressors 😅: On the other end of the spectrum, we have customers who wear their hearts on their sleeves. They're the ones flooding us with feedback, complaints, and comments about anything and everything. Dealing with this type is an adventure, as their feedback often ventures into unexpected territories, creating moments of dissatisfaction. Let's just say they have a knack for sending complaints our way. In the world of hospitality, everyone is bound to encounter this type of customer at least once in their career. 3. The Polite Critics 🌟: Then, there's the rare gem—the customer who possesses good manners and provides feedback positively and constructively. Acknowledging that a business without criticism is stagnant, finding customers willing to support the business while offering valuable feedback is akin to discovering a diamond in the jungle. However, as individuals working in hospitality, it's crucial not to pass judgment on customers based on a brief encounter. Allow me to share a memorable experience: During an evening shift, I encountered a customer known for his rudeness. Mentally preparing for a challenging interaction, he approached me with a request, and to my surprise, he said, "Thank you, and hope you're having a wonderful night!" I stood frozen for a moment, questioning if I was indeed the intended recipient of his courtesy. Despite his abrasive interactions with my colleagues, he displayed unexpected politeness towards me. Lesson learned: Never judge someone without personally getting to know them. Just like the saying goes, don't judge a person by their cover; read the book and form your own interpretation. Now, what's your story? 📖✨

I entered the management role with no degree and nothing but the experience I had gained prior to accepting my role. To better my position as a leader and hotelier, I have been reading more and more hospitality books to get to where I believe par to be for the role. Time and time again they stress the importance of customer service and dealing with combustion points, however I find these ideals to be intrinsically at odds with what is recommended and discussed behind closed doors. Profit and Loss statements should be replaced with People and Loyalty. This is not to undermine the value of raw data that we can use to better improve our businesses. More so I feel that the hospitality aspect of the hospitality industry is now a luxury provided only to the elite. An industry that's imbedded in our DNA (think about how many people prioritize a spare room in their house so they can host company.) We are but just one degree removed from that on a professional level. Guests love to provide feedback when able and I've observed companies blatantly ignoring exactly what their guests want and tell them, but then scratch their head when they're still having loss and can't retain customer loyalty. Any hospitality company that puts extreme gains over people has lost the spirit of the business and will spend more time putting out fires of their own design than getting to the root of these combustion points from the start. Imagine how much easier a fire fighters job would be if the fire told them when it would burst into an inferno! A slight reframing and approach to hospitality can put you leaps and bounds above the competition and have guests become ravenously loyal to the brand, but the smallest feedback gets overlooked because it could possibly cost a dollar more than doing nothing. The "big picture" gets thrown around a lot, but I feel that the simplicity of that image gets lost through abstraction, People spend money > company gains profit, Ideally. But then the company focuses more time balancing how many guest they can upset without it drastically impacting business, when they could see massive gains if they just listened to the feedback that they beg guests to provide. I may not have a formal education, but maybe that perspective is just what some of these hospitality brands need to refocus the industry back to where it belongs, on the guest.

Following the values of Butler's article last Friday, you would have noticed that the Butler traits are applicable in all walks of life and, hence, can be used by all to enhance their life. Therefore, Butlers could excel in all walks of life. More importantly, people from all walks of life should embrace Butler's values. Learnings from Butlers Masters of discretion and subtle influence naturally incorporate nudging principles. By carefully arranging environments and anticipating needs, they guide guests towards seamless and satisfying experiences. For instance, placing a welcome drink in a prominent spot nudges guests to relax upon arrival, offering an umbrella as appropriate or having a formal suit for a business meeting. The default options in menus or activity suggestions are curated to highlight the best choices without overwhelming the guest. By presenting choices in a thoughtful sequence, butlers ensure that decisions feel effortless and intuitive. Furthermore, butlers leverage social energy by discreetly sharing popular guest preferences and encouraging others to follow suit. They address loss aversion by minimizing potential inconveniences and emphasizing the ease and certainty of chosen options. 1. Nudges Steer Decisions: Effective subtle or overt nudging can guide your audience towards better choices. 2. Carefully Build Choice Context: The layout and order of presented options significantly influence perceptions and decisions. 3. Leverage Loss Aversion: Stable, small gains are more persuasive than large rewards. 4. Simplicity and Positivity: Simple choices and positive framing enhance decision-making satisfaction. #butlercoach#butlerservice#householdmanger#butlercareer#joyfulliving#privateservice#hospitalitycareers#persoanldevelopment

