The word care is often associated with the world of hospitality, such as attention to detail, service and experience of our guests/customers.
The etymological meaning of this word, which comes from the Latin root ku-/kav, means to observe, to use with awareness the observation and the responsibility that derives from it.
At the gates of the restart of the world of tourism, these four simple letters take on a very precise meaning, in particular for the relationship that will associate them with the new needs of guests/customers such as:
- need for safety
- need for human connection
- need for trust
Let us analyse below how to start preparing for these new needs.
NEED FOR SAFETY
The guest/customer of tomorrow will be more sensitive to the issue of safety and health in our environments. From our side, we must start expecting more questions with a strong specificity. The ability to understand this need and to prepare ourselves to provide, in an assertive and clear way, all the information necessary to satisfy it, will create not only a positive professional relationship, but also a significant memory bond in the experience of our guest/customer. Taking care of this aspect means to start already now to communicate with our guests/customers, through the right words, the security of our facilities and our service, and to start to instill in them positive feelings of reassurance.
NEED FOR HUMAN CONNECTION
The recent period of social distancing has overburdened the lives of many with an abuse of technology. As our facilities reopen, this distancing will continue to exist through the rules that will manage the new modes of service. What will allow us to bridge this distance lies in our communication skills: through listening, empathic interaction and conscious use of words we can fill this space. A gentle response, the smile of the eyes and attention dedicated to the emotional nuances of the experience of our guests/customers will help us to strengthen our professionalism and communicate to those in front of us that the love, passion and care we put into our profession have come out of this change strengthened and invigorated.
NEED FOR TRUST
Tomorrow’s guests/customers will choose with much more attention the structures and companies where to buy tourist services and spend their precious time. In this relationship that is being reborn, the need to plant the pillars of healthy trust becomes fundamental. In every interaction and in every communicative exchange that takes place between the parties, professionalism, willingness to listen and consistency of responses will play a very important role in creating a climate of trust. Our guests/customers will choose our structure also on the basis of how much the professionals who work there will be able to take care of their time in an effective way. And this decision, this intimate and profound choice, will be dictated by how much they will trust us.
The concept and the meaning of the word care take on an important role in the world of hospitality today that goes far beyond the mere need for a product or service.
This transformation affects the very hospitality that, as a way of living and relating to people, can potentially take on the meaning of care for a society that still needs humanity, kindness and courtesy.
Have a good day,
Hospite’s team.