Hank Ebeling IV’s Post

Yes, that's me on the backhoe trying to operate three controls with two hands. Made for great "local entertainment"! (Check out my Alma mater on the jacket. Go Beavs!) My neighbor made it look SO easy. Owning a boutique hotel was, literally, an open door for new experiences. There were people we met and experiences I had that would NOT have happened if it weren't for owning this gorgeous place. That's one of the blessings of working any type of front facing customer service position - there are incredible people to meet and connections to make that would not happen in another job. Being curious about the customer is KEY. Not only did it make my (and my staff's) job more interesting but it enriched our lives. Communicating, teaching, how to be curious results in: * Staff being more engaged * Staff engaging WITH customers * Customers FEELING valued * Customers spending more money and being loyal to the business Would you like to have your team understand how to make customers feel valued? Would you like to have your staff create loyal, repeat customers? Check out the Power of People Academy an on-line, on-demand staff training course. It's your hospitality bootcamp that creates more free time and income for you (owner/leader). Link is in the comments!

"Lessons From The Hospitality Sector: Where Character Meets Excellence Working in hospitality is more than just a job - it's a transformative experience that teaches you invaluable skills that can't be learned anywhere else. It's a boot camp for life, where you'll master the art of prioritization, swift problem-solving, effective communication, and humility. You'll discover the true meaning of service and how to keep a smile on your face, even in the most challenging situations. We firmly believe that everyone should spend at least a year in the hospitality sector. Imagine the world if everyone had the opportunity to develop these essential skills! It would be a world where customer service is a top priority, where people understand the value of hard work and dedication, and where character is built like never before. At Footprint Hospitality, we're passionate about mentoring individuals who share my enthusiasm for hospitality. Together, let's create a world where hospitality is not just an industry, but a way of life. #footprinthospitality #hospitalityexcellence

So we are onto Day 10 of meet the team and today we have Ellie Forman, here is what was said about Ellie. "Ellie is about as hard working as they come and she has learnt so much in her time with F&D Tech Solutions. Ellie always puts in 100% and is an asset to have working with us, she has taking on many roles and is always ready for the task ahead. Whenever Ellie is called upon to help out she is always the first person to put her hand up. Ellie really is the heartbeat of the team and we couldn't be more excited to see where the future takes her. Thank you so much for everything you do!!" Now here are the answers to her questions: 1. How long have you worked for F&D?  1 year 1 month   2. Do you prefer Tea or Coffee?  Tea   3. Would you rather travel in the past or into the future?  Past   4. Where is your favourite holiday destination and Why?  Bahamas because of the sun, sea & strong cocktails.   5. What is your favourite sport and who is your favourite team?  Football – Birmingham City   6. Do you prefer Instagram, TikTok or Facebook?  Instagram   7. What is your favourite thing to do of a weekend?  Shopping, eating out & Pub crawls!   8. What do you love most about your job?  Its Fast Paced and never a boring moment. Everyone at F&D works well as a team and we always help each other out when we need to.   9. If you can only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Roast Dinner   10. Tell us something we don't know about yourself?  I previously worked all over the Caribbean & Mediterranean on Cruise ships & Super Yachts.

A memorable piece of feedback or compliment for me as a hotelier has been: “Your attention to detail and personalized service made our stay truly exceptional. We felt like valued guests throughout our entire experience." Receiving such feedback can be incredibly rewarding for a hotelier, as it reaffirms their dedication to providing exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for guests. It can boost morale, reinforce a sense of pride in their work, and serve as motivation to continue striving for excellence in their career. Additionally, positive feedback like this can enhance the hotel's reputation and encourage repeat business, ultimately contributing to the success of the hotelier and their team. What's your memorable piece of feedback or compliment you've received in your career, and how did it impact you? Post it in the comments below.

