We’re taking you back to the fundamentals of our trade with a 13-part series on the 13 ethics of hospitality–brought to you by Director of Ops. Greg Nasser. Read on for part 6.
#6 Generosity– Always offer the extras. Provide upgrades whenever possible.
Generosity does not mean you have to give away the house. It means to be conscious of how we make decisions in our business that affect the people we serve.
Guests want to be recognized. That’s why, when it’s someone’s birthday, they will let you know. You, in turn, will likely feel inclined to bring them a dessert. Generosity is not the act of giving the guest a free dessert. Generosity is more the decision you made after being alerted to the guest’s birthday.
The act of recognizing someone is more valuable to the guest than is any freebie. Recognition focuses your attention to thinking about the guest and what it takes to make them feel like you have offered them an exceptional experience.
When you take a reservation over the phone, do you ever ask the person on the other end of the line if the reservation is for a special occasion? When you walk a guest to their table, do you ask them if they are celebrating anything?
These questions will help you understand the value of recognition and will give you the opportunity to use generosity as it should be used in hospitality.
The common thread running through all of our restaurants is generosity. You might say that hospitality and generosity go hand in hand. It’s always a good idea to be generous—whether with a guest or with a co-worker. Generosity, when practiced daily, makes the world around us more enjoyable.
The Starbelly team is known for its generosity. They always seem to know when to drop off a complimentary plate of their house-made chicken liver pate, or when to deliver a glass of bubbles for a guest who is celebrating a special occasion.