Reviews
“Guidara makes his nonfiction debut with an enthusiastic guide for leaders [and asserts] sage advice about leadership.” – Kirkus Review
“Will Guidara is one of the very best in the hospitality business, but this book is for everyone. His insights on how to be a great entrepreneur cut through the noise.” – David Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku, and host of Ugly Delicious
“Working alongside Will Guidara is the ultimate masterclass in how to thoughtfully improve the lives of those around you. He is now sharing his truly remarkable gift with the world in this keenly observant and heartfelt must-read, for anyone looking to stand out from the pack.” –Dan Levy, Emmy® award winning writer, actor, director, and producer of Schitt’s Creek
“One of the five best management books I have ever read. Plus, it is the most engaging and entertaining – by a wide margin. This is, flat out, not a book to miss.” – Roger Martin, writer, strategy advisor and management thinker
“Will Guidara weaves heartfelt stories and keen observations to illustrate how purposeful, no-holds-barred hospitality satisfies our essential need to belong. An exceptional book for anyone or any organization aiming to excel at human connection.” – Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and author of Setting the Table
“In this book, Will Guidara shows us how to lead and to serve at the next level by building a foundation of hospitality, and creating a people-first “working together” culture. It’s an inspiring book for businesses in every industry.” – Alan Mulally, former CEO of Boeing and Ford
“In dining rooms, in conference rooms, and in all corners of hospitality, Will Guidara has made a career out of going above and beyond, giving people what they want, even when they don’t know they want it. This book puts his story, and more than a few of his trade secrets, in your hands.” — Questlove
“Will gives us the best reason to be unreasonable—the people we serve. His approach to hospitality is novel, noble, and not at all exclusive to the restaurant industry. If you want to revolutionize the way you do business, you need this book!” — Dave Ramsey, bestselling author and radio host
“Making people feel welcome, accepted, appreciated, seen, known… what could be cooler than that? This is what Will has unlocked in this book: that hospitality is as thrilling and inspiring to give as it is to receive, both in work, and in life.”— Christina Tosi, founder and CEO of Milk Bar
This book is a game-changer for anyone in the service industry or interested in elevating their customer experience. It’s a deep dive into the art of hospitality, told through the lens of a world-renowned restaurateur. The author shares his journey of transforming a struggling Manhattan restaurant into a global sensation, all by embracing a philosophy of going above and beyond for guests. It’s not just about good service; it’s about creating unforgettable moments that turn customers into lifelong fans. With a mix of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and inspiring stories, this book challenges readers to rethink what it means to truly serve others and how that mindset can revolutionize any business.
The primary audience for this book is professionals in the hospitality and service industries, from restaurant managers and hotel staff to business owners looking to improve their customer service. However, its lessons extend far beyond these fields, making it valuable for anyone interested in enhancing their interpersonal skills or creating better experiences for clients, customers, or even colleagues. The secondary audience includes business students, entrepreneurs, and leaders in any field who want to differentiate their offerings through superior service. Guidara’s writing style is accessible and engaging, peppered with real-world examples that make complex concepts easy to grasp for readers at any level. While some industry-specific terminology is used, it’s explained in a way that ensures the book remains approachable for a general audience.
What if the key to business success wasn’t just meeting expectations, but shattering them entirely?
This is the provocative premise at the heart of Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. Imagine a world where every interaction leaves customers not just satisfied, but utterly amazed. It’s a world Guidara doesn’t just imagine – he’s lived it, and now he’s sharing the blueprint.
Guidara takes us on a journey through the high-stakes world of fine dining in New York City, where a single misstep can mean the difference between a Michelin star and obscurity. He recounts his time at Eleven Madison Park, a restaurant that under his leadership rose from a struggling eatery to being crowned the World’s Best Restaurant. But this isn’t just another rags-to-riches story. It’s a masterclass in the art of giving people more than they ever thought possible.
The book is filled with captivating anecdotes that illustrate Guidara’s philosophy in action. There’s the story of the couple who mentioned they’d never seen snow, only to find their table transformed into a winter wonderland. Or the time the staff chartered a plane to reunite a guest with a forgotten passport, ensuring they didn’t miss a long-awaited vacation. These aren’t just acts of good service – they’re moments of magic that turn customers into lifelong advocates.
But Guidara doesn’t just tell us what he did – he shows us how we can do it too. He breaks down the principles of “unreasonable hospitality” into actionable steps that can be applied in any business or personal interaction. From the importance of empowering your team to take bold actions, to the art of listening not just to what customers say, but what they mean, Guidara provides a roadmap for anyone looking to elevate their service game.
