thread Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality? in Square Readers Book Club

How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

PessoAlumni — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:56:01 GMT

Hey Square Readers,

We’re continuing our discussion of Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, and so far we’ve started with an opening discussion of your own experiences with exceptional hospitality, and brainstorming how to provide it to your customers. Today we’re talking about creating that culture internally first, and empowering those who work with you.

A big piece of this book is actually leadership development. The author explains that giving your customers a great experience really starts with first creating a positive culture within your business of kindness, caring, and trust. If you have a partner or employees, enabling and empowering them is key because you can’t provide great service if you’re having organizational or staff issues. He says that if you want to treat your customers well, then you first need to treat your team well, by having logistics down and a great employee culture.

The author says that this starts by hiring the right people for your business; not settling for anything less than someone who could become a top contributor on your team. Next, it’s training them to internalize your business’ mission; taking time to communicate with them in order to inform, inspire, connect, and provide positive reinforcing feedback & praise. Then getting to know their strengths, and assigning them roles accordingly. With that, you can demonstrate trust in them by giving them responsibility and ownership over elements of the business, which they can transform to provide an exceptional customer experience. You worked to hire the best people, now trust their judgment and expertise to help you run your business.

So let’s take these concepts and look inward at your own businesses. Share your reflection to these questions in the comments, and don’t forget to respond to other members’ messages with your thoughts too!

We’d love to hear your answer in the comments:

How can you train your employees to: 1) internalize the impact your business can have on customers’ lives, and 2) give your customers a deeper level of hospitality?
What work and responsibilities, areas of your business can you give ownership over to your team, in service of providing an exceptional customer experience?
What is holding you back from giving your employees more control?
How can you systematize giving more positive feedback to your team on a regular basis?

Feel free to share any other thoughts you have about this book. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Don’t forget to:

View and Subscribe to all threads about this book

Happy reading,

Pesso

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

PessoAlumni — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:45:22 GMT

I can't wait to hear from all of you:
@CareyJo , @bonny , @thecedar , @HC_Charlie , @RuckusDonuts , @GoalGetter , @Smellthis1919 , @BrianaJo , @ChickenRacer @Doran , @TheArtChildLLC , @TheArtChild , @schaefferjosh , @EMstudioWA , @JUYBoutique20, @JTPets , @ryanwanner , @DinaLRosenberg

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

PessoAlumni — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:52:56 GMT

I also really loved that @JTPets posted this thread about training employees to provide exceptional customer service. I highly recommend watching the Pickle video, and responding there too about how to provide great experience and to get your employees to "get it" and live your mission too!

And also @Twpchair posted this thread about letting go of control and having your team run more of your business. Such a great conversation and right along these lines!

Thank you both for kicking off those conversations, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on these questions too-

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:18:48 GMT

You are amazing and so helpful! I can't thank enough people back here for help, to support, or just venting! This might be the best part of Square! This is just an amazing group of people who are helpful, have knowledge beyond on my attention span but can explain it to me on the easiest level of a stressed day and boom got it. Freak-out mode is Isabelle and Max. They are probably ready to block me lol 😆

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

ChickenRacer — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 04:44:08 GMT

For me a lot of this is unscheduled, I make sure to include staff when we are getting praise from customers (as the boss and "star" of the show, customers generally come to me), and I also try and pass on all praise as quickly as possible. One of the reasons we have seen some success at the hotel is that staff are happy and attentive, something which is sometimes problematic for our competitors. If the staff are being praised, they feel better about all of us trying tha touch more.

Probably the biggest thing stopping me giving control is after 7 years, we have never been scared to try something, so for staff who are here 3-6 months, sometimes they want us to try things that we have done before. I try and not stop staff (especially my young manager) from still trying these things, as you don't want them to be scared to try things, but also don't like setting them up for failure. My biggest problem for staff is that they have to be jack of all trades, and some struggle with that amount of info. We aren't busy/big enough to have specific roles, everyone has to be across all aspects, so it's hard for them to remain competent at things they may only do twice a year! A staff member who left recently, I asked her for feedback on how it was in the new job, and she said we were both more relaxed due to our family and friends atmosphere, but also more stressful, as the new job she has about 3 jobs compared to our 12.

