Empathy is the Secret Ingredient to Delivering Quality Service
I was visiting a friend at her concierge desk a couple of days ago when she showed me a quote she has hanging behind her desk: She told me it has helped her to understand and have patience with people throughout her career. I instantly related to the quote by my favorite writer, Anonymous, as […]
Remembering a Name: Rhymes With Cheetah
One of the most important lessons I learned in the hotel business is the following adage: Nothing sounds sweeter to a customer than the sound of his or her own name. For many, that is easier said than done. Participants in my concierge training programs are always telling me how bad they are at remembering […]
Confirming a Reservation
A reservation confirmation is such a mundane, necessary function that it is hard to think of it as an opportunity to make an emotional connection and yet it most definitely is just that. As I made arrangements for a speaking engagement in Arkansas, I received three reservation confirmations. The one from a chain hotel was […]
Crystal Bridges: Surrounded by Art and Inspiration
My favorite TV show is CBS Sunday Morning because it showcases informative and ‘feel good’ stories. A few months ago, they did a piece on an unlikely place for a world-class museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Created by Alice Walton (heir to the Walmart fortune) and designed by Moshe Safdie, […]
That’s Why They Call It Magic
A few years ago, I attended a talk given by the very famous sister and brother team, Patricia and Robert Fripp. Patricia Fripp is a well-known professional speaker and Robert Fripp is a famous world-class guitar player and the former leader of the British rock band, King Crimson. One of the stories Robert shared touched […]
Do you love what you do?
That old adage, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” really is good advice. The problem, of course, is knowing what it is that you love. In the late 70’s, when I was a young manager, I mistakenly hired my closest friend to be a part of the concierge team. While she is […]
Put A Little Love In It
I really love it when love is expressed in unexpected places. Southwest Airlines was one of the first to introduce love into their business and helped raise the bar and set the expectation for excellence in customer service. I give them props for doing just that. I wish more companies would follow suit and recognize […]
Gratitude for Shopping Santa Fe Satisfied
“God please protect me from what I want.” I thought of this expression on a recent visit to the shopping mecca, Santa Fe, New Mexico when I realized I was not suffering from the “I want” syndrome. Full disclosure: I love shopping for clothes, jewelry, purses, shoes, hats and art. And Santa Fe fashions have […]
Making a Contribution
Every year I pick a word to focus on for that year. Over the many years I have been doing this, I have chosen words, like joy, trust, love, prosperity, fruition and magic. Recently I was contemplating the word I wanted to choose for 2012 and was having a hard time picking just one. On […]
Responses to Blog Post About Being Right
Today I’d like to share a couple of really interesting responses to my blog post about “Being Right.” As a result of reading the post, my cousin Adrienne in North Carolina graciously let her ophthalmologist know that he took her into his office 45 minutes later than her scheduled appointment. His response, “Well, you can […]