Readers of Unreasonable Hospitality will learn how to create unforgettable experiences that go beyond mere satisfaction. They’ll discover the power of personalization, the impact of anticipating needs before they’re expressed, and the transformative effect of making every interaction feel special. Whether you’re running a restaurant, a retail store, or a multinational corporation, Guidara’s insights offer a new perspective on what it means to truly serve others and how that mindset can drive unparalleled success.
The heart of Unreasonable Hospitality beats with a simple yet powerful message: giving people more than they expect is the surest path to success in business and in life. Guidara argues that true hospitality goes beyond mere service – it’s about creating moments of genuine human connection and surprise that leave a lasting impact.
Think of it like this: if customer service is about meeting expectations, unreasonable hospitality is about blowing them out of the water. It’s the difference between a waiter refilling your water glass (expected) and that same waiter overhearing you mention it’s your anniversary, then surprising you with a personalized dessert and a card signed by the entire staff (unexpected and delightful).
Guidara contends that this approach isn’t just about making people feel good – it’s a powerful business strategy. When you consistently exceed expectations, you create emotional bonds with your customers. These bonds translate into loyalty, word-of-mouth marketing, and a reputation that sets you apart in a crowded marketplace. In essence, unreasonable hospitality is about investing in moments of magic that pay dividends far beyond the immediate interaction.
Unreasonable Hospitality has made waves in both the hospitality industry and the broader business world since its release. It challenges the conventional wisdom that good service is simply about efficiency and politeness, pushing readers to reconsider what’s possible in customer interactions.
The book’s impact is particularly notable in how it bridges the gap between high-end hospitality and everyday business practices. While Guidara’s examples often come from the world of fine dining, he makes a compelling case for how these principles can be applied in any industry. This universality has led to the book being embraced by leaders in fields as diverse as healthcare, retail, and tech startups.
Critics have praised Guidara’s approach as a refreshing antidote to the increasingly impersonal nature of many customer interactions in the digital age. By emphasizing the power of human connection and personalized experiences, Unreasonable Hospitality offers a path forward for businesses looking to differentiate themselves in a world of automation and standardization.
However, the book has not been without its controversies. Some have questioned the scalability of Guidara’s approach, arguing that the level of personalization he advocates is only possible in high-end establishments with small customer bases. Others have raised concerns about the potential for burnout among staff tasked with constantly going above and beyond.
Despite these debates, Unreasonable Hospitality has garnered significant recognition. It was named one of the best business books of the year by publications like Forbes and Inc. Magazine. Its ideas have been featured in TED Talks and business school case studies, cementing its place as a significant contribution to the fields of customer service and business strategy.
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara offers a fresh and compelling perspective on customer service that has the potential to transform how businesses approach customer interactions. The book’s greatest strength lies in its ability to challenge conventional thinking about what constitutes good service, pushing readers to consider how they can create truly memorable experiences for their customers.
We find Guidara’s use of vivid, real-world examples particularly effective. These anecdotes not only make the book engaging but also provide tangible illustrations of how his principles can be applied in practice. This approach makes the concepts accessible and inspirational, even for readers who may not work in the high-end restaurant industry.
The book’s emphasis on empowering employees and creating a culture that supports exceptional service is another significant strength. Guidara convincingly argues that truly remarkable customer experiences can only be consistently delivered when they’re supported by a strong, aligned internal culture. This holistic approach sets “Unreasonable Hospitality” apart from many other customer service books that focus solely on customer-facing tactics.
However, we also note some limitations in the book’s approach. The focus on extreme gestures of hospitality, while inspiring, may not be feasible for all businesses, particularly those operating on tighter budgets or in different industry contexts. We believe the book could have benefited from more discussion on how to scale these principles in larger organizations or how to adapt them for businesses with more limited resources.
Additionally, we feel that the book could have addressed more thoroughly some of the potential downsides of its approach, such as the risk of employee burnout when constantly striving to exceed expectations, or the potential for creating unsustainable customer expectations over time.
Despite these limitations, we believe that “Unreasonable Hospitality” offers valuable insights that can benefit a wide range of readers, from business owners and managers to frontline service staff. The book’s ideas have the potential to spark innovation in customer service across various industries, challenging businesses to rethink their approach to customer interactions.
Our Recommendation
We recommend Unreasonable Hospitality to anyone looking to elevate their approach to customer service and experience management. While readers should approach some of the more extreme examples with a critical eye, considering how to adapt the principles to their own context, the core message of the book – that going above and beyond in thoughtful, personalized ways can create lasting value – is one that we believe has broad applicability.
