Smile…A universal welcome!

Service With a Smile…! This statement does define luxury … don’t you think?

When we visit a luxury hotel/ highly rated restaurant, we expect a certain more poise and experience as compared to a regular cafe or a casual joint. Why is that? Have we been told to judge our experience in a certain manner or is it a believed notion.

There are a few important mottos’ or lines which you hear everyday in a hotel school. “Service with a smile” is one of them. When i moved to work with one of the most leading hotel chain, we heard the following very often; 

“Its time to put on your best smile for the guests”.

With current scenario, this isn’t limited to hotels but is practiced by every service provider. Let me give you a question to ponder upon…. Does it make your experience a little bit different if the server offers your desired product with a “SMILE”? For me, it does. 

I feel important and valued as a customer if i am offered something with a little more personalization or concern. It is an underlying feature for Customer Service. 

The best part….it doesn’t cost much to smile ! 

How hard is it to turn your frown upside down ….? Believe me….it is really hard! 

Easy said than done. I have been a part of a service industry for a very long time and haven’t had all days living up to my expectation. But when it’s “Showtime” everything takes a back step. 

Business culture does play an important role, but the only thing matters is to make your customer happy and as per my previous blog…it gains customer loyalty and retention. 

Another theory to this is that smile can be reassuring; your smile can make the difference. It may happen that your guest is yet to take the decision but a smile with your sales pitch can reassure the guest that he is in safe hands and will be offered an experience. 

Let’s consider another concept, does smile change your attitude? As a consumer, i don’t think every time a smile can make a difference, but it does count. A guest may not be in the attitude to talk and interact and may not be in a happy state of mind but believe you me, he will come back tomorrow remembering the effort you put in to enhance the customer’s experience. 

Allow me to share a very apt quote which i had recently come across that will make my case a little bit stronger and should make everyone believe in the power of smile especially within Hospitality.

“ Your smile is your logo……your personality is your business card…..how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark!

Happy Smiling !