No matter what you do or what product you provide, you will, at some point, have to interact with people, namely customers. And that interacting can be approached in three ways: 1) generically, 2) with hospitality, or 3) with unnecessary hospitality. 

Generic interaction is rote. It’s the minimum. It’s most likely scripted. It’s a facade of kindness. It’s a fake smile, but at least it’s a smile. Ultimately, while it’s pleasant, it’s soulless. 

Hospitality on the other hand is something quite different. Hospitality is driven by a desire to make people matter by welcoming and proactively helping them.

When people are welcomed, they feel wanted. When they are helped, they feel comfortable. And when that help is proactive, they feel like the priority. Hospitality is all about soul. 

So what is unnecessary hospitality? Unnecessary hospitality is when someone asks you to pass the salt, and you pass the pepper too. Unnecessary hospitality is when you begin doing something extra and the person you’re helping says, “You don’t have to do that,” and you do it anyway. Unnecessary hospitality is where the magic lies. Essentially, unnecessary hospitality is that little step up where opportunities to create happiness are searched out and taken whenever possible. 

This all now begs the question, “What kind of interactions does your company have?” Are you settling for generic or are you stepping it up to hospitality? Or… are you enabling the rarified air of unnecessary hospitality? 

My advice is 1) don’t settle, 2) step up to hospitality, 3) take any opportunity to do the unnecessary, and 4) watch your customers fall in love.

==> If you liked this post and want to know when new posts are published, CLICK HERE to subscribe.