Personalizing Services for Guests

The most dangerous mindset in hospitality right now? “We’ve always done it this way.” That one sentence has quietly killed more innovation, guest satisfaction, and employee retention than anything else in this industry. We are living in a time when customer expectations are changing weekly. Content trends are evolving daily. And yet, behind the scenes at some hotels, cruise lines, and destinations, the same outdated strategies are still being passed around like family recipes. “That’s how we’ve always handled check-ins.” “That’s how we’ve always posted on Instagram.” “That’s how we’ve always trained new hires.” Let me ask you this, how many guests have walked out of your lobby, or off your ship, thinking “That was fine… but I probably won’t come back” because the experience didn’t evolve with the times? Here’s some tactical advice I’ve seen work firsthand: 1. Quarterly innovation reviews: Every 90 days, sit your leadership team down and ask, “What are we doing just because it’s tradition?” Replace at least one of those things with something bold and guest-focused. 2. Rotate team members into social media strategy: Don’t let your digital presence be dictated by one person’s routine. Frontline staff have real-time insight into what guests actually care about, put them in the room where content ideas are born. 3. Reverse mentor your executives: Your youngest employees see things differently. Once a month, have someone under 30 lead a meeting about what content, platforms, or service experiences feel outdated, and what’s inspiring them right now. 4. Stop rewarding tenure over traction: Respect loyalty, but measure success by adaptability, not years served. The brands thriving in 2025 are the ones hiring for mindset, not just experience. 5. Audit your guest journey like a TikTok user: Fast. Visual. Emotionally clear. If any step of your guest experience is clunky, confusing, or uninspired, fix it. Don’t defend it. No one cares how long you’ve done it that way. The hospitality industry isn’t dying, but the old way of doing it is. What’s replacing it is faster, bolder, more digital, more transparent, and driven by stories that actually matter. Don’t get left behind because you refused to change something 'that always worked.' If that mindset worked in 2015, great. But this isn’t 2015. This is now! ---- I'm Scott Eddy, keynote speaker, social media strategist, and the #15 hospitality influencer in the world. I help hotels, cruise lines, and destinations tell stories that drive revenue and lasting results — through strategy, content, and unforgettable photo shoots. If the way I look at the world of hospitality works for you, and you want to have a conversation about working together, let's chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com.

Boom is a two-year-old AI-powered hospitality management platform whose latest funding round is a shot across the bow for every CXM platform with a foot in hospitality. The Bay Area-based company just raised $12.7 million to weave AI into the operational fabric of hotels. If you recall, Medallia started with Hilton as its first customer, so this is a particularly interesting story to follow. Boom isn't offering a chatbot in the lobby. On the contrary, they're promising conversational AI, hyper‑personalization, and predictive analytics that can learn, adapt, and autonomously manage complex tasks. Why does this matter for Qualtrics, Medallia, Sprinklr, and every other CXM vendor with hospitality clients? Because the data plumbing and decision‑making layers are moving deeper into the hotel. They're not going to live on a dashboard or inside a GenAI capability that a hotel manager uses to automatically generate a response to a low-NPS guest. This stuff will go by the way of the dodo bird. Imagine what this could look like: At Hilton, their Watson‑powered concierge “Connie” (now nearly 10 years old) answers questions about amenities and local restaurants. With Boom's AI capability, Connie could remember your running route from your last stay, pre-book your gym slot, and push a personalized offer through your loyalty app before you even unpack. Marriott Hotels has tested in‑room voice assistants that let guests control lighting and temperature. Layer predictive analytics on top, and the system could anticipate when you typically request room service, ask if you’d like your favorite snack delivered, and feed that behavior back into Qualtrics or Medallia for real‑time NPS tracking if you're into that sort of thing. Here’s how hospitality brands can turn this technology into magic: Connect your feedback loop. Integrate AI‑driven interactions with your CXM platform so every guest preference and sentiment automatically informs product and service tweaks. Train employees to be AI translators. Your staff should know how to interpret AI signals and add the human touch, whether it’s a concierge upselling a spa package or a manager smoothing out a glitch. Pilot, then scale. Start with a single property or service (e.g., check‑in) and use tiger teams to refine the experience before rolling it out chain‑wide. Frankly, I think Boom is ripe for a CXM provider looking for a nice tuck-in acquisition to boost their action-focused future and valuation. Because the future is not about delivering thermometers. The future is about enabling action at scale. Boom’s vision hints at a future where hotel stays feel bespoke at scale. If you were running Hilton or Marriott’s CX program, what’s one AI‑driven experience you’d implement tomorrow? #customerexperience #hospitality #ai #futureofwork #cxm #saas

