This is a comprehensive summary of “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara. The book explores the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect.

what’s in it for me? discover how to leverage unreasonable hospitality to elevate your business.#

Introduction

will guidara.

unreasonable hospitality.

the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect.

for many business owners, an outstanding product is the holy grail of their enterprise.

countless hours are spent scrutinizing every detail, perfecting the latest gadget, refining the most delectable cuisine, and crafting the hippest fashion accessory.

the relentless pursuit of product perfection is often the driving force behind their endeavors.

but contrary to popular belief, the greatness of a business doesn't rely solely on the excellence of its product.

there's one other ingredient most leaders forget to throw into the mix.

the people.

everyone is so laser-focused on making the what that they forget the who.

yes, you can have the most perfect product ever, but it would still fall short if you didn't consider the people receiving that product.

for your business to stand out, you need to value your customer experience as much as your product.

how?

by practicing what will guidara calls unreasonable hospitality.

and no, it's not limited to people in the hospitality industry.

anyone whose job is to serve a customer can practice unreasonable hospitality, from a car salesman to a receptionist at the doctor's clinic.

in this chapter, you'll learn exactly what unreasonable hospitality is all about, and how you too can start practicing it in your business.

unreasonable hospitality and its effects on your business unreasonable.

unreasonable hospitality and its effects on your business#

this word has long screamed negativity, whether it's your kid insisting on buying an expensive toy, a co-worker who doesn't compromise for the good of the project, or your mom refusing to listen to your sentiments.

but what if you learned that being unreasonable could actually be a good thing?

in the service industry, hospitality is all about making people feel cared for, but when you add unreasonable to the mix, it takes things to a whole new level.

unreasonable hospitality is all about providing your customers with the unique, tailor-made service that makes them feel not just cared for, but like real vips.

it's not just about meeting the needs of your customers, but it's about making sure that they feel like they're being cared for.

it's not just about meeting expectations, it's about exceeding them.

and this act of going above and beyond creates an unforgettable encounter that'll linger on people's memories long after the experience is over.

think about it.

when you dine in a michelin 3-star restaurant, what stands out to you the most?

is it the dishes you can't even pronounce or the fancy table-side food preparation?

no, more likely it's actually the smallest details that made you feel special.

it's the server who got you an off-menu dessert because he saw you were a little down in the dumps, or the maid at a hotel who went out of their way to retrieve the shopping bag you forgot at a nearby store.

those are the moments that stick with you, and they define exactly the nature of unreasonable hospitality.

you can create this kind of moment in any service-based business, from retail to healthcare.

all you need to do is look for opportunities where you can give your customers more than they initially came for.

once you've integrated unreasonable hospitality into your business, you can expect to reap a whole range of rewards.

it can help you build a loyal customer base that will sing your praises to anyone who will listen.

these happy customers will keep coming back to you and even bring their network along, ultimately making your bottom line skyrocket.

so dare to be unreasonable when it comes to hospitality because it's an investment that can pay off in a big way.

now the question is, how do you become unreasonably hospitable?

first, apply unreasonable hospitality to your staff#

first, apply unreasonable hospitality to your staff.

since time immemorial, the adage, the customer always comes first, has served as the north star for the service industry.

workers are trained to put the customer's needs and desires at the forefront of every decision.

and while there's no denying that making the customer happy is a critical part of the job, it's time to shift your focus to the people who make it all happen, your staff.

by first showing your staff unreasonable hospitality, you're not only making them feel appreciated, but you're also equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to provide the same level of exceptional service to your customers.

when employees feel that they're being taken care of, they're more likely to go the extra mile in their work.

unreasonable hospitality for employees can look like a lot of things.

the first is offering them a listening ear.

when you stop and listen to your staff members individually, it shows that you deeply value them and that you're interested in what they have to say.

being unreasonably hospitable to your workers also means trusting them with bigger responsibilities.

let them take the reins even before they think they're ready for it.

