Hospitality Front Lines

I am constantly amazed by the number of people - whether that be waiters, attendants, check in personnel, concierge, customer services representatives, sales people, account managers etc. that are not good with people. That is, they are more focused on the task at hand than the person. They take the order, retrieve the bags, park the car and deliver one's drinks in a mechanical fashion devoid of interaction.

The challenges in hospitality are great enough without the addition of those who don't know how or dislike interacting with their customers.

Owners and managers of these establishments would do well in learning how to hire appropriately. Customers return when they are engaged with and cared for in a personal way. Those without great people skills are often fantastic in operational areas and those great with people should be on the front line.