One More Thing...

I never met Steve Jobs. I didn’t know him. But like many, I didn’t have to. I became an Apple fan (I have at least one of just about everything they sell) not so much because of the products, but because of the culture. If you peel back the innovative design and technology, what you’ll find buried way underneath is a culture of hospitality, a culture of caring about not just what you’re doing, but how you do it. Many people have described Steve Jobs as a tremendous leader and visionary. Some have characterized him as a hard driving perfectionist which was off putting to more than a few. But almost no one has labeled him as a hospitality guru. I have.

Imagine the Apple retail experience without the following...

• Obsession with efficiency and customer handling- handheld checkout devices, emailed receipts and a devotion to having more than enough people to handle customer demand.
• Hello and Good Bye- Devoted to greeting you at the door and saying good bye when you leave...regardless of purchase.
• Passionate people- having witnessed the hiring process first-hand I can say they spend more time and money on screening and training than anyone I’ve come across, except for maybe Zappos. The result is an army of fiercely loyal and passionate people who I think would almost work for free.
• No Counters (except for the genius bar)- devoted to a high level of customer engagement.
• Genius Bar- a dedicated group of highly trained specialists who listen and care more about solving your problem than charging you for it.
• Apple Care- just the name is enough said.
• The Details- classic Steve everywhere...receipts (if you want one) are produced like magic tricks from printers cleverly hidden under display tables, bags are high quality design statements in their own right and worth buying (and also come from seemingly nowhere) and store layouts are spacious, eye appealing, clutter free and comfortable. Everything fits.

Without these elements, Apple stores would be very different...much like most average retail experiences...boring and much less personable. Thank goodness they’re not.

Here’s a video pitch I made earlier this year to help secure an Apple training meeting at our hotel. I’m told it made quite a splash at Apple (and luckily we got the meeting). We lived with the Apple culture for three weeks, had a great time, made new friends and learned a lot. And in the process we helped them open a new store.

Steve...thank you for doing it differently. Thank you for inspiring me to often ask “how would Steve do this?”. And thank you for taking hospitality seriously.

I will miss you.

Driving with Your Head Down

This isn't a post about texting while driving. It’s a post about awareness. It’s obviously not smart to drive with your eyeballs focused on the dashboard (or anything other than outside) for more than a second or two. The same rule applies in hospitality. And it’s the one I see broken the most often.

Go out today and watch how many people don’t see you coming. Test it. See how close you can get before they make eye contact, before they smile and before they speak. Those of us formally trained in the business of service know it as the 10 and 5 rule. If a person enters your 10 foot circle, you must acknowledge their presence by stopping whatever you’re doing and making eye contact. Once they hit 5 feet, you must say something to them, presumably something nice.

Awareness though begins outside of 10 feet...at least it does in the customer service business. It starts with your approach on how you do things. You’re either the type that focuses intently on the matter at hand, like sorting receipts or typing an email and tunes out most everything else. Or you focus first on your surroundings and passively on the other busy tasks that you need to get done by the end of the day, shift, etc. Focusing outside your own bubble isn’t something that comes naturally, it’s a developed skill which requires practice. So, if you’re in the hospitality business (who isn’t really), please go practice. And make it mandatory for everyone on your team.

Create Content

Most organizations, and people for that matter, don't spend nearly enough time working on what really matters...meaningful content. Instead they worry more about selling the idea, spreading the word and getting on Oprah (I realize that's actually not possible anymore).

Companies spend more energy and money on interrupting people than ever before, mainly because of the proliferation of channels. They feel pressured to sell the story, buy the ad, talk to the editor...before someone else does. Ironically, if the same energy, passion and commitment was devoted to creating content, they wouldn't need the push...the pull would happen instead.

In a conversation about how to generate more PR, a chef once told me, do something truly remarkable and you can't hide.

Spreading the word is indeed important...but without remarkable content, you're pushing boulders up a hill. Good luck.

Dream Company

I’d probably call it Appelos...hybrid Apple and Zappos

It has nothing to do with computers or an internet store. It’s about their obsessions...

Apple- quality, innovation, design, spirit, growing the tribe

Zappos- employee care, employee dream fulfillment, customer engagement, pursuit of happiness

Obviously, both organizations have been very successful on every measure. But, they also both started at zero and went through serious dips before emerging into what we know today. The key takeaway is how they stuck to their core values and developed obsessions around them. They survived and made progress by ignoring popular trends and advice and simply (but not easily) doing flawless work. They executed their obsessions...and continue to do so.

Lesson...Write down your purpose, what you stand for. Develop obsessions and execute. There, that’s your business plan. Please go do something remarkable.

What's Your Greatest Fear?

Yesterday, a nice person I was interviewing asked me a remarkable question..."what's your greatest fear?"

This reminded me that much of my impression about someone, especially a job candidate, is formed by their questions...not answers.

My answer...being insignificant.

What's your greatest fear?