This summer I had the pleasure of traveling extensively with my family to places we had long wanted to visit. We had many opportunities to explore different cultures, music, languages, and tastes.
It was an opportunity to experience various types of hospitality: we stayed in hotels, private homes, restaurants and dined with strangers. Everything we experienced contributed to indelible memories.
I was looking for a book to accompany me during the summer. I didn’t want a simple technical business book, but something that would allow me to look at the world from a new perspective.
Here’s what I packed.
An amazing and beautiful book I recommend: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara(Italian, English). My summer was punctuated by the pages read on the plane and at home with coffee.
In this note I have collected notes that I do not want to forget and that I believe are essential for any entrepreneur or business leader.
I have lined up these concepts so that they can be applied immediately to your business.
For each I have suggested practical examples for the IT, Industry and Manufacturing, Consulting and Retail sectors, as well as real cases and personal experiences.
You will discover
- discover how “unreasonable” hospitality can transform your customers’ experience, exceeding all expectations and creating lasting memories
- You will learn the importance of being fully present during customer interactions, taking opportunities to provide service beyond what is expected
- You will learn how to adapt your approach to personalize the customer experience, treating them as unique individuals
- You will discover the value of infusing creativity and flexibility into your teams to improve customer and employee engagement
- You will learn why small gestures can have a huge impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty
- you will learn how investing resources in dedicated roles can turn innovative ideas into extraordinary customer experiences.
1. Unreasonable Hospitality
Unreasonable hospitality is about going beyond basic customer service to create extraordinary and personalized experiences that surprise. It is about being proactive and exceeding expectations in a way that creates lasting memories in customers who will always prefer you to the competition because of this
How to apply it
IT Sector
IT companies can offer customized onboarding experiences for new customers, including unexpected support calls to check satisfaction or usage of their products, as well as tutorials tailored to the customer’s needs.
Industry and manufacturing sector
Manufacturers can surprise customers by providing customized product prototypes or offering unexpected after-sales services, such as follow-up visits or exclusive tours of the production process.
Consulting Sector
Consultants could go beyond the contract to offer additional market insights or industry reports relevant to the client’s business, creating added value at minimal additional cost.
Retail Sector
Retailers can personalize the customer experience by remembering customers’ preferences, offering exclusive product previews or providing tailored loyalty rewards based on past shopping behavior.
2. Presence
Being fully present means focusing completely on the task or person in question, without distraction. It means listening carefully and noticing opportunities to go beyond expectations in customer interactions.
A personal episode
Upon returning from the hotel to the Istanbul airport, I realized that I had paid more than expected for the cab. Unfortunately, this is a common practice in many parts of the world, including Italy.
In the previous days, the hotel concierge had assisted us with booking tickets for a museum, which is why I had his number on WhatsApp, so I asked him if the fare paid was correct. In Istanbul, you should know that the color of cabs also indicates differences in price. When I explained the situation, the concierge confirmed that we had been scammed.
But something unexpected happened. The concierge called the cab dispatcher and recovered for us the amount we had paid extra. He recharged the amount to the credit card used as the room deposit.
I think this is an example of Unreasonable Hospitality.
How to apply it
IT Sector
Customer Success teams can practice active listening to capture customer concerns, offering proactive solutions to problems that customers may not have explicitly stated. This can prevent future problems and build trust.
Industry and manufacturing sector
Sales teams can listen carefully to customer needs and offer unexpected solutions or improvements that customers had not thought to ask for, improving the overall product offering.
Consulting Sector
Consultants fully present at meetings with clients can pick up on unspoken business challenges and offer additional advice or services that address these hidden problems.
Retail Sector
Salespeople can offer tailored recommendations based on subtle cues from customers’ buying preferences or conversations, resulting in personalized product recommendations that improve customer satisfaction.
3. Take the work seriously without taking yourself too seriously
High standards need to be maintained in the work, but flexibility and a sense of humor need to be applied to make the experience enjoyable and accessible to customers. This enables companies to respond to customer demands in a creative, light-hearted and sustainable way.
How to apply it
IT Sector
An IT company might use humor and personalized service to help customers, perhaps informal language free of corporate jargon or using fun and engaging communication in technical documentation.
Here is an example of the changelog for Slack’s iOS App
Industry and manufacturing sector
Production teams could introduce a more relaxed and personal approach to customer visits, transforming potentially serious and sterile plant visits into engaging and personalized experiences.
Consulting Sector
Advisors can lighten their interactions by using simpler language and tailoring presentations in a more engaging and less formal way, making complex ideas more digestible.
Did you know that at STRTGY we often use background music in workshops where a high degree of creativity and problem solving is required?
Retail Sector
Retailers can offer unique and engaging experiences, such as digital pop-up events with personalized greetings or use gamification in product demonstrations.
4. One size fits all
Hospitality and service should be tailored to each individual, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Treating clients as unique individuals and customizing services to meet their specific needs creates a deeper bond.
This is the most difficult concept of all to metabolize. This does not mean having tailor-made products, quite the contrary! It means having standard implementation money that allows you to adapt to contexts.
How to apply it
IT Sector
IT companies could customize their software solutions and support packages according to the specific operational needs and preferences of each customer, rather than offering standard plans.
