The hospitality business is a type of business in the service industry that focuses on keeping people happy. Some of these businesses include hotels, restaurants, bars, and service agencies. However, most people argue that every single business is a hospitality business, and we agree.

However, before we defend this claim, it’s important to look at what a hospitality business is and why every single business is one.

What are Hospitality Companies?

The hospitality industry focuses on the friendly reception and entertainment of guests, as well as their housing. If the business is known for being pleasant and comfortable with guests, it focuses on hospitality. Some common examples include restaurants, hotels, drinking places, and resorts. These places look to meet the leisure needs of their customers rather than just the basic needs. Customers come to these places to unwind and have their needs met by others.

Hospitality is effortless to think about, and it’s easy to group places like restaurants and resorts into the business. Customers go there to relax, be treated as equals, and be shown respect by those serving them.

However, it isn’t just these companies that should be grouped under the banner of hospitality, but every single business, and here’s why: When we look at the definition of hospitality, it is very similar to customer service.

What is Customer Service?

Customer Service is the assistance and advice provided by the company to its customers. For example, suppose a customer buys a new phone. In that case, customer service could entail that the phone is protected by a warranty. Other aspects of good customer service can include friendly service, support for repairs, and additional information about the phone.

The best businesses have fantastic customer service that is quick, upbeat and meets your customers’ needs. 

If they need support, have questions, or want additional information about the product or service, customer service responding to these needs will bring more people into your business.

Is Customer Service the Same as Hospitality?

Now, both of these aspects of service focus on meeting needs. Someone going to a restaurant has a need, just like someone seeking to buy a new car battery. Both customer service and hospitality focus on meeting customers’ needs.  And every single business does the same. Whether you are offering a product, service, or both, you are offering the fulfillment of a need. 

Good customer service is very similar to providing hospitality services:

Needs are being met, so even if you aren’t focused on traditional hospitality such as food or beds, you are still providing it the other way round.

Finally, one of the major differences between hospitality and customer service is that one is about what you do for your customers. The other is about how your customers feel. So, for example, a person might go to a hotel to feel relaxed, while they might go to the hardware store to feel relief at getting what they need to finish the project.

How To Be More Hospitable

Even if you haven’t thought of your business being part of the hospitality industry, you might wonder how you can be more hospitable?  Whether you own an auto parts business or a hair salon, you can still improve your hospitality using some of these customer service tips.

Let’s take the example of an auto parts store:

First, one of the best things you can do is support the customer. You might have the perfect customer who asks for help, knows exactly what they want, has the correct parts and knows what they do, and will answer all your questions whenever you ask them.

In most cases, though, you might encounter customers who have no idea what they want, don’t know the terminology, have no clue what they are looking for, and can barely describe the parts or the car they drive.  While it can be tempting to rip your hair out when talking to those types of people, that’s a good time to take a deep breath and do your best to support them. 

That’s good customer service.

Often, you’ll make the customer’s day whenever you cut through all the misinformation and get them the exact part they need. They’ll be relieved and come back to make sure that they can experience the same feeling again. Helping them out is one of the best and easiest ways to focus on improving your company’s relationship with your customers.

Another way to improve your business’s hospitality skills is to focus on hospitality consulting.  Hiring a consultant helps turn a non-hospital business hospitable. They help you improve and renovate your business while managing its online and in-person aspects.

Hiring a consultant can be the perfect way to bring out the latent hospitality in your business, all while doing it naturally. They won’t try to change your business around but will instead make sure that your customer service goes from good to great.

Becoming a Better Business

Good customer service is what separates the best businesses from all the rest. Whenever you focus on improving your customer service, you will see business start to boom. People will come up to your business based on your customer service. They know they will find what they need. 

Sadly, good customer service and hospitality aren’t as common as most businesses might think, so whenever your business does this well, it will get your customers talking.

If you aren’t thinking about your business in terms of it being in the service industry or the hospitality industry, you are certainly losing both – money and customers. Even the tiniest focus on hospitality can improve how your customers feel when they come into your shop, and that feeling is what keeps bringing them back.

Need help in growing your business and winning a staunch following of happy customers? At MBB Management, we provide you with all the tools and experience you need to amp up your business game. Contact us today, and our team will schedule an introductory meeting with you.