Looking for the path to the Memorable Experience for your guests? It all starts with the mood that prevails. If I am in bad humor, I am not receptive to those sensors you have created and marketed. That’s right, I need to be 'gruntled'.
Often, we hear of the negative characteristics of this fine word – the “disgruntled” guest or usually employee; they get all the attention and fuss. Their unhappiness drives all sorts of mayhem – voices raised, threats made, uncivilized actions. So, how do we parlay the positive to our Brand?
Let’s start with a definition. “Gruntle” is a transitive verb, meaning, “to put in good humor”. Nothing positive transpires with bad humor. We in Hospitality are the designers of that first and lasting impression, which leads to that Memorable Experience. That is how we build our Brand and must deliver upon. We create that impression through the senses, and, fortunately, “gruntle” rhymes with “frontal”, for that is where most of the senses we must tap are located.
On the visual front, just consider even the arrival path to your destination. It could be as different as descending down the severe, scrub pine laced While Mountains of New Hampshire, crossing the Connecticut River at Hanover and beginning the ascent into the Green Mountains of Vermont – rolling hills, verdant pastures and woods, the historic white church steeples dotting the landscape. You are transported immediately, quite dramatically. What is it like approaching your business, arriving on property, entering the premises? Am I swept away with a current of receptivity or left gurgling? You facility sets the stage for everything to follow, as your Guest visually sweeps the hospitality vista you present.
A number of hotel companies are experimenting with aromas in their lobbies to help create a cachet and memory. If you have ever visited a Krispy Kreme, you know the power of an aroma – in this case an olfactory sensation and salivating response. The counter side for many establishments is a stale environment, mixed with disinfectant and the prior guest. My sense of smell can be offended.
Ah, the tinkle of the ivories can set a mood. Perhaps, a classical music interlude, hopefully, not elevator music swill. Your tunes define your tone and message. As you loop your music, the Guest becomes receptive or not. We sometimes forget that music is for the background, and, sadly, in many restaurants with the existing roar of conversation, music merely adds to the din, rather than the dinner. Dentists use music to soothe, in their case, an unpleasant procedure. We can use music to soothe, as well, to create an atmosphere of joy.
The remaining senses - touch and taste - are tactile, largely dependent upon specific, independent instances. Lest we forget that parenthetical sixth sense – ESP or Extrasensory Perception. This is typically intuitive, very much geared to our moods and highly anticipatory. This is where we try to aim – get the guest excited with our potential, stimulated with the other senses. Then, we deliver, resulting in the Memorable Experience, one “touch” at a time. Our Guests have now been “gruntled”!
