What won't change?
Most of us in the hospitality trade spend our time including many sleepless nights wondering what’s going to change next or what is going to be the next, newest ‘new’ normal? I guess that’s bound to occur more often than before, and perhaps be described as ‘very’ normal?
A while ago, Jeff Bezos shared some powerful insights. He suggested that instead of focusing all the time on what will change in the next ten years, focus on what won’t change – because that’s where long-term strategy is built. He explained that in hospitality, the fundamentals remain the same, namely that; Guests will always want seamless, personalized experiences, where service excellence will always be a competitive advantage and that loyalty will be driven by trust, quality, and connection. Absolutely true! Let’s briefly explore why?
Seamless, Personalised experiences: As someone put it, “In a world cluttered with transactions, stand out by transforming each customer interaction into a memorable journey”. Beyond the basics of using names, anticipating needs, and guiding customers, there's a profound layer that many overlook. It’s called genuine engagement. True engagement means your customers leave feeling not just served, but seen, spoken to and valued. It’s where every customer or guest is made to feel in that moment, like they are the only person in the world that matters. It’s an art that rises above conventional service, where the heart leads and the checklist follows. Such engagements lead to relationship building, which is vital to the guest experience.
Service Excellence: When I check-in to a luxury 5-star hotel I expect to receive a superior quality of flawless service, luxurious accommodations, diverse and high-end amenities, advanced in-room technology, exceptional dining options and the like. To me those are fundamental components that spell out the characteristics of a 5-star hotel and thus meeting my expectations is minimal. Basically, when I stay at a 5-star hotel I anticipate being provided with 5-star products and service. But, by no means does it qualify to be termed service excellence. There is a clear distinction between quality service and service excellence. Today, the most powerful differentiator in the service sector is a culture of excellence—powered by proactive staff that can anticipate customers’ needs, exceed expectations, create cherished memories, and make it all feel seamless. Luxury properties may potentially see more return from investing in this type of culture than from plastering the hotel with marble and gold plating the bath fixtures or having staff follow bland highfalutin standards of operations.
Trust, quality, and connection: Trust matters in customer relationships now more than ever. Today's marketplace demands total transparency. Hotels need to communicate with integrity and make sure the information they post about the property and surround, is clear, accurate, and readily available. On-site, when restaurant servers say that if you don’t like what they are suggesting, they will get you something else or take it off the bill, or make suggestions to save you money by not over-ordering - rather than push for an additional sale, they are cementing a layer of confidence in your willingness to trust them. Why? Because you know they are looking out for your best interest too. Trust creates confidence. Confidence can lead the first sale and beyond. And, when you add in a good customer experience, as in exceptional customer service, you have the opportunity to create the desirable loyal customer. Unfortunately, trust is too often squandered when hotels fail to consider the entire customer – including rewards for loyalty, which also relates to a bond of trust.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Customer Service Trainer and Ex-Hotelier
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