What is Extreme Hospitality™ anyway?

“Happiness is the single greatest business strategy there is.”

—Musings from a Hotel Oracle

It's the sport of entrepreneurial hoteliers who go the distance.

Extreme Hospitality contrasts transactional relationships with unforgettable ones. Extreme hospitality transcends “mainstream” hospitality by surpassing expectations and requirements. It is the exception to the ordinary. Since our brains draw us back to what makes us happy and feel good, in business terms, I call it the “market share maker.”

Imagine waking up each morning telling yourself that you are going to make everyone you meet today feel special—uplifted. What bearing would that have on you, how you interact with your spouse, kids, everyone? In business, how might that perspective change your metrics?

In my book, How to Win at Business, I lay out the principles of “extreme” hospitality for people outside of our industry. Whether they are creating a start-up, running a newsstand, or a Five-Star luxury hotel, these principles will catapult them to the top of their game.

· Hoteliers who practice extreme hospitality don’t benchmark their competitors. They bewilder them.

· They replace transaction-based mindsets with customer-centric moments.

· They don’t chase market share. They become customer magnets.

· They become the employer of choice through the grapevine.

· A culture of innovation replaces a culture of the status quo.

Mark Twain said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

I agree. Nonetheless, here is a statistically sound and compelling case for getting on the customer-centric, experience-based, bound-to-impress bandwagon.

· 89% of consumers switch to a competitor following a poor customer experience.

· American Express found that 86% of its customers will pay more for a better experience.

· Over 90% of unhappy customers who are non-complainers simply leave but will influence others not to do business with you.

· 69% of happy customers recommend the business through social media.

· An increase of 5% in customer retention can equate to an increase of 25% in profit.

· 55% of respondents have tried a new company because of how excellent their reputation is.

This is where extreme hospitality comes in—capitalize on those metrics and break through the medioicre, the ordinary, and the unimaginative.