For business leaders, service industry professionals, and anyone interested in the psychology of customer experiences, this book offers a wealth of inspiration and practical ideas. Even if readers don’t implement every suggestion, the mindset shift that Guidara advocates – from meeting expectations to consistently exceeding them in creative ways – can be a powerful tool for differentiating a business in today’s competitive landscape. We believe that engaging with the ideas in “Unreasonable Hospitality” can lead to meaningful improvements in how businesses interact with their customers, potentially transforming not just individual companies but entire industries.
The essence of “Unreasonable Hospitality” revolves around the transformative power of exceeding expectations in every interaction. Will Guidara argues that true hospitality goes beyond merely satisfying customers; it’s about creating memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression. This philosophy isn’t just about being nice or providing good service; it’s a strategic approach to business that can drive customer loyalty, word-of-mouth marketing, and ultimately, success. Guidara emphasizes that this mindset can be applied in any industry, not just high-end restaurants or luxury hotels.
A key concept in the book is the idea of “finding the yes.” This means going beyond the standard response to a customer’s request and finding creative ways to fulfill their needs, even when it seems impossible at first. Guidara encourages readers to view challenges as opportunities to showcase exceptional service. This approach requires a shift in mindset from simply following rules to actively seeking ways to delight customers.
Another crucial element is the importance of empowering employees to make decisions and take initiative. Guidara believes that creating a culture of trust and autonomy allows staff to respond quickly and creatively to customer needs. This empowerment is essential for delivering the kind of unreasonable hospitality he advocates. It involves training employees to recognize opportunities for exceptional service and giving them the authority to act on those opportunities without fear of repercussion.
The book also emphasizes the role of personalization in creating memorable experiences. Guidara argues that paying attention to small details about customers and using that information to tailor their experience can have a massive impact. This could be as simple as remembering a returning guest’s favorite drink or as elaborate as creating a custom experience based on a casual comment overheard during a previous visit. The key is to make each customer feel seen and valued as an individual.
Guidara introduces the concept of “endless reinvention” as a crucial factor in maintaining excellence. He argues that to consistently exceed expectations, businesses must continually innovate and evolve their approach to service. This involves not only introducing new offerings but also finding fresh ways to surprise and delight customers, even those who visit frequently. The goal is to create an environment where customers always feel there’s something new to discover.
The book also explores the idea of “collaborative creativity” in service. Guidara emphasizes that delivering exceptional experiences often requires teamwork and collective problem-solving. He encourages readers to foster an environment where staff at all levels feel comfortable sharing ideas and working together to create unique solutions for customers. This collaborative approach not only leads to more innovative service but also enhances employee engagement and satisfaction.
The Snow Globe Table
One of the most striking examples in the book is the story of a couple who mentioned they had never seen snow. The staff at Eleven Madison Park overheard this comment and sprang into action. They transformed the couple’s table into a miniature winter wonderland, complete with a custom-made snow globe centerpiece and a dessert dusted with edible “snow.” This example illustrates how paying attention to casual comments and using that information to create unexpected moments can turn a simple meal into an unforgettable experience.
The Passport Rescue
Guidara recounts an instance where a guest realized they had forgotten their passport at home, potentially ruining their plans for an international trip the next day. Instead of simply sympathizing, the restaurant staff took extraordinary measures. They arranged for someone to retrieve the passport from the guest’s home and chartered a small plane to deliver it to the airport where the guest was departing from the next morning. This example showcases the lengths to which Guidara’s team would go to solve a customer’s problem, even when it fell far outside the typical responsibilities of a restaurant.
The Personalized Picnic
Another compelling example involves a couple who had to cancel their Central Park picnic plans due to rain. When they came to the restaurant instead, the staff recreated a picnic experience for them indoors. They set up a checkered blanket on the floor, provided a wicker basket filled with gourmet picnic foods, and even played nature sounds to mimic an outdoor environment. This case demonstrates how creative problem-solving and attention to detail can turn a potential disappointment into a memorable experience.
The Sneaker Concierge
Guidara shares a story about a guest who admired the sneakers worn by one of the staff members. Instead of simply taking the compliment, the team saw an opportunity. They contacted the sneaker company, arranged for a pair in the guest’s size to be delivered to the restaurant, and presented them to the surprised guest at the end of their meal. This example illustrates how seemingly small observations can be turned into significant gestures that create lasting impressions.
The Couch Delivery
One particularly ambitious example involved a guest who casually mentioned liking the couch in the restaurant’s lounge. The staff took note and, after the guest left, managed to purchase an identical couch and have it delivered to the guest’s home before they returned from their trip. While extreme, this example underscores Guidara’s belief in the power of listening and acting on even the most offhand comments to create moments of astonishment.