I struggle with this, as I find systemising praise completely disingenuous, but am trying to get better at it. As above, sharing praise and good reviews, passing on good comments as soon as possible. I am actually having a staff meeting today, as I have been visiting competitors venues recently, and our baseline is so much better, so want to pass that on.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

DLFdesigns — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 22:23:48 GMT

Well, I am a sole proprietor, so self care is important. I have to remind myself to not be on the computer or available by phone 24/7. I have to take time to rest and just be. I find that if I give myself permission to get a manicure or go to a gallery for inspiration or go paddle boarding in nature, I am more creative and can give more to my clients/customers.

I think that if those with employees give perks - opportunities for socializing together, self-care gifts or just notice and tell them when they're doing things right, they will be loyal and buy into the culture of your business.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

CareyJo — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:41:58 GMT

Love this! So true! Those of us who are so busy have to be mindful to create time for rest. If that means you take a Saturday off just for yourself, that's what you do. One thing we do when we return from our annual vacation is to block out the day after we get home. It give us a chance to adjust to being at home and prioritize things that need to be handled. We only call true emergencies that day. Everything else waits until the next day. Just because we're the owners does not mean we need to be at people's beckon call 24/7. Good for you!

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

CareyJo — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:44:21 GMT

I haven't heard about the Pickle video in years!! There's another one about the Pike Fish Market in Seattle... just as good!!

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

CareyJo — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:49:07 GMT

1. If we had employees, it would depend on if they were office or labor. But in either case, how they speak to the client is key. You have to watch your tone, how you carry yourself when you speak, how you embrace the conversation and not just give information. You have to act like you've known this person your whole life and you're just having a conversation with a friend. People don't want to be treated like a customer. They want to be treated special, like a friend.

2. See number one, lol.... I don't have anyone to delegate to.

3. Having one 🤣

4. I may not have a team to give feedback to but I do have a husband who does all the work and I make sure and pass on any great feedback we get from clients about his work. I had an older gentlemen tell me the other day that he trusts Rich with his life and the door will be open...

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

CareyJo — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:08:53 GMT

I am really enjoying this book!

The places, the people, the status that he has seen!!!! 😱

But for real - everything he has to say is so true. Not just about restaurants. Any business. Life in general. People.

Don't we all want to be treated with the highest level of appreciation and respect?

Since I spent 30 years in direct sales, I learned a lot... quotes, strategies, methods, positive thinking, etc. It's all a part of that culture. You have to find inspo in a lot of different places and you have to pass it along. You also sometimes have to motivate yourself. Those things build habits that you carry with you through life, like he says. My quote that I'm always referencing - you can't eat an elephant all in one bite - came from there. When you're giving feedback to an employee or in my case, a trainee under me in my business back then, you teach them little snipits of positive thinking and how to replicate what you're doing over and over again. When things become habits, they stay with you.

I like what he says about really getting to know people and learning who they are at their core. How else would you know that you need to put them into a different position that best suits their skills? That has really resonated with me, as I've looked at stuff like that for years. When I'm coaching or mentoring someone, I'm looking for their strengths and comparing that to their what they're struggling with. Where do they need to make adjustments? What training do they need?

I'm an observant person by nature. I don't always speak to what I see, but I notice a lot. It's where my "I'm not bossy, I just know what you should be doing" comes from. I can see how what you're doing needs to change or predict what is going to fail, in a lot of cases. So one day, I'm at work at Pizza Hut, back then I was a manager. I'm watching my new trainee as he pulls the trash and lays his hat on the prep table and goes out the door. I had no idea at the time that my GM was stading behind me watching. I stood next to the trash can and waited for him to come back inside.

