Hospitality, Weird Math and Your ABC’s
How to Create a Warm Welcome for Your Clients, Members and Guests
Here’s a question for hospitality leaders of all kinds,
“When does 1+1+1=4?”
It actually happens all the time when you combine just the right elements to create a hospitality experience.
You’ve heard it before, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
We call it, The ABC’s of Hospitality. Here’s our weird math equation that adds up to a big win for your clients and guests:
Ambiance + Beauty + Comfort = Hospitality
All three of these elements are critical components to creating a welcoming environment … and when put together, equal more than the sum of the parts.
Let’s look at each one individually…
“A” is for Ambiance
What, exactly, is “ambiance”? By definition, it is:
The character and atmosphere of a place.
So how does one go about creating positive ambiance? — Well, we first need to decide what type of character and atmosphere we want to communicate to our patrons. Here’s short exercise to help with that. On a sheet of paper, make two columns. At the top of the first column, write CHARACTER… at the top of the second, put ATMOSPHERE.
Now start to list words that come to mind for the type of CHARACTER you want your establishment to display. Next, do the same for ATMOSPHERE. – You’ll very quickly begin to draw a mental picture of what type of ambiance you wish to achieve.
Now, try to look around your establishment with fresh eyes (and ears), and see how it matches up with the list you just made. Pay special attention to the following categories:
Décor: Your décor should be congruent with the CHARACTER you’re trying to demonstrate.
Sounds: These should be pleasing and not too loud, or none at all… and congruent with the ATMOSPHERE you wish to create.
Smells: Obviously, we either want a gentle pleasant aroma, or none at all. Again, it should be congruent with the ATMOSPHERE you’re attempting to achieve.
Neatness & Cleanliness: These are self-evident and communicate volumes about your establishment’s CHARACTER. No one wants to do business with an establishment that is disorganized or dirty… period.
Now consider how fresh, live, gorgeous plants in exquisite containers can be instant ambiance game-changers, and do what nothing else can:
- Gorgeous plants combined with exquisite containers instantly provide an upscale and refined décor.
- When logistically placed, they also help soften and absorb sound, and even create some of their own music when a gentle breeze is available.
- And when properly chosen, they help filter the air and improve its overall quality and essence.
Boom… do it right, and you have instant ambiance!
Check out these examples:
“B” is for Beautiful Spaces
Too many times, business owners, planners, and managers focus on “functional spaces”… a waiting room, a meeting room, an eating room, a sleeping room, an elevator area etc. They focus on what function the space needs to accomplish, which is important… however it is often at the expense of simply creating beautiful spaces.
And believe me, it is the “beautiful spaces” that will bring patrons back again and again. The good news is that ANY ambient space can be transformed into a beautiful space. Take a look around. I bet you didn’t know you have several “Picasso’s” waiting to happen around your establishment:
| • Entranceways | • Hallways |
| • Foyers | • Elevator Entries |
| • Open Areas | • Even sidewalks, verandas, and patios! |
Now picture each of these areas with fresh, lush, gorgeous plants in exquisite containers… artfully arranged, and tastefully placed.
Boom!…You just added a W-O-W factor to your place of business!
Check out these examples:
“C” is for Comfort & Warmth
Everybody wants to be taken care of. That’s just a basic human need that we all share. When you visit an establishment, and leave feeling like they took good care of you, doesn’t it make you want to go back again? Sure it does.
So how do you make your patrons feel taken care of? Obviously, a big part of that is great service. But that’s not all there is to it. – If you can establish an aura of comfort and warmth, your clients, members, and guests will already feel taken care of before they even begin to experience the great service you have to offer.
In fact, an aura of comfort and warmth will actually engender a mindset of “being taken care of” in your patrons, and pre-dispose them to viewing your service as “great service!”
To prove my point, think about the last time you were in an establishment that looked shoddy or uncared for. Didn’t you automatically expect the service to be less than fantastic, and even be on the lookout for service issues?
Likewise, try to recall the last time you were in an establishment that exuded comfort and warmth… that looked like somebody tried to make the place feel special. Didn’t you expect great service, and perhaps even be willing to rationalize small service blunders with some small excuse? — Sure, we’ve all done that… it’s just human nature.
So how exactly do you create an aura of comfort and warmth? Well lighting, color selection, and décor cab all play a part. But fill your ambient spaces with live, fresh, gorgeous plants in exquisite containers, artfully ensembled and tastefully arranged… and you have instant comfort and warmth.
(Want to know why that is? Check out my last post about the power of live plants.)
Check out these examples:
Now that you know your ABC’s of Hospitality, revisit your establishment as a guest… and try to be objective about your “guest experience.”
Of course, as someone who is there every day, it’s hard to be objective and see your establishment with truly fresh eyes. Here at Interior Plant Scapes, we understand how challenging that can be.
That’s why we offer free Ambiance Assessments. Let us evaluate how well your establishment achieves the ABC’s of Hospitality and give you a list of no-pressure recommendations to consider.
Schedule your Free Ambiance Assessment Today.