you'll be surprised by how perfect they turn out to be in their new role.

praise is also a big part of unreasonable hospitality.

as a leader, don't hold back on giving out compliments to your staff.

let them know what an awesome job they're doing and make sure to do this in front of their peers to give them that extra boost of confidence.

it's also important to direct any external praise their way and not hog the credit for yourself as their boss.

for instance, if a customer raved to you about the outstanding attention to detail mandy put into their order, let mandy hear the compliments from the customer herself.

unreasonable hospitality is also about giving your staff vip treatment when they become the customers themselves.

for instance, if your chef is dining at your restaurant or your sales agent is buying their own car from your dealership, give them over-the-top service, the kind they also provide to your customers.

receiving unreasonable hospitality will inspire them to give it too.

so before you go above and beyond for your customers, remember to take care of your employees first.

then, sit back and watch as they take care of your customers in return.

personalize each customer’s experience#

personalize each customer's experience.

picture this.

you've broken your phone and gone with it are the hundreds of photos you've treasured for years.

while buying your new phone, you casually mention this little tidbit to the salesperson and, by the end of the transaction, they surprise you with a complimentary premium subscription to a cloud storage service.

so you never have to lose another photo again.

that's unreasonable hospitality at its finest.

when you personalize your customers' experience, you bring unreasonable hospitality to life.

you don't just provide them with the product or service they paid for, but also show that you care about their needs and go out of the way to address them.

by making a gesture that's specific to a customer, you give them the feeling that they're heard and seen, and not just another number in your profit report.

that's exactly what guderra did when he was working as the general manager of 11 madison park in new york.

one day, he was busing a table of four europeans who'd soon be leaving the city.

as he cleared their plates, he couldn't help but overhear their conversation about missing the chance to eat a street hot dog.

guderra saw that as an opportunity to showcase unreasonable hospitality, and out he went to buy a $2 hot dog.

when he served it to the customers, they were undeniably stoked.

they never expected to eat a street hot dog at a four-star restaurant, but guderra made it happen, and that experience will live on with them forever.

there are dozens of opportunities like this in every business, but for you to be able to find them, you need to keep your eyes and ears peeled.

be present in the sense that you're laser-focused on your customer the moment you face them.

give them all your attention as if they're the only thing that matters.

only then will you get to understand and meet their specific needs.

sure, you might need to shell out a bit of cash to fulfill a guest's particular wish, but not every gesture of unreasonable hospitality needs to be luxurious and grand.

it just needs to be thoughtful because at the end of the day, it's not the gift that makes an impact.

it's how you made the customer feel.

integrate unreasonable hospitality, even in recurring situations while there's nothing more heartwarming and rewarding than giving out unique services to each of your customers, you'll inevitably come across repeating patterns in your business.

integrate unreasonable hospitality even in recurring situations#

in real estate, for instance, you'll have more than one newlywed couple looking for a new home.

in healthcare, there's always going to be a little girl meeting the dentist for the first time, and in hotels, families with kids will likely be on your reservation list every month.

but just because you encounter these kinds of customers several times doesn't mean they don't get to be special.

you can apply the magic of unreasonable hospitality even in such cases, and that's with the help of a toolkit.

your toolkit contains items prepared beforehand and can readily be given to your customers.

no, don't confuse them with generic boring stuff such as the champagne real estate agents give to every homeowner or the bathrobe and the slippers the hotel provides to every guest.

your toolkit is still given to specific customers.

they just happen to be applicable to more than one.

to explain this more clearly, let's go back to the little girl at the dentist.

your toolkit could be a lovely strawberry-scented teddy bear that she can hug while the dentist works on her loose teeth.

the dentist doesn't give this stuffed toy to just any patient who walks through the door, but they'll likely hand it out many times a day.

by creating a toolkit like this, you can scale unreasonable hospitality and offer some extra love to more than one customer without having to start from scratch every time.