When he came in, I explained to him that he cannot go outside before replacing the bag because he doesn't know if someone is standing there waiting to use that trash can while he's outside. I also explained that the prep table he put his hat on gets sanitized and cannot touch anything other than food and it had already been cleaned. Which meant that it now needed to be cleaned again. I was soft in my explanation, gave him the why behind what we do and he never did either one again.

I turned around and jumped when I saw Kevin and he's just smilin'... I had just recently given my notice as I was going full time into business with our first HVAC company and couldn't work there anymore. He started to say "are you sure you want to leave" and I headed him off at the pass and said "I don't want to hear a word!" He just laughed.

The point is, when you train your people with the "why we do what we do" they become invested and when you treat them well, they don't want to leave.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

CareyJo — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:43:44 GMT

I forgot to mention that I will likely be awol after today... I've got one week left to be ready for our time off and I've got lots to do! We leave on the 6th and come back on the 20th, so I will likely not check in until the last week of the month, but I will be finishing the book! If I don't get back on before we leave, I hope everyone has a great month and Happy Valentine's Day!!! ♥️

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 14:18:30 GMT

Thank you! Ugh I have a great staff who I know can do it and some especially, my guy that's been with since day 1! He does all the total sale, spreadsheets, lets me know how the safe is cash-wise, if im not there he text me about the day. My other employees get 90% of all reviews and 5 stars but me! 😆 it is ME and the need or guilt of being there versus taking a day off. I tell them publically in the store how amazing they are and even on post I will say whiteout them there is no us! I truly mean that. I just started to open a 2nd business and I am taking 2 with me and I will have Mike my sidekick training the new 2. I have very loyal, trustworthy employees that I can rely on to show up and work. Hopefully, this 2nd store which was supposed to be open Feb 1st didn't happen in Michigan, and 2-3 weeks of zero temps with the wind. But I think this will help me to let go besides its 3 buildings down!!! 😆 😆 poor guys!

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

DinaLRosenberg — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:30:31 GMT

We're so lucky at Amityville Apothecary that we have many employees that have been with us for multiple years. We have very little turn over which is amazing. For us it's all about the team "jelling" together. We need to make sure that everyone gets along and respects each other. If someone is disrupting the team they gotta go.

We make sure they're empowered and taken care of by being able to take ownership of projects- we've taken their suggestions, we've sold their products in our shop, we've even seeded their products.

We've grown our business to offer health insurance and 401k. While that means us as owners haven't gotten raises, it's important that our employees have a livable wage and access to insurance.

In this way our employees are taken care of so they can offer exceptional service to our customers.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:00:18 GMT

That's amazing! We have 6 full-time employees and 4 have been with me pretty much since day one. In the Summer sometimes to Christmas, we have temp or seasonal help 2 of the ladies have been helping us for about 5 years, and the others are usually young juniors or seniors in high school big strong farmboys as I am in retail furniture and need the muscle. They are also the ones I work with in both schools which are only 5-6 miles apart who are in woodworking classes and wow the talent some of these young guys and girls have is amazing! 2x a year they have a raffle of their projects and we let one school at a time display after 30 days they can sell it and I make sure that they get all the money from their hard work. They have to wait for 30 days as customers and everyone in the community can come in and vote for 1st-3rd place winner. I remember making butcher blocks or a footstep 😆 they are making tables, benches, and carved chairs amazing talent. I also agree with having a great work environment and keeping it relaxed (me not being high-strung) everyone else is more relaxed and gets along great. I'm especially proud of our younger employees they have a very good work ethic, and they are there when scheduled but our older employees seem to step into the role of training them right and teaching them along the way. I am my own worst enemy. Whether it's a feeling that I need to be there 7 days a week 10 hr days or the store just wouldn't operate without me is my biggest challenge. I have been much much better since making a post about a month ago and I have been taking off Sunday and leaving at 1 pm. It also helps I was supposed to open store number 2 on February 1st but in Michigan this winter it hasn't been nice at all and has slowed it down. Hard to move when it is zero outside and -20 with the wind. I'm not stressing we are aiming for March 1st. I will only be 3 buildings down from our retail store so I will be back and forth between the 2. After all the pep talks, suggestions, and advice I know that they can run that store without an issue (except I am taking my very 1st employee) who is my bookkeeper, payroll, tech support you name it and he is it. Another lady who has also been with me for 10 years. I prompted within to fill those 2 spots and they will do just fine. Thank you for your insight, support, and knowledge. I appreciate it.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:03:09 GMT

Have a great time!! I will also be gone for 10 days the 10-16th to Tennessee to see the family and help my dad after a minor surgery. Enjoy your time off and Happy Valentine's to you and everyone else!

