"It's absolutely irresponsible for anyone in a high touch business not to know who their customer is today."
- Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group
I recently heard Danny Meyers, a successful NYC restaurateur, say that the difference between service and hospitality is like the difference between an off the rack suit and a custom made suit. He described how his restaurants have been able to use technology solutions like OpenTable to know who their customers are and when they'll be dining. His team then uses that information to do more than just provide service, they custom design a hospitality experience for their guests.
I believe that Danny's advice is relevant far beyond the traditionally "high touch" businesses. Whether you're an auto-mechanic, an author, a hotelier, a clothing company, or a coffee shop...the technology you need is readily available to connect you directly with your end customer so you can provide a customized "hospitality" experience. If you don't, one of your competitors will...and then you lose.
Just providing service isn't enough...if you want to be remarkable you have to provide an experience.
It looks like we're all in the hospitality business now.