💡 Monday's Lesson: Customer is NOT first. ❗ I'd like to share again this impactful short interview from world's top hospitality group Danny Meyer, on the Art of Hospitality. He reminds us that unlike what we've always said, client is not first, is it just second. Your EMPLOYEES are FIRST. Indeed, they are the ones who will transmit this will to make your clients feel good. They are the ones who will be responsible for creating this atmosphere that makes you feel good while being somewhere. Choosing the right team to embody your service matters. More then we think. When hiring staff, always go for 51% skills in emotional management, and the remaining 49% of technical skills. Now I'll let you enjoy this precious bit of knowledge for yourself 💡 https://lnkd.in/epTgAGpx

What does "Unreasonable Hospitality" mean? → It's a concept of going over and beyond and providing intentional, exceptional customer service in any line of work. Will Guidara is someone from whom we can all learn this from. His new book "Unreasonable Hospitality" is a MUST read. I am honored to welcome him to E340 of #thePOZcast You will learn ↴ → Unreasonable hospitality is about managing expectations and exceeding them. → Hire the person, not the resume. Look for people with the right attitude and philosophy of hospitality. (in this context, I agree, but not in every case) → Make it cool to care by being passionate about your goals and infecting others with your passion. → Create a culture of camaraderie and connection among your team members. → Break the daily huddle into two parts: let your team eat and connect with each other before discussing work-related matters. → Building relationships and creating a sense of community in the workplace is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention. → Effective communication, including daily huddles, can foster trust and teamwork among employees. → Finding purpose in your work is essential for personal fulfillment and success. → Accountability and self-awareness are key to personal growth and learning from mistakes. → Empowering and supporting others can lead to extraordinary achievements. → Persistence, character, and being present are essential qualities for success in any endeavor. 👉🎥 WATCH: https://lnkd.in/eGP8_F47 👉🎧 LISTEN UP: Link in the comments 🔥 THIS IS #THEPOZCAST > GET INVOLVED 🔥

Interesting story… Today, I saw a LinkedIn post from a training and development professional who essentially went on a tirade about his stay at a specific hotel. Needless to say, he did NOT enjoy his time there and took to LinkedIn to share his experience while tagging the franchise company and the brand. I can understand going to a place like TripAdvisor or the hotel’s direct website to post genuine feedback whether it’s positive or negative, but to publically bash an entire company on LinkedIn over a bad hotel stay is wild to me. This is coming from someone who used to work for that specific company and knows that they are the textbook definition of professionalism. People who don’t work in the hospitality industry have no idea what kinds of things we go through on a regular basis. We bend over backwards to ensure that all guests are enjoying themselves and we do what we can. Even when people are yelling and screaming in our faces, and in some cases, throwing things at us, we still keep a pleasure demeanor while trying to help the best we can. Moral of the story: there’s a time and a place for everything, and how you approach things matters. Be kind to everyone, and be the one that makes a difference.

I often say (possibly too often..!) that I think really great business is a tide that lifts all ships, and our client LSG Purchasing is such a great example of that. They bring independent hospitality businesses together so they can get the types of deals normally reserved for the big chains, meaning the supplier gets more business, LSG's clients get better prices and LSG make a profit without it costing their clients anything: Win-win-win, adding value everywhere, just the way good business should be!

The New General Manager Any new hotel General Manager must quickly assess his or her own weaknesses. This should be easy since there are usually a lot of people willing to point these out 😅 In my experience, even new direct reports that were formerly peers will join in because they realize that their success is now linked to that of the new GM. A quick 360 evaluation, ideally including customers, provides a ready diagnostic tool. Then the new GM must compensate for weaknesses and eliminate disqualifiers. Please keep in perspective that everyone makes their career based on what they are best at. If you are good at revenue increment, get better at it. If you are good with customers, get better with customers. This is where most of your efforts should go throughout your career. As for what you are relatively poor at, you just need to prevent this from being a disqualifier. Unfortunately, as you rise in the corporation, the threshold for what is a disqualifier gets less and less forgiving. Going from a relatively one dimensional functional job to that of a general management job is one of the transitions most likely to expose new disqualifiers and that is one reason why it is so dangerous, and..... so exciting.

Hospitality is like a Negroni. (It's 1:1:1) Part meeting your customers' service expectations Part exceeding your customers' service expectations Part telling your brand's service story Read more in the first comment below. ✌️