The Taco Bell Tasting Menu
In a unique twist on fine dining, Guidara describes an instance where a guest jokingly mentioned missing Taco Bell while enjoying their multi-course tasting menu. The kitchen staff rose to the challenge, creating a high-end version of Taco Bell classics for the guest’s next course. This example showcases how injecting humor and playfulness into high-end experiences can create memorable moments and demonstrate attentiveness to guests’ comments.
Elevate Service Through Personalization
One of the key insights from “Unreasonable Hospitality” is the power of personalization in creating exceptional experiences. Guidara emphasizes that truly remarkable service goes beyond just meeting basic needs; it involves tailoring experiences to individual preferences and circumstances. To apply this insight, businesses should implement systems to collect and utilize customer information effectively. This could involve creating detailed guest profiles that track preferences, special occasions, and past interactions. Train staff to actively listen for and record relevant details during conversations with customers. Use this information to surprise and delight guests in meaningful ways. For example, if a customer mentions a favorite author during small talk, have a copy of that author’s latest book waiting in their hotel room on their next visit. In a restaurant setting, remember dietary preferences or favorite dishes and proactively offer tailored recommendations or custom off-menu items.
Empower Employees to Make Decisions
Guidara stresses the importance of empowering employees at all levels to make decisions and take initiative in serving customers. This approach allows for quick, creative solutions to customer needs without bureaucratic delays. To implement this insight, organizations should create a culture of trust and autonomy. Provide comprehensive training that not only covers standard procedures but also emphasizes problem-solving skills and the company’s service philosophy. Set clear guidelines for decision-making authority, possibly including a budget that each employee can use at their discretion to resolve issues or enhance customer experiences. Regularly recognize and celebrate instances where employees have gone above and beyond, reinforcing the desired behavior. Importantly, create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable taking calculated risks to please customers, knowing they won’t be penalized for well-intentioned mistakes.
Cultivate a ‘Yes’ Mindset
A crucial insight from the book is the concept of “finding the yes” – approaching every customer request with the mindset of making it happen, even if it initially seems impossible. This attitude transforms customer service from a transactional interaction to a problem-solving partnership. To apply this insight, train staff to reframe their thinking when faced with challenging requests. Instead of immediately saying “no” or explaining why something can’t be done, encourage them to start by asking themselves “How can we make this work?” Implement brainstorming sessions where teams can practice finding creative solutions to difficult scenarios. Create a resource database of past solutions to unusual requests that staff can reference. Additionally, foster connections with local businesses and services that can help fulfill unique customer needs, expanding the range of what you can offer.
Focus on Creating Memorable Moments
Guidara emphasizes that truly exceptional service is about creating memorable moments that customers will cherish and share with others. These moments often arise from going beyond what’s expected or required. To apply this insight, encourage staff to look for opportunities to create these special moments in everyday interactions. This could involve keeping a “surprise and delight” budget for spontaneous gestures. Train employees to recognize and act on potential “moment-making” opportunities, such as overhearing a guest mention a special occasion or a personal challenge they’re facing. Develop a repertoire of go-to “wow” moments that can be customized for different situations, like having a selection of small gifts on hand that can be personalized quickly. Also, create a system for staff to share and celebrate these moments, both to recognize good work and to inspire others.
Continuously Reinvent the Experience
An important insight from “Unreasonable Hospitality” is the need for constant reinvention to keep the experience fresh and exciting, even for repeat customers. Guidara argues that to consistently exceed expectations, businesses must continually evolve and innovate their approach to service. To apply this, establish a regular review process where teams evaluate current offerings and brainstorm new ideas. This could involve monthly innovation meetings where staff from all levels contribute ideas for new services, menu items, or customer experience enhancements. Implement a rotating schedule of special experiences or limited-time offerings to create a sense of novelty and excitement. Encourage cross-training and job rotation among staff to bring fresh perspectives to different areas of the business. Additionally, stay informed about trends and innovations in other industries that could be adapted to your business, fostering a culture of curiosity and learning.
Leverage the Power of Teamwork
Guidara highlights the importance of collaborative creativity in delivering exceptional service. He shows that the most impressive and memorable experiences often result from team efforts rather than individual actions. To apply this insight, foster a strong team culture where collaboration is valued and rewarded. Implement cross-functional teams to tackle service challenges or design new experiences, bringing together diverse perspectives and skills. Use team-building exercises that focus on creative problem-solving and quick thinking. Establish a system for rapid communication among staff, such as a digital platform where employees can quickly share ideas or ask for help in real-time. Create opportunities for staff to socialize and bond outside of work, strengthening relationships and improving teamwork on the job. Additionally, consider implementing a team-based reward system that recognizes collective efforts in creating exceptional experiences.
