Be in the moment 💼✨🎤

People don’t generally dislike their circumstances — but sometimes they dislike the fact that the moment demands something of them.

In the hospitality business, excellent service requires employees to be fully present — giving their complete attention to whatever is in front of them. Focused. No distractions. Following through. To be in the moment.

For some, that comes naturally. They enjoy people and don’t mind the interruptions that come with the job. Others need direction and reinforcement — to treat guests the way they like (or would like) to be treated. Using their own expectations as a guide. Either way, the measure is the same: the resulting customer experience.

Successful companies capture that information and use it for recognition and training. They identify and spotlight employees who “own” a moment. They clone outstanding performers. They build internal PR programs that celebrate role models and future leaders. That’s not hype. It’s good business.

Give your staff opportunities to practice service routines until they feel natural. Help them see themselves as salespeople — selling experiences. Great service companies like Disney, Wynn, Costco, Wegman’s, and Pike Place Fish Market embed this mindset in their culture. It motivates people. It differentiates them. It’s a business imperative.

Service is an art. Cultivate it. Nurture it. And make sure your staff is dealing effectively with what’s in front of them — because the present moment is where every customer decides what they think of you today.

Eckhart Tolle (born 1948): German “spiritual teacher “and self-help author.