Why Choose Hospitality?
Someone recently asked me, “WHY choose the hospitality industry as your niche market, especially now?” While they were perplexed, given the huge drop in revenues that industry has experienced over the last few months, the answer is crystal clear to me.
You see, I am not in it for the money. Of course, like all companies, I must make a profit to stay in business. But, the reason WHY I want to work with the hospitality industry is not about the money. This industry has taken a terrible hit as a result of fear of the coronavirus. This is heartbreaking to me. My PASSION is traveling to see the world and immerse myself in new cultures. If companies connected to the travel and tourism industry do not rebound, I cannot fulfill my goal of seeing places that are still on my bucket list. This reason makes me DRIVEN to help this suffering industry rebound as quickly as possible.
The hospitality industry is filled with individuals who have a strong desire to help people. They believe in the value of creating memorable guest experiences. They know that they hold the key to making a difference in someone’s day, and also know that they may be the only one that day to do so. Customer service is important to them, and they know that the only way to deliver excellent customer service is to deliver excellence in everything that they do. They believe that if they do not deliver five-star excellence, their competition across the street will. They exude positivity and graciousness and genuinely love people. If they do not, they will not be successful working in hospitality.
Many leaders in hospitality were once employees in hospitality. They learned the ropes from the ground up and can empathize with what their employees’ challenges may be. They understand that employee engagement is critical to delivering a five-star experience. In order to service the needs of their guests or customers, employees must anticipate what their guests’ needs may be and then go above and beyond to deliver plus-one service. Leaders should establish a culture that encourages and supports employee engagement to derive this end result. Creating a five-star experience for the guest is possible through establishing a standard and expectation through the company culture of delivering five-star excellence.
Earning a five-star review is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire team within a hospitality business. Five-star ratings create the perception of excellence and helps to solidify your brand reputation as a leader among your competitors. This becomes a marketing tool through which you can experience exponential growth in a good economy. In a not-so-good economy, this can be the difference between earning revenues or becoming insolvent. Five-star ratings are about guest expectations and service delivery. They are about delivering quality products and services that do not disappoint.
Quality management should be part of the business strategy of any hospitality company. Part of the expectation of service excellence is that encompasses the use and delivery of quality products. Ensuring that the quality control processes are top-notch helps to build brand reputation and consumer confidence in patronizing an establishment. Offering a pledge or guarantee often reassures guests and customers that this is a value that the company believes in and stands behind. Delivering consistency in quality solidifies this value as part of a company brand.
Delivering five-star excellence is the result of all of the dynamic moving parts of the operation working together to achieve that common goal. My desire is to help those in the hospitality industry to improve whatever parts are not working that may cause the business to fall short of excellent. Especially in this unprecedented turbulent time, this is more important than ever to rebound, reimagine, and reinvent themselves for the new normal to achieve their growth goals. The road to recovery will be long, but I am ready to meet their challenges with my strategies!