CSMs, your job is not to talk your customers into buying renewals, expansions, and upsells. It's to deliver so much value that growing demand is the logical consequence. New customers buy based on the expected value and existing ones based on the value they have already received. Want to grow the value of your customer portfolio intentionally? Build a repeatable process from discovering to monetizing customer value. Here’s the one I’m using: 1. Customer Discovery ✅ Identify customer goals and how they are measured ✅ Understand what keeps your customers from accomplishing their goals ✅ Qualify their skills and knowledge to determine their education and training needs 2. Success Planning ✅ Build a dedicated roadmap that outlines the steps customers need to take ✅ Break it down to the inputs you need to provide to your customers ✅ Segment customers by the successful journey they have ahead 3. Customer Enablement ✅ Give customers quick wins at the onboarding to get their buy-in ✅ Build an outcome-focused education and training program ✅ Measure its effectiveness by the rate of successful implementations 4. Measuring Customer Value ✅ Track progress with the metrics your customers care about ✅ Follow up frequently to prevent customers from getting stuck ✅ Start countermeasures immediately if required 5. Demonstrating Customer Value ✅ Benchmark actual vs projected results ✅ Highlight how your customers’ business changed in the process ✅ Outline the personal outcomes stakeholders have accomplished 6. Monetizing Customer Value ✅ Identify customer growth opportunities ✅ Create business cases outlining their potential gains ✅ Connect them with resources, features, or products This is Customer Value-Led Growth. PS: Join 8.3k+ CS professionals and sign up for my newsletter if you like this post --> https://lnkd.in/dtC7MEjP

Over the years, I've learned that true hospitality entails not just delectable food and a lovely setting, but also consistency, personalization, and attention to detail. From the time a guest arrives until they leave, every interaction counts. Whether you're new to the hospitality industry or creating your own concept, here is my ultimate checklist for creating a memorable guest experience: ✔️ First impressions set the tone The moment a guest walks through your doors is the moment their experience begins. Make it count. Make sure to greet them with a smile, eye contact, and enthusiasm that embodies the character of your venue. Within the first few seconds, people remember how you made them feel. ✔️ Anticipate needs before they ask Good service turns into great service at this point. Is your visitor running low on water? Between courses, has the table been waiting too long? Does a frequent visitor have a preferred seat or dish? Teach your staff to watch and respond before a request is made. Proactive service fosters loyalty and demonstrates concern. ✔️ Perfect the little details Often, the smallest things have the greatest effects. Consider how the lighting changes from day to night, how a napkin is folded, or how the music enhances the atmosphere. A unified, unforgettable atmosphere is produced by these details. Every location is created with the intention of telling a story, and the details are what make the tale come to life. ✔️ A strong team = exceptional service Without an empowered, well-trained, and mission-aligned staff, no venue can succeed. Being a host is a team sport. Make an investment in your people. Celebrate your victories. Openly discuss difficulties. Above all, establish a culture in which each team member takes ownership of the visitor experience because their concern is evident. ✔️ Tech should enhance, not replace hospitality Use technology to make things smoother, not colder. Digital tools and AI can help personalize menus, expedite reservations, and increase operational efficiency, but nothing can replace the human touch. Instead of reducing interaction, use technology to free up more time for your team to spend with guests. ✔️ Guests don’t just choose food, they embrace experiences We are now in the experience business rather than the food industry. People go out to experience celebration, comfort, connection, and excitement. Create moments that transcend the plate by planning your areas, your service, and your narrative. That's what makes a new visitor become a devoted regular. A successful F&B venue is about how you make people feel, not just what's on the menu. That’s the heart of hospitality. What do you think? What else would you include on this list? I would be interested in hearing your viewpoint. #HospitalityExcellence #CustomerExperience #HospitalityChecklist #7Management

