Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is that if you are trying to focus on hospitality, think about what you are doing for your guests and be wary of anything they may feel you are doing to them. Today's tip comes from Danny Meyer's book Setting the Table, The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business. Danny Meyer is best known for founding the restaurant's Union
Square Cafe and Shakeshack. In Setting the Table, Meyer shares insights from the restaurant business that are relevant for anyone aiming to extend hospitality, whether to die your restaurant, guests in your home, customers at your shop, patients in your medical office, or wherever one person might reasonably be hosting another. In the book, Danny Meyer defines hospitality as being on
the guest's side. You want to understand their perspective. Meyer then goes on to explain hospitality is present when something happens for you, it is absent when something happens to you. This strikes me as a helpful screen for evaluating how you interact with any sort of guests or customers. Are you doing something for them or to them? You can quickly see how many places are doing things to people
rather than for them. A great many medical offices do not seem to be designed for the comfort of their actual patients. Not the parking situation, not the hours appointments are available, not the fact that you fill out the same information three times, not the uncomfortable gown, not the need to answer the same question multiple times because no
one bothered to look at your first answer. Similarly, while I understand why restaurants began providing QR codes for accessing menus during the pandemic, a great many diners probably feel like this is being done to them, not for them. Needing to be on your phone just to see the drink options is not terribly relaxing when you are out for a relaxing dinner. Who wants to see that email from your boss when you meant to look at the appetizers.
Restaurants could cheerfully offer a physical menu for anyone who wants one, while pointing out the QR code for those who prefer this. A hair salon that asks clients how they would like reminders by email or text or phone or not at all, and then honors their preferences. Is doing something for the clients. One that sends out numerous auto generated texts to everyone is probably doing this because
it is easiest for them. They're thinking about their desire to avoid no shows, but not about people's communication preferences. Whatever your field, it is likely that the question am I doing this four or two my guests is a good one for helping you provide the care and service your clients or customers want. When you do things for other people, they'll want to come back, and that's good hospitality and good business. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of our time.
Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
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