Become excellent. Be unreasonable. | Will Guidara
Explore Will Guidara’s approach to a hospitality mindset that engenders customer loyalty in this week's Big Think Class.
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The secrets of unreasonable hospitality with Will Guidara
If your job involves selling something for a living, you already know the importance of making customers feel listened to and cared for. So why up the ante and engage in what restaurateur Will Guidara calls “unreasonable hospitality”?
Because being relentless in making others feel valued might be your best competitive advantage – especially in a business landscape stuffed with competitors constantly offering the latest and greatest version of your product or service. Luckily, being “unreasonable” doesn’t have to be draining; it can be creative, generative, and even systematizable.
Not only will these actions keep customers returning to your business, they’ll also work as a way of natural marketing; they’ll share stories of your service and draw even more people in, keeping your company alive.
Learning objectives:
Prioritize presence and connection in service interactions.
Scale personal touches by recognizing common customer patterns.
Empower your team to spark joy.
Be inspired by your rivals.
Balance exceptional customer service with profitability.
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Lessons:
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“Service with a smile.” It’s a common cliché in the hospitality industry, yet those four standard words capture an essential truth: people like to feel acknowledged.
And although requiring a smile or positive attitude from employees is likely to backfire, restauranteur Will Guidara says empowering team members to make customers feel valued is a vital priority. That’s why he suggests putting relationships on par with products in your business plan.
Although many companies optimistically advertise products as “one size fits all,” hardly anything that feels perfect for one person will feel the same for another. Human beings are just too amazingly varied.
Ever wondered how theme parks manage to make millions of people feel they’ve had a unique experience? It’s all about recognizing patterns and responding creatively.
When parenting, it can be useful to consider which boundaries should have a hard line and which can be more flexible. Crossing the street without holding an adult’s hand? Pretty non-negotiable. Choosing which pajamas to wear? Probably more of a “take your pick” situation.
Leadership expert Simon Sinek once said, “Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning. A worthy rival inspires us to take an attitude of improvement. The former focuses our attention on the outcome; the latter focuses our attention on process.”
Fans of sports are fond of saying that “defense wins championships.” But most games are ultimately decided by the team that scores the most points — i.e., the team that had the best offense (at least on game day).