Free hospitality? It’s an odd inference to think of hospitality in any way other than… well, free. The mere act of offering hospitality – the generous and friendly treatment of friends and guests – is just that: action.
Yet, as I think of the countless hospitality experiences I’ve had over my many years of dining, wine tasting, vacationing and business conferences, I’m struck by how undefined – and rare – true hospitality is.
Certain standardized elements of hospitality – the initial greeting, pleasant chit-chat while being seated, bits of information on the day’s specials – while expected, do in no way differentiate a restaurant’s service from any other dining choice that guest may have made.
What are the differentiators? In your own dining experience, how often have you experienced:
- A host immediately recognizing you as having dined previously and possessing the presence and conviviality to ask what you most enjoyed about it, what brings you back, then welcoming you as a friend.
- A front-of-house staff member giving you some “behind the scenes” info on a new dish the staff loved or specific changes to flavor profiles in the dessert menu she thinks you’ll enjoy trying.
- A server’s relational approach into inquiring how he can help improve your experience – before offering drinks or taking an app order. That same server offering a small taste of a fruit or herbed shrub while you peruse the menu for drinks.
- A sous chef or GM who visits with a taste of a dish they’re working on for future menus or events.
- A restaurant that has “office hours“… perhaps an hour in the morning and an hour pre-service in the afternoon… where diners can call to ask questions about specifics they can’t find online.
Have you noticed the common thread? These service touches distinguish a culture of genuine hospitality from the rote, obligatory – even friendly – performances we often experience.
Essential-Insight Advisors loves offering leading-edge, relational guidance to restaurateurs, operations managers and chef-owners. A checklist of outstanding service culture practices is here.
Like a quick snapshot of our seasonal restaurant dessert offerings created exclusively to maintain reliable, predictable dessert product profit centers?
| Essential Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake Mini | In+Dulge™ Salted Choc Cookie Dough | |||||||
| Essential Tiramisu | ||||||||
| Essential Crème Fraiche Cheesecake | Essential Pear-Almond Tart | |||||||
| Essential Oregon Hazelnut Cheesecake | ||||||||
| Essential Flourless Chocolate Torte | Essential Roasted Apple Tart | |||||||
What’s said about the best things in life? Free hospitality is that set of relational practices – free to management, staff and guests – that create restauarnt community. When diners truly feel they are valued as restaurant guests, they extend the restaurant’s community, one (or more) guest at a time. Hospitality is all about creating a culture of relationship.
We’re here to here to help.
Essential-Insight Advisors | www.Essential-Insight.com
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