Don't Just Satisfy Your Customers—Delight Them! In the service industry, especially as a corporate trainer, I’ve learned that success doesn’t come from just meeting expectations—it comes from consistently exceeding them. When we delight our customers, we create relationships that go beyond transactions. We build trust, loyalty, and a sense of belonging that makes our clients return time and time again. ✨As Maya Angelou famously said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."✨ From conducting countless training sessions, I’ve realized that clients remember the extra effort you put in to customize solutions for their needs or the small gestures that show you truly care. ✨They’re not just looking for a service—they’re looking for an experience.✨ How can we delight our customers and retain them for life? Here are some simple yet effective ways I’ve applied in my journey, which you can too: 👉Understand their true needs: Go beyond the surface and dive deep into what they really want, even if they haven’t articulated it. 👉Customize your approach: Whether it’s a product, service, or training program, tailor it to suit their unique challenges. 👉Be available and approachable: Customers value responsiveness. When they know you’re there for them, it builds immense trust. 👉Offer more than expected: Surprise them with bonus resources, faster delivery, or an added value they didn’t anticipate. 👉Ask, listen, act: Seek feedback and show them you’re serious about improving based on their input. 👉Build relationships, not just transactions: Focus on long-term connection, not just short-term gains. Think of your customer as a guest in your home. You wouldn’t just serve them tea—you’d make it special by offering their favorite snacks, engaging in meaningful conversation, and making them feel valued. That’s the essence of delighting a customer! ✨ Delight isn’t a one-time act—it’s a culture. Let’s make every interaction memorable, meaningful, and impactful. What’s one thing you do differently to delight your customers and make them feel special? Share your ideas below—I’d love to learn from you! #CustomerDelight #CorporateTrainer #ServiceIndustry #CustomerExperience #CustomerRetention

Imagine a luxury hotel experience where everything feels magically personalized - your preferences anticipated, your needs met before you express them - yet you never interact with a single screen or app during your stay. This is the future of hospitality that's already here. The most successful luxury brands today operate like swans: graceful and seamless on the surface, while powerful technology works invisibly beneath. Too many companies make the mistake of showcasing their technology as a feature, missing that guests don't value the tech itself; they value what it enables: deeper human connections and more personalized attention. Marriott's Bonvoy program exemplifies this balance. Their AI-powered system works behind the scenes to personalize everything from room recommendations to loyalty rewards, but guests primarily experience these benefits through enhanced human interactions with staff who are freed from administrative burdens. The organizations thriving in this new paradigm understand a crucial truth: technology should enhance rather than replace personal service. AI and automation are most powerful when deployed strategically behind the scenes to create the conditions for authentic human touchpoints. This isn't about reducing staff or cutting costs; it's about repositioning your human talent where they add the most value. Let technology handle operational complexities while your people focus entirely on creating memorable, emotion-rich experiences. For executives navigating this transition, the blueprint isn't about chasing every new trend. Success comes from steady improvements in anticipating and prioritizing what travelers truly value. The question is no longer "how much should we invest in technology?" but rather "how can we make our technology invisible while making our human touch unforgettable?" The companies that answer this question effectively are creating the next era of travel experiences—where the digital and physical worlds blend seamlessly, and technology serves humanity rather than the other way around. Are you building a swan, or just showing off your tech? —— Want to know which travel companies are best positioned for the AI-driven future? Read my latest report: https://lnkd.in/e7nc5Qyk

