Second Cup: For not to

How to be truly welcoming

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
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

(00:29):
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

(00:52):
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.

(01:13):
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.

(01:37):
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

(01:59):
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

(02:20):
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

(02:41):
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

(03:03):
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.

(03:29):
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

(03:50):
hospitality and good business. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
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

(04:30):
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
production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

(04:53):
favorite shows.