Tag Archives: operations

The Iceberg of Ignorance – What Leaders Don’t See Hurts Service

Leadership, ,

Imagine an iceberg on the horizon in South Florida. At first glance, it looks small and manageable. But only a small portion is visible above the water. The majority lies beneath the surface: hidden, complex, and potentially dangerous. The same can be said for hospitality organizations. What leaders don’t see Senior management often represents the visible portion of the iceberg. Below the surface are frontline employees, supervisors, and managers who make up the majority of the organization. The...

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Lead Service Like a Winner – Why Leadership Sets the Score

Leadership, ,

“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” This quote from Peter F. Drucker captures what it takes to make exceptional service possible. The actions, tone, and mindset of leaders shape how employees behave—and ultimately how guests are treated. When leadership sends the wrong message At a new casino and entertainment venue, leadership emphasized customer servi...

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Stop the Runaround – Why Bouncing Guests Damages Loyalty

Insights, , ,

Frequent travelers expect a certain level of recognition. They invest time, money, and loyalty into brands, often choosing the same airlines and hotels repeatedly. When they return, they expect that relationship to be acknowledged. When loyalty is met with friction In one experience, a frequent traveler attempted to redeem earned rewards. Instead of a seamless process, the interaction became a series of transfers, unclear answers, and repeated explanations. Calls were redirected, questions went ...

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Receptionist welcoming tourists in lobby upon their arrival at tropical summer resort. Hotel guests travelling on honeymoon with room accommodation, check in at reception counter.

Managing the Wait – How Time Shapes the Guest Experience

Competitive Intelligence, ,

Guests arrive with little patience and high expectations. How you manage wait times can either enhance the experience or quietly drive guests away. Waiting is part of everyday life. Traffic, lines, delays, and hold times are constant. By the time guests arrive at a hotel or restaurant, they are already experienced at waiting and often frustrated by it. That is why time plays such a critical role in service delivery. Guests experience time differently Guests do not measure time the same way opera...

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Rebuilding Service Excellence – Turning Big Moments into Everyday Standards

Guest Experience News, ,

This may be the right time to rethink how service can move to a higher level. Moments of change often create opportunities to reset expectations, redefine standards, and refocus teams. In hospitality, service excellence should never be assumed. It must be built, reinforced, and consistently delivered. Service excellence starts with leadership Strong service cultures begin at the top. Leaders set expectations not only through policies, but through behavior. When leaders demonstrate care, accounta...

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In hotel lobby, young couple interacts with helpful staff for check-in, reservations and assistance. Visitors in winter gear prepare for a ski holiday, capturing the excitement of a winter getaway.

What Drives Great Guest Experiences – Instinct, Training, or Both?

Insights, , ,

Exceptional service often looks instinctive, but it is rarely accidental. The best guest experiences come from combining natural empathy with intentional training and leadership. After several hours of leading a workshop in Doha, I mentioned to my host that my feet were hurting and I needed a moment before returning on stage. Within minutes, hotel slippers arrived. No request. No delay. Just action. In another instance, after a long and stressful travel day, a hotel manager ensured a smooth chec...

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Zermatt, Switzerland. March 1, 2024. Cozy scene in luxury hotel, Zermatt. Guests enjoying drinks in lounge, dog by woman. Staff member serves. Modern, alpine design. Luxe ski resort vibe.

Designing Guest Experience in Every Dimension – Where Operations Meet Emotion

Best and Worst Practices, , ,

Physical design, architecture, and operations define the structure of a hospitality environment. These elements shape what guests see and how spaces function. But the guest experience goes beyond what is visible. It is also shaped by behavior, leadership, training, and perception. The most effective hospitality operations understand both the physical and emotional dimensions of service and bring them together into a single, intentional experience. Why guest experience requires a dimensional appr...

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How a Tissue Box and a Pepper Shaker Rocked My World

Best and Worst Practices, ,

Chilled champagne in a silver bucket, chocolate-covered strawberries, elaborate floral displays, limousine arrivals, and red-carpet treatment — these are the classic gestures hotels use to celebrate special moments for guests. They are designed to surprise, delight, and create a “wow” reaction. While these experiences are memorable, they are also expected. Luxury hospitality often relies on grand amenities and elaborate gestures to make guests feel special. But sometimes the most powerful guest ...

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Accounting for Service – Why Financial Roles Matter in Guest Experience

Insights, ,

Creating a strong service culture requires more than frontline hospitality. It also requires the commitment of the departments responsible for managing the dollars and cents of a hotel. Hospitality leaders rely on accounting teams to manage bills, secure revenue, oversee expenses, and maintain financial accuracy. Yet many organizations overlook how these roles also influence service delivery. Service training is often directed toward frontline employees, but service principles apply just as stro...

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Before assembling, modifying sheet metallic components, skilled metal roofing mechanics review the blueprint, sketch, scheme, instruction in detail and calculate the correct size of steel materials.

Engineering Service – Why Hotel Engineers Play a Critical Role in Guest Experience

Insights, ,

Hotel engineers keep properties running smoothly, but their work often brings them directly into guests’ personal spaces. The way they communicate and interact can turn a routine repair into a defining moment in the guest experience. Engineers are the “fix-it” teams who make things tick, click, and work properly so that a hotel operates smoothly and without inconvenience to the guest. But engineers don’t simply repair equipment — they often experience some of the most personal interactions with ...

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