WANT CUSTOMER DELIGHT? GO THE EXTRA INCH, NOT THE EXTRA MILE In a world where companies strive to “go the extra mile” for their customers, I propose a counterintuitive thought: You don’t need to go a mile. You just need to go an inch. The smallest, low-cost gestures can have a massive impact on customers, turning ordinary transactions into memorable experiences. The secret - search for the asymmetry between cost and impact. Going the extra inch requires minimal effort and often costs next to nothing. It could be a handwritten note, a smile, a gesture of personal recognition, a small act of kindness. But the effect on customers is profound. It creates emotional connections, fosters loyalty, and makes customers into advocates. The irony - while everyone is busy trying to “go the extra mile,” it is the extra inch that nets you miles of customer loyalty. THE I.N.C.H. FRAMEWORK To master the art of the extra inch, use this simple yet powerful framework: I – Identify Moments of Truth: Look for touchpoints where expectations are neutral or low. These are prime opportunities to surprise and delight. For instance, when I got my car serviced at the Lexus dealership, they washed and vacuumed the car and left a red carnation flower on the dash. I have told more than 10,000 people about the 50-cent carnation. How’s that for ROI? N – Notice the Little Things: Train employees to observe and remember small details about customers—preferences, moods, or special occasions. At the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, I asked for a memory foam pillow. Every time I stay there, they put a memory foam pillow on my bed. C – Customize the Experience: Personalize the interaction or gesture. Even the smallest customization can create a huge emotional impact. At Chewy, when a customer returned dog food after their pet passed away, they received a condolence card and flowers. It wasn’t about making a sale; it was about showing empathy. H – Humanize the Interaction: Move beyond scripted conversations. Authenticity and empathy resonate more than robotic efficiency. At Café Lucci, our favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, the valet, the server, and the owner Bobby - all know us, know our kids, and always ask about the family. We are customers for life! In the race to “go the extra mile,” it’s easy to overlook the power of the extra inch. The secret to exceptional customer service isn’t grand gestures or expensive perks—it’s the tiny, thoughtful actions that leave a lasting impression. Going the extra inch is about mastering the art of the unexpected. It’s about creating emotional connections through small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. So, the next time you think about how to delight a customer, remember: You don’t have to go the extra mile. Just go the extra inch. You will get miles of loyalty. #Marketing #CustomerExperience #Loyalty #Advocacy

What makes Shameem an #extramilechampion? If I have to put it in one line, he doesn't serve food, he creates a dining experience. Let me explain. Recently in Kuala Lumpur we visited a restaurant for dinner. A nice rooftop one with a good Indian spread and a view to kill for! However we had a situation. My son wanted to have a dosa for dinner and since that was not available, he was in a cranky mood! 👶🏻 The server - an affable young man first made us comfortable and then patiently recommended the best stuff to order and the portion sizes so that we don't waste food. The detailing and thought put into that conversation was what first caught my attention. It was not a chore being ticked off. It was service with a lot of care and enthusiasm. So, we placed our orders and settled down. What followed next is what inspired this post. Soon our dinner arrived, but along with it came a nice little surprise - a specially made mini roti made to look as close to a dosa as possible. Served with a big smile and a red balloon! 🎈 After the dinner, this young man led us to the spot to take a click with the best view, stayed patiently and did the 'photoshoot' for us! Walked us to the door and bid us goodbye, the way you do with a guest at your place. We walked with full tummies and even fuller hearts! That's the thing about #extramileservice! The customer experiences it, feels it, gets wowed and can't wait to talk about it. If you want to deliver that experience to your customer, here are three simple things that I learnt from Shameem: ▶️ Observe: Watch out for those cues, the unsaid body language, the things that matter to your client, the concerns and priorities. Therein lies your opportunity to delight. ▶️ Listen: Pay close attention to what is being said, and more importantly what is not being said. When you listen well, you get deep insights into customer behaviour. ▶️ Anticipate: Be proactive. Anticipate needs even before they are expressed. Doing No.1 and 2 consistently will help you do this. Always remember, anyone can respond, but not everyone can anticipate. That's your blue ocean right there! ▶️ Deliver: Do it with care and consistency. Deliver #extramileservice with genuine care and consistency. Every single time! So, the next time when a customer comes out feeling amazing after working with you or your company, it has not happened on its own. #Extramilechampions like Shameem make that happen. They observe, listen, anticipate and deliver. They make sure that the customer leaves with a smile. They bring referrals, customer loyalty and growth to your brand. P.S. Who is your Extra Mile champion? #customerexperience #customerservice #customercentricity #vinaypushpakaran

