Tag Archives: People

Portrait

What Memory Do You Want to Leave Guests With?

Emotions, Perceptions, Feelings,

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, my wife and I visited the same restaurant twice in six hours. Both experiences were completely different and completely memorable. We like to visit the Magic Kingdom at least once per year, and we always go to Skipper’s Canteen, a Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant. It’s a fun place, where the servers crack jokes and get in character as the skippers of the Jungle Cruise ride in Adventure Land. We had such a great experience for lunch that we booked a reservati...

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Bad Boss Killing Guest Experience

Is a Bad Boss Killing the Guest Experience?

Leadership,

In the hospitality industry, we say "a red carpet attitude begins at the top." But true leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and they aren't necessarily found at the top of the organizational chart. Leadership is about inspiring people to be their own best selves and that inspiration can be found in employees at all levels. Business success and service excellence are unmistakably linked to true leaders. But the opposite is true, too. A bad boss can kill the guest experience. True leaders can be...

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Disability Accommodations in Retail Spaces – Beyond the Minimum

Best and Worst Practices

Putting effort into accessibility makes it possible for more customers to shop. Imagine the frustration of struggling to leave home to get groceries, just to return empty handed because a barricade prevented you from entering the store. Even a single stair can have this effect for disabled folks. Accommodating disabled customers should be the norm, but too many retailers fall short. The Americans with Disabilities Act lays out practices that make shopping possible for those with disabilities. Ac...

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Modern examples of “Pineapple Service"

The Smallest Gestures can Make the Biggest Impressions in the Hospitality Industry

Emotions, Perceptions, Feelings, Guest Experience News,

There’s a degree of care in the most simple and mundane of gestures. Christopher Columbus and the early Americas may not be the first images that pop into your head when thinking about the guest experience. But hospitable gestures date all the way back then with what I call, “Pineapple Service.” What does fruit have to do with customer service? Everything. Back in the 16th Century, pineapples symbolized an early touchpoint of service, and the effort behind that touchpoint was exceptional service...

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Disabled people deserve more from business

Disabled People Deserve More Than the Bare Minimum from Your Business

Competitive Intelligence

An open letter from a woman living with a disability and the retail chain she values most. The world is not built for disabled people, and I’m reminded of this fact nearly every time I leave the house. Whether I’m going to the grocery store, a shopping center, or the mall, there is almost never enough accessible parking. There are always one or two spots, enough to meet the legal ADA requirement, but they’re almost always full. On days where I don’t have the patience to drive around the parking ...

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Treating Employees With Respect

Treating Employees With Respect Will Improve Your Company’s Bottom Line

Guest Experience News, ,

Research shows turnover increases and productivity sours when workers don’t feel a sense of belonging. No matter the industry, turnover is expensive – and every industry is facing high turnover right now. Between March and April of 2021, pollsters from Harris asked 1,000 hiring managers how much turnover costs their company. Get this: the average figure was $26,511. How can these companies best avoid the financial blow from employee turnover? A new report called “The 2022 Workplace Belonging Sur...

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Being “In the Moment” with the Past, Present and Future

Communication and Messaging, ,

“Le Joie de Vivre”, the Joy of Life! A few weeks ago I was in Paris and loved feeling this expression everywhere I went! There were so many brief and spontaneous interactions that allowed me to be “in the moment” and fully focused on my present experience while the historic past of France and the brilliant future of this city of light surrounded me. Almost everyone I met, whether for business or pleasure, whether on the Metro or on the rooftop of the Hotel Raphael, gave me some “in the moment” j...

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