Generosity should be our default setting in the hospitality business. It is a people-based industry after all and relationships are at the heart of everything we do. That said, there is a very real need for intentionality in the midst of those relational dynamics. As we seek to treat people right and also reward our customers and staff, our good intentions may be met with less than good results if they lack structure.
Inconsistency is probably the number one frustration people have with their service experiences and when we have a good idea or intention with an single act of generosity or a feature of our business meant to display generosity, we are implying to people that it will be functional, consistent, and that we have put int he work and due diligence to make it so.
Example 1:Â Say you offer a BOGO special for roasted coffee and you fail to inform all the staff of the deal. Or you forget to enter into the POS the appropriate codes and buttons needed for the staff to ring customers out. Through a lack of planning and structure you have turned what should have been a positive experience into a frustrating one for both the barista and customer.
Example 2: Consider also you want to add regular staff meetings for the purpose of encouraging your team and gathering feedback from them. Everyone is excited to have their voice heard and it goes well for a bit, but after a few weeks, fizzles out. You got busy and it feel through the cracks. We chalk these things up to “life” but really it is a lack of structure and planning that causes things to fall apart. As much as we want staff buy-in to our programs, vision, and mission, we must ask ourselves, what should we use as a measure of own buy-in? I believe we should measure our buy-in through commitment coupled with intentionality, planning, and prioritization.
So the degree to which we are setting up our team and our customers for success through these supporting structures, is the degree to which we are bought-in and showing a professional level of care that is needed in all aspects of service based businesses where we want to build up trust with the people we serve and serve with.
My encouragement to you today is that you take a look at how you create and execute your ideas. When you set up the structures around your acts of generosity, you set up everyone for success!
-Chris
Contact me at : Chris@keystotheshop.com
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