Recently, Ferrari’s CEO stated that “Ferrari is not a car company. It’s a luxury brands that also sells cars”.  In the world of luxury, brands are not merely selling products; they are curating an experience, a dream, and a lifestyle. This is precisely why Ferrari is not just a car manufacturer; it is a luxury brand. The company’s dominance in the high-end automobile sector is not about selling vehicles; it’s about exclusivity, prestige, and emotion. What can hospitality learn from Ferrari? Quite a lot. 1. Scarcity and Exclusivity Create Desire Ferrari has mastered the art of scarcity. They limit production to ensure demand exceeds supply, reinforcing their brand’s exclusivity. This model keeps residual values high and maintains the aspirational allure of ownership. This can be applied in Hotels by: Creating exclusive, limited-edition experiences, such as chef’s table events, private villa buyouts, or members-only spa treatments. Implementing dynamic pricing and controlled availability, ensuring that premium services retain their desirability. 2. Elevating Experience Over Product Ferrari sells more than speed and engineering—it sells status, passion, and a legacy. Buyers don’t just purchase a car; they buy into a legend. Similarly, luxury hotels should not focus solely on rooms but on the emotions and experiences they evoke. For hospitality, this means: Focusing on storytelling in marketing—a stay at a hotel should feel like part of a greater journey, not just a transaction. Designing experiential packages—wellness retreats, cultural immersion programs, or bespoke adventures that make guests feel unique. Training staff to deliver personalized, emotionally engaging service, making every guest feel like a VIP. 3. Personalization and Brand Loyalty Ferrari’s customer base is incredibly loyal, with many buyers returning for multiple models. This loyalty is driven by deep personalization—custom paint jobs, interior configurations, and access to exclusive events. Hotels can emulate this by: Using guest data to anticipate preferences, from room temperature to favorite drinks and preferred pillow types. Offering bespoke services, such as a dedicated butler, private guided tours, or tailored wellness programs. Implementing loyalty programs that prioritize exclusivity over discounts—think private club access, members-only events, or early access to new offerings. 4. Ancillary Revenue: The Power of Prestige Pricing Ferrari makes significant profits through high-margin ancillary sales—branded merchandise, F1 experiences, and personalized add-ons. The hospitality sector can learn from this by boosting ancillary revenue through: Premium spa services (upselling signature treatments, wellness memberships). Exclusive dining experiences (chef’s tables, wine-pairing events, private cooking classes). High-end retail collaborations (curated boutique offerings, exclusive brand partnerships). Torres Hospitality Consulting Global Revenue Forum - Madrid Oaky

Most hotels want F&B to drive more revenue. A lot of them still make it harder than it needs to be for guests to actually order. Narda Malakzad and Andrea Laderman, co-founders of Goldi, joined me on #NoVacancyNews to talk about something most hotels underestimate: how dietary needs, allergies, and food preferences quietly kill both guest experience and check size. We talk about what actually happens when guests don’t know what they can eat, why people avoid asking questions, and how that friction shows up in lower spend and fewer repeat visits. We also get into how a simple, personalized menu experience changes behavior in the dining room and simplifies things for servers and kitchens at the same time. We cover: 🍽️: Why guests with dietary needs often order less than they want to 📱: How a personalized menu changes what people feel comfortable ordering 👩🍳: Why this makes life easier for servers and kitchens, not harder 💳: How clarity leads to higher check sizes and repeat visits 🏨: Why locals and #hotel guests both matter to #FandB success No sponsorship here. I just like smart ideas that help hotels make more money and make guests feel more comfortable doing it.