A Superpower: Making People Feel Taken Care Of
By Isaac French
I just finished reading Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. Let me tell you — the book blew my mind. It's a gold mine for anyone who wants to get better at the art of serving others, building and leading a team, and running a world-class restaurant (or virtually any business).
If you've never read Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, I'd recommend reading that one too, and first, if you can. Will worked for Danny early in his career, and the lessons from each book build and intertwine beautifully.
One of my key takeaways is this: service — doing your job with competence and efficiency — is "black and white." Hospitality — making people feel great about the job you're doing for them — is color.
One thing that will never go out of style is the human need to feel cared for. A sense of belonging. Like a smile and a warm hug on a bad day. This is even more important than doing something with excellence or efficiency (though that is also essential if you want to reach the top).
This is so powerful because it means that you can create a wonderful business by simply learning how to make people feel taken care of. You don't need a bigger budget, you don't need fancier things (though all of that can no doubt help). What you need are thoughtful touch points that convey genuine care—"magical moments"—in the guest experience.
Some of this is improvisational or one-off hospitality (like the inspiring examples he gives of the gourmet hot dog or the spur-of-the-moment sledding trip). But a lot of it can be systematized, if you are careful to think through what you want to impart to your guest, and even more importantly, what you want to instill in your team.
"Hospitality is a selfish pleasure. It feels great to make other people feel good."
There are opportunities to delight your guests and create emotional connections in almost every business. But the accommodations space is one of the best and most obvious.
Though Live Oak Lake was highly automated, there were key elements of personal touch and genuine care that became hallmarks of the experience and catalyzed the devout and highly-lucrative following, leading to 80%+ direct booking rates, 95% occupancy and millions of dollars of value created in less than two years.
The fresh-baked cookies waiting for the guests with a handwritten note from us. The genuine smile and greeting from the maintenance crew on the way in. The thoughtful and personalized follow up messages the first evening. Yes, these are just a few little things. But trust me, they can add up in profound ways. Just read the google reviews for Live Oak, or the handwritten notes in the guest books.
I believe the next wave of hospitality and unique stays will incorporate this kind of thoughtful and personalized human touch with the efficiencies and luxuries of modern technology (keyless entry, automated lighting and HVAC, etc).
Get rid of the archaic 10-min lobby and front desk check-in process. Get rid of daily housekeeping (unless perhaps you offer it à la carte). These human interactions are not relevant to the next generation of travelers, and therefore a waste of resources.
Ask yourself this simple question about everything in your process of interacting with guests: "does it deepen the connection I'm trying to establish with them?" If not, do away with it.
Challenge the status quo and craft an experience full of small but wonderful surprises. Systemize that experience as much as you can for your team, but above all, instill in them the importance of genuinely caring for guests, treating them with the same level of hospitality and care you want the guests to feel. It will almost effortlessly translate.
"Create an environment where service and accommodations are mere ingredients in the recipe of human connection."
Again, I highly recommend you get the book and read it...as soon as it arrives.
That's a wrap. I'd love to hear what you're thinking, so hit that reply button and LMK! And thanks for reading.
Have a great week!
—Isaac