you just pull out your toolkit and voila!

an instant, thoughtful gift.

this will free you up to concentrate on creating bigger, unique experiences for individual customers.

but while toolkits are a terrific way to provide a special touch to recurring situations, it's important to use them wisely.

you don't want them to become an expected part of your service, or it'll defeat the purpose of creating a personalized experience.

take the time to assess whether your toolkits still have a distinctive impact on your customers.

if you find that they feel outdated and overused, don't be scared to change them.

remember that the goal is always to exceed your customers' expectations.

change existing rules that hinder genuine interaction#

change existing rules that hinder genuine interaction.

if there's one thing most people are scared of, it's change, particularly change that involves upending established traditions and longstanding rules.

the fear of disrupting the status quo can be paralyzing, and there's a natural tendency to cling to what's familiar and comfortable.

but by refusing to embrace change, you risk jeopardizing your goal of giving your customers unreasonable hospitality and connecting with them better.

take the podium at the entrance of a restaurant, for example.

this has been an age-old tradition at almost every restaurant.

but while it does its job of welcoming customers, it literally stands between the maitre d' and the guests and prevents your staff from giving your customers the warm and personal greeting they deserve.

the old-school podium is just one of the rigid standards you follow, only because it has always been that way.

sure, these strict rules ensure that you give your customers technically perfect service.

but in your serious effort to achieve excellence, you fail to see that some of your traditions and standards don't make you more unreasonably hospitable.

so, be brave enough to bend the rules, if not change them completely.

step back, look at your steps of service, and question whether each one adds value to your goal of giving unreasonable hospitality.

if not, make sure to improve them.

it'll also be more impactful if you become open to any ideas your staff have.

they likely notice things you don't, and having more eyes will give you a wider perspective of things.

use hospitality even in problem-solving at this point, you now know how to use unreasonable hospitality to keep your employees and customers happy.

use hospitality even in problem-solving#

but unreasonable hospitality has one other superpower that most people often overlook.

problem-solving believe it or not, the solutions to your problems can sometimes lie in being unreasonably hospitable.

by going above and beyond, you can turn a problem into a positive experience.

let's say a customer comes to you with a defective laptop they purchased from your store.

you could get it over and done with by offering a simple refund, but to be unreasonably hospitable is to give your customers more.

so, instead of just refunding them, take things a step further.

maybe upgrade the product for free or add a one-year subscription to their favorite photo editing software.

similarly, unreasonable hospitality can be a handy tool for addressing internal issues in your business.

if a worker is struggling with a new role or simply feeling overwhelmed, give them additional support or resources.

it could be as simple as granting them a few extra days off or signing them up for a training course to enhance their skills.

unfortunately, finding a hospitable solution isn't always an easy feat.

it requires you to think outside the box and squeeze out your creative juices.

but at its core, unreasonable hospitality is about giving more than what's expected.

so keep that in mind as you brainstorm solutions to problems.

final summary#

Conclusion

in this chapter to unreasonable hospitality by will guderra, you've learned that unreasonable hospitality is all about putting in the extra effort to make your employees and customers feel pampered.

it's not superficial gestures or basic courtesy, but a genuine commitment to sprinkle some magic dust into someone's day.

to be unreasonably hospitable to your employees means listening to them intently, trusting them without hesitation, and giving them recognition as often as possible.

unreasonable hospitality to your customers means delivering an experience that's specific and personal to them, one they'll forever cherish and share with others.

part of practicing unreasonable hospitality is also challenging conventional norms when you know it doesn't serve you and your customers.

dare to break away from tradition and standards in pursuit of creating a more welcoming environment for the people you serve.

when done right, unreasonable hospitality has the power to do more than just give your employees and customers satisfaction.

it can also solve your business problems, whether that's an unsatisfied customer or a burned-out worker.

go the extra mile to integrate unreasonable hospitality into your service-based business and watch it drive your business in ways you haven't expected.

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