People are the reason I'm in the business of service. I own a tiny hotel in the rolling hills of Tuscany. With that I mean 5 rooms! The hotel itself is the original Tuscan farm house. Obviously this old house has been lovingly restored and been given modern amenities like hot running water and electricity.
With my hotel being so small I have no other possibility other than truly making people feel at home so that it's a pleasant experience for my staff and the guests them selves. Honestly my guests have seen me preparing breakfast in my pajamas. But I know that guests expect a good breakfast and appreciate it even more if it is prepared with love. Who cares that I haven't applied my lip stick yet? And often these early morning encounters have led to interesting conversations and brought about new friendships.
People know when you're merely just doing something in order to meet your obligations or whether you're genuinely interested in their well being and comfort. I travel a lot myself so I'm often subjugated to other people's service. A smile from the staff will do wonders to make you feel welcome. How many hoteliers and restaurant owners have failed to pass the concept of friendliness onto their staff?
I wonder why people get into the business of serving people when actually they have no interest in serving people. I'm not only talking about serving your guests with sincerity but also caring about your staff. Is the reason why staff in some hotels and restaurants are surly because they don't feel like they are of any value to their employees? True and genuine service begins from the core - it means treating every one from the cleaner to the VIP guest with respect and friendliness. You can't expect the cleaner to give of their best when they are made to feel less important than the VIP guest. And if you think about it - it makes sense.
From what I've seen cleaners that are treated well, go about their work with a smile on their face and more times than not are generously tipped by the guests which gives the cleaner even more reason to be enthusiastic about the job. It has been my experience that a manual worker can be evolved into a fantastic kitchen assistant and even become a discerning cook. It's all about acknowledging people and doing your best to be of service to them.
People fear that being of service means that you are a doormat and allow people to use you. That is something else. I myself have encountered miserable souls that allow people to push them around and still don't give a heart warming service. The facial expression is devoid of a genuine smile. In order to be of service to some body else you must be of service to your self first. Only some body that is happy within the self can project and pass on that feeling to some one else.
Folks with a sullen disposition should get out of the hotel and restaurant business. People go out to relax and get away from their problems - they shouldn't have to be confronted with unfriendliness and a attitude that says, "I couldn't care less - I'm just doing my job".
So remember in order to give better service check that you are being good to your self and your staff. Guests will remember you and your service and tell others about you. Favorable comments as per word of mouth are the most effective marketing any one can hope for.
Alissa Mattei is a degreed food technologist with a heart for olives. She is a sought after "olive consultant" and travels the world teaching food corporations how to recognize the quality of an olive so it can be introduced into a product range
Alissa also is an expert on "olive oil tasting". She owns and lives the life of her dreams together with her husband on a huge olive plantation, where together they run one of the most popular luxury guest houses in the heart of Tuscany. The guest house is simply called Casa Montecucco which in English means the house on the hill
Visit Alissa at http://www.casamontecucco.com
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By Alissa Mattei
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