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:47:02 GMT

I 100% agree! I do have a great team that works hard but also gets along well together. Telling them how great the store looks or what an amazing job they did today is huge. Our customers usually get to them before I do! They are always complimenting them, thanking them for going the extra mile and helping not just deliver the furniture but also take it inside and put their old furniture in the garage. In the winter our town is mostly older adults who didn't head south for the winter. I'm my own worst enemy but since this post so much better and not so high-strung and feel the need to be there 24/7.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

bonny — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:33:17 GMT

As a solopreneur, I too have to remind myself to take time off. I noticed that when I do, I am definitely more creative and overall in a better headspace to give more to my clients so it's a win-win all the way around.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

bonny — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:42:58 GMT

As a solopreneur, I don't have any employees. Reading the book has given me some ideas for how I can express my appreciation to my customers for their patronage. My business is seasonal so right now is my downtime to explore ideas for the upcoming year. I have to say, it's been fun making a list of possibilities.

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

PessoAlumni — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

Oooh, would you mind sharing the link to that one too, @CareyJo ?

Re: How can you empower your team to provide Unreasonable Hospitality?

Twpchair — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:32:57 GMT

I have been extremely lucky or blessed with great employees who some have been with me since day one. They aren’t just employees that clock in and clock out. They are extremely special to me and I tell them and post often without them there is no White Pallet Chair. They all have their own way of doing things and they each add something different or unique how they go about it and I am ok with that because at the end of the day the job is done and it’s done right. The next day if someone else picks up where they left off no issues just like personalities are all different but they just seem to jell together great. I am my own worst enemy and in the last month have taken huge steps and guess what the business was still there the next day. I might not be able all the bells and whistle of a big box store but I do make sure that they know they are appreciated and I couldn’t do it without any of them. I do every Friday order lunch and it rotates who gets to pick where. Friday and Saturday is usually all hands on deck unless someone needs time off or sick. I have found through the years a place that you can actually enjoy or not dread going to every day over and over again and nothing changes makes for a workplace not so enjoyable and then rubs off on others. I’m actually very easy going and laid back when it comes to the employees and know and trust each and everyone of them. I do 30 days paid vacation per year and 7 days of we call I don’t know what day but I just need a break day/not feeling good day. I do understand customers service and waiting on customers 5-6 days a week tend to drain you and times especially after a busy week or weekend you need a break and that’s what it is for. I just ask if you can besides being sick give me 24hr notice and 9 times out of 10 they already called the one off and traded a day. They know I am run in circles and go nowhere person and take care of that and if not I will make a call or we will be just fine only 1 or two deliveries and the guys and gals pick up the slack of missing 1. Best advice coming from someone who thinks that the building will crash without you is go with gut, give them more credit than even you thought. Don’t hesitate or worry or feel guilty taking a day off. You know if you have a good group of employees and go with it. As small business owners it’s hard to have employees for 10-12 years in this day and age. That should tell you in itself you and they are doing something right and they need to know and feel appreciated and as business owners that’s the least we can do is offer that. I’ve been told by a couple of my employees that they were offered jobs at bigger outlets and big bonuses and 401k and they didn’t want to sit behind a desk and do the same thing 5 days a week and 8 hrs a day and really enjoyed every day is new day and new adventure. So I have let go and turned over more control for them from website to one has a food truck coming in every weekend from April-October and I am excited for them and I hope that each one has huge success! Good luck to everyone and here’s to a great 2025!