Having spent 30 years in the hospitality industry, high-quality customer service has been my lifeblood, and it’s something I’m passionate about spreading -but not just in the hospitality sector. I believe every business owner should commit to high standards of hospitality, no matter what industry you work in.

Having recently launched a new strand to my career, stepping out as  ‘The Hospitality Hero’, I am on a mission to bring people together to see what we can all learn from a trade that must keep evolving.

Here I share my insights from across the industry on what the art of hospitality really looks like.

For me hospitality is at the heart of community - and I truly believe hospitality can change the world. Whatever line of business you’re in, putting hospitality and its values at the core will stand you in good stead.

I believe hospitality = humanity. It’s the same thing….and it’s the only thing that’s going to fix this world. The art of hospitality is the heart of hospitality. Being hospitable is being human. If we can educate ourselves on being human again the world can be a different place. Let’s remember what hospitality is all about. It’s about being human and being kind to each other.

Too often when we get wrapped up in the day to day of running a business we can lose sight of this simple thing, and as stress mounts around finances and logistics the focus goes elsewhere -but if we can always bring it back to people, we will be building a business which people love -and which is delivering true value. This breeds loyalty, and satisfaction from both customers and staff alike, and you’re onto a winner.

Honing the skills needed in hospitality is also a truly valuable exercise for team members in other industries. Being a customer-centric business requires leadership, creativity, strong communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, and solid business processes to help you over-deliver. Some of the most famous entrepreneurs started their careers in hospitality. It’s such a strong foundation for developing strong work ethics, understanding the importance of the customer experience - and people being your priority.

I recently brought together a panel of experts from the hospitality industry and we discussed ‘The Art of Hospitality’. Here are my top 6 tips on how any Startup can incorporate The Art of Hospitality into their business.

• Never accept second rate service - not from suppliers, your team, or yourself. From the very start reach for the stars - whether it’s just you or you have a team build strong foundations for your business which focuses on relationships and providing the very best service to wow your customers
• Remember we are all human and start from there.. Focus on how to make people feel something, on how to show people they are valued and connect, really connect, with people  - they will then become your biggest champions
• Build the best teams - don’t get caught up in believing you have to recruit people based on their impressive CVs - make sure you employ humans, and humans who care about your business, so they can help you deliver on your vision
• Really care about the little things - the little touches, the unexpected surprises - consider how you can make people feel special, what could you deliver on that they will remember  - it doesn’t need to cost a penny
• Remove the noise of the million things you think you should be doing in your business and get back to the good old values of genuinely listening to people - this is how you can truly connect, excite and delight
• Invest in your team and their development. Help people to grow and excel, so they can deliver true excellence - it has to be a team effort

If we all spread a little more hospitality, I genuinely believe the world would be a better place. We can all play our part and I invite you to.