Industry and manufacturing sector
Manufacturers can personalize the customer experience by offering design changes and individualized attention throughout the project, ensuring that the product fits the customer’s use case perfectly.
Consulting Sector
Consultants can provide tailored solutions by delving into the client’s specific challenges, avoiding standard solutions and instead creating tailored strategies that align with the client’s unique business goals.
Retail Sector
Retailers can use purchase data and customer feedback to offer personalized promotions, product recommendations or exclusive services to loyal customers.
5. Accountability and creativity in teams
Empowering employees to exercise creativity in their work, particularly in customer interactions, fosters engagement and participation. It allows teams to contribute innovative solutions that enhance the customer experience.
How to apply it
IT Sector
IT teams can be encouraged to think outside the box in developing customized tools or solutions for customers, giving them the autonomy to address specific pain points in innovative ways.
Read about the case of Zappos removing scripts from its support service
Industry and manufacturing sector
Production teams can be empowered to propose process improvements or customized solutions that better meet customer needs, resulting in improved product offerings and stronger customer relationships.
Consulting Sector
Empower consultants to offer out-of-the-box solutions by creating a work culture that values individual contributions and innovative ideas during client assignments.
Did you know the coaches at STRTGY do everything they can for teams to succeed with our tools?
Retail Sector
Store employees can be empowered to offer customized discounts or special services based on customer preferences, which will not only please customers but also boost staff morale.
6. Investing in resources to create extraordinary experiences
To consistently deliver exceptional experiences, companies must allocate resources (time, talent, budget) that support these efforts. Dedicated roles, such as the “Dream Weaver” (Dream Weaver) in Guidara’s story, ensure that creative ideas can be implemented in a way that is consistent with one’s brand.
The “Dream Weaver” (Dream Weaver)
Having an insight is not the same as executing it; often, people on the front lines with great ideas for improving the customer experience often do not have the time to put them into practice. So Guidare created this new role, and the results have been extraordinary. From creating a winter wonderland for a Spanish family to organizing a couple’s first dance right in the restaurant, the Weaver of Dreams has turned ideas that would have been lost in corporate bureaucracy into unforgettable experiences. More importantly, he ignited a culture of innovation that permeated every aspect of his business.
How to apply it
IT Sector
Invest in customer success teams that focus on long-term customer satisfaction, using feedback to create customized solutions or improve service touch points.
Industry and manufacturing sector
Assign customer relationship managers who can bridge the gap between customers and production teams, ensuring that all specific customer requests are met efficiently and with a personal touch.
Consulting Sector
Create roles dedicated to client relations or satisfaction, whose job is to ensure that the client receives superior service to that expected during the consulting assignment.
Retail Sector
Hire or designate staff members who focus exclusively on customer engagement and experience, ensuring that special services or gestures are delivered consistently to customers.
7. Supporting satisfaction and human connection in companies
By creating meaningful and rewarding customer experiences, companies can foster deeper human connections. This not only strengthens customer loyalty, but also has a positive impact on employee satisfaction and team dynamics.
How to apply it
IT Sector
IT companies can foster a rewarding culture by celebrating successes and ensuring that both customers and team members feel valued. Sending unexpected gifts or thank-you notes after milestones are achieved can make a big difference.
Industry and manufacturing sector
Celebrate the completion of projects with customers through personalized thank-you events or gifts and recognize the hard work of employees involved in meeting customer needs.
Consulting Sector
Encourage consultants to build stronger relationships with clients, focusing not only on business results but also on building a good relationship, ensuring that clients feel valued at every stage.
Retail Sector
Create rewarding experiences by offering memorable in-store events or surprise gifts, ensuring that customer service interactions are more personal and less transactional.
8. The power of small gestures
Small, thoughtful gestures can have a major impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. These gestures need not be expensive, but they must be meaningful and personalized to the individual.
How to apply it
IT Sector
A simple follow-up e-mail thanking a client for their time after a meeting, or sending a useful whitepaper or tool tailored to their needs, can improve the relationship with the client.
Industry and manufacturing sector
After a major project, sending a handwritten thank-you note or a small gift that reflects the client’s interests can make a big impression.
Consulting Sector
Sending personalized cards or small gifts of appreciation to clients after project milestones can strengthen the relationship and demonstrate attention to detail.
Retail Sector
Offering a surprise discount, remembering customer preferences, or including small thank-you notes in deliveries can create memorable experiences that keep customers coming back.
What to bring to the office:
- Unreasonable hospitality: go beyond simple customer service to surprise and create unforgettable experiences. Offer something unexpected that will keep your customers coming back.
- Be fully present: during every customer interaction, focus 100 percent and take the opportunity to address hidden or unspoken needs.
- Personalization of the customer experience: treat each customer as unique, tailoring your services to their specific needs rather than applying standard solutions.
- Creativity in teams: Encourage your employees to be creative in their interactions, giving them the freedom to come up with innovative solutions to improve the customer experience.
- Small, thoughtful gestures: Implement simple but meaningful actions, such as thank-you notes or small discounts, to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Investment in the right resources: Create dedicated roles that enable innovative ideas and personalize customer experiences, thus ensuring ongoing impact.
