Let me introduce the genius of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
In simple terms Maslow identified 5 levels of human needs - the ladder we all try to climb despite the many challenges cast in our way:
- Basic Needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep and yes sex.
- Safety Needs - protection, order, law, limits, stability
- Emotional Needs - family, affection, relationships
- Esteem Needs - achievement, status, responsibility, reputation
- Self Actualisation - personal growth and fulfillment
That this is true and I firmly believe it is - is great news for every operator in hospitality.
All hospitality businesses are in the business of EXPERIENCES - or should be!
Not providing goods or services but honing their systems and processes and equipping their teams to prepare to satisfy levels 3,4 and 5.
After all are hospitality businesses not excellent places to commence, develop and nurture relationships, gain status, achievement and reputation and provide wonderful personal growth and fulfillment?
Eating out, even if its for the first time, let alone at a Michelin Star restaurant is part of the search for achievement, status and reputation. It is also why people want to share tales of their experiences with their friends.
Trying a new drink, a cocktail, a glass of wine, an aged steak, an unfamiliar fish or a new heathy or local ingredient all adds to the experience ledger on the journey to self actualisation.
Who has stayed in a fine hotel and not told their friends or family of the experience?
Who never basked in the first time they ate out or to went to a nightclub?
When you get to my age going to a cool nightclub is even an attempted statement about how young we still are!
The opportunity to tune into guest needs and deliver experiences is huge.
Whether for guests who have never or hardly ever eat, drink or sleep out this experience is a big deal - what an opportunity to make them feel special.
Or for us all seeking new tastes, the opportunity to learn, to explore and to escape - hospitality businesses are a key part of the solution. These are basic human needs and for the tills and P&L a/c's they are manna from heaven.
Tune in to guest needs and design your service to enable experiences!
Sadly most are not doing it! From the evidence it seems that most are selling pizza's and burgers, pints of beer and bedrooms - do you really think thats why guests come?