What Cruise Line would you guess has the best customer service? If you guessed Viking then you are correct! What does Viking do to get this honor? ✅ They have impeccable service standards they uphold ➡ Do your business have service standards? ✅ They have a leadership team with the proper service first mindset ➡ Are you a committed leader to being as I like to say the Crusader of WOW. ✅ They are great at handling customer issues ➡ Does your business have a systematic approach to handling customer issues that is taught? What Viking demonstrates are simple things that all businesses can thrive in with the right time, mindset and leadership. It's their culture and execution that has led not only their ranking but to their success. P.S.-Have you ever taken a cruise? If so do you agree with the list?

The mistake many hospitality sales and marketing professionals make… Focusing on features, benefits, statistics, accolades, costs, rates, etc.   Why is this a mistake? Because research shows that people are not rational beings. 95% of our thoughts, emotions and learning occur without our conscious awareness. ⚠️ Yet, our messages and methods target the logical 5%. Our processes are not aligned with how people make decisions. Although there are rational parts in most decisions... 📌 You increase your odds when focused on the emotional and unconscious needs of those you're trying to influence.   Facts and details will help justify the decision... They just won’t make the sale!   To quote the movie Gladiator…   “I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crown and you’ll win your freedom.” #hotelsales #hotelindustry #hospitalityindustry #hospitalityleadership #hospitalityleaders #hospitalitysales #salesleadership #leadershipdevelopment #travelandtourism #hospitalitymanagement #luxuryhospitality #hospitalitytrends #hotelmarketing #hospitalitymarketing

Big takeaway from Unreasonable Hospitality: Language creates culture. How you talk to yourself and others is crucial to success. Make short sayings with big meaning for… - common experiences, - potential pitfalls, - and favorable outcomes. To those on the grind for their big goals, just remember… There’s nothing to it, but to do it.

This is so timely as today we celebrated Service Value 3: I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests. Empowerment is one of the driving forces behind creating an engaged workforce that is excited to deliver legendary service at every interaction. We know that empowerment must begin with leadership and this is one of our most sought after topics. We invite you to learn more about how we bring this concept to life in our latest blog feature and we are standing by to be of service if you would like to learn how to bring these tools to your organization! #empowerment #employeeengagement

Midweek Reminder: VALUE yourself. Clichè, I know. But, I mean it. For others to value you, you must first value yourself. Your strengths Your Weaknesses Your Thoughts Your Ideas You are where you are for a reason. Always remember the value you bring to any table you sit at. Join 1,000+ hospitality pros on their journey in the Industry here, https://lnkd.in/eyHTkw8e.

Thomas J. Giordano, Jr gave me a copy of Unreasonable Hospitality, a book about Eleven Madison Park in NYC and its journey to becoming the best restaurant in the world. There are a lot of good points in the book. I have given a copy of it to most of the managers at our firm. Many of the key takeaways I've read before, but they're good reminders as to what it takes to continue to deliver the best service to your clients/customers. The author talked about 11 words that define the restaurant. I tried to produce words that defined the attorneys and staff at Pond Lehocky Giordano, but wasn't trying to limit it to five or ten or any number. I just wrote down words that popped in my head as I was reading the book. Some of the words that popped in my head immediately were the following: 1. Relentlessness 2. Professionalism 3. Got your back 4. Excellence 5. Competitive 6. Growth 7. Change/Innovate 8. Creative 9. Open minded 10. Team - Collaboration 11. Care 12. Strategic 13. Risk averse 14. Belief 15. Mindset 16. Work Hard, Play Hard 17. Hungry 18. Self-motivated 19. Empowerment 20. Education/Training 21. Vision 22. Self-discipline 23. Preparing/Planning Clearly, I could add to this list. Since reading the book, I thought of some other things as I reflect on daily communication: When I think about perfection, you'll never be perfect, but you can constantly reach for it. It’s the little things. Constantly improving the mousetrap to make it better and better so the client experience is one in which they feel empowered, have peace of mind, and then at the end of the process, are satisfied with the result.