In one day, I had three disturbing customer service exchanges that left me wondering ~ why are some businesses making this harder than it has to be?  Three different businesses: a bank, a retail business, and an airline. One very clear take away, I felt invisible. Each exchange was smothered in handling the process and moving things to closure, vs. recognizing the person in front of them in need of help. 

Teamwork...At the center of every high-preforming team is a common purpose that drives each member. This is a mission that goes above and beyond each of the individual team members. Each person has to commit and accept the rules that apply to your team, and this requires an extraordinary amount of trust, faith, and belief in one another. To be successful, the team's interests and needs must come first. Each team member's unique individual differences make up the team and make the team stronger. The word "team" is about focus and vision, and it is this collective effort that empowers a team and helps generate synergy ~ which fosters TEAMWORK. 

We are in the era of personalization. The modern customer today is part of a very large, dispersed, and educated group. They will always, and should always, expect the best value for their dollar. To answer that customer expectation, businesses and brands need to work diligently on providing a personalized experience for their customers. Getting it right in as close to "real time" as possible is what is key. And the only way to do that successfully is by knowing your customers and their wants and needs. Providing relevant and helpful experiences that are tailored to each customer's needs will always inspire loyalty. 

Each new year we like to review and highlight any significant trends surfacing in the industry. To help us this year, Sommet Education  released a report that identifies the top trends that will influence the hospitality industry in 2019. Sommet examines 5 key areas discussed below, and the full report is linked above. Sommet says, "Despite the increasingly traversal nature of the hospitality industry, the importance of retaining the human touch and a customer-centric approach remains a common thread running through the key trends of 2019." I couldn't agree more. Personalized interactions should always be a company focus.