Anticipate Needs Before They’re Expressed
A key insight from the book is the importance of anticipating customer needs before they’re explicitly stated. This proactive approach to service can transform a good experience into an exceptional one. To apply this insight, train staff in the art of observation and deduction. Teach them to pick up on subtle cues from customers’ behavior, body language, and casual comments. Develop a system for sharing these observations among staff, ensuring that insights gathered by one team member can inform the actions of others. Create detailed customer profiles that go beyond basic preferences to include life events, hobbies, and patterns of behavior. Use data analytics to identify trends and predict future needs based on past behavior. Implement a pre-arrival planning process for known guests, where teams brainstorm potential needs and prepare accordingly. For example, if a guest has previously mentioned trouble sleeping, have a selection of herbal teas and a white noise machine ready in their room without being asked.
Turn Mistakes into Opportunities
Guidara provides valuable insight into handling service errors, viewing them not as failures but as opportunities to showcase exceptional recovery and create even stronger customer loyalty. To apply this, develop a comprehensive service recovery protocol that empowers employees to go above and beyond in making things right. Train staff to take full ownership of mistakes, regardless of where in the organization they originated. Implement a no-blame culture that focuses on solutions rather than finger-pointing. Create a “recovery menu” of gestures and compensations that staff can use flexibly depending on the situation. This could range from comped items to exclusive experiences. Establish a system for following up with affected customers after the initial recovery, showing ongoing concern for their satisfaction. Use service failures as learning opportunities, conducting thorough post-mortems to identify root causes and prevent future occurrences. Most importantly, celebrate exceptional service recoveries, reinforcing the idea that how you handle mistakes is just as important as trying to avoid them.
Compelling Real-World Examples
One of the most significant strengths of “Unreasonable Hospitality” is Guidara’s use of vivid, real-world examples to illustrate his principles. These anecdotes, drawn from his experiences at Eleven Madison Park and other ventures, bring the concept of exceptional service to life in a way that abstract theory never could. Guidara doesn’t just tell readers about the importance of personalization; he shows them through stories like the improvised winter wonderland created for guests who had never seen snow. These examples not only make the book engaging but also provide a clear blueprint for how readers can apply similar thinking in their own contexts. The diversity of these examples, ranging from grand gestures to small, thoughtful touches, demonstrates that unreasonable hospitality can be practiced at various scales and budgets.
Practical Applicability
Another key strength of the book is its focus on practical applicability. Guidara doesn’t just present lofty ideals; he provides concrete strategies for implementing his philosophy of unreasonable hospitality. For each concept he introduces, he offers actionable steps that readers can take to improve their own service offerings. For instance, when discussing the importance of empowering employees, he outlines specific ways to create a culture of trust and autonomy, including training programs and decision-making guidelines. This practical approach makes the book valuable not just as an inspirational read, but as a genuine toolkit for business owners, managers, and frontline staff looking to elevate their customer service.
Cross-Industry Relevance
While Guidara’s background is in high-end restaurants, a strength of the book is its ability to demonstrate how the principles of unreasonable hospitality can be applied across various industries. Guidara makes a compelling case that the fundamentals of exceptional service – personalization, anticipation of needs, creative problem-solving – are universal. He provides examples of how these concepts can be adapted to different contexts, from retail to healthcare to tech startups. This broad applicability significantly expands the book’s audience and impact, making it relevant to anyone interested in improving customer experiences, regardless of their specific field.
Emphasis on Company Culture
A notable strength of “Unreasonable Hospitality” is its focus on the importance of company culture in delivering exceptional service. Guidara argues convincingly that truly remarkable customer experiences can only be consistently delivered when they’re supported by a strong, aligned internal culture. He provides insights into how to build such a culture, emphasizing elements like trust, empowerment, and shared values. The book stands out for recognizing that great service isn’t just about individual actions, but about creating an environment where everyone is motivated and equipped to go above and beyond. This holistic approach sets “Unreasonable Hospitality” apart from many other customer service books that focus solely on customer-facing tactics.
Inspiring Yet Grounded Tone
The writing style of “Unreasonable Hospitality” strikes an effective balance between inspiration and practicality. Guidara’s passion for service excellence comes through clearly, infusing the book with an infectious enthusiasm that motivates readers to aim higher in their own work. At the same time, he maintains a grounded, realistic tone that acknowledges the challenges and complexities of implementing these ideas in the real world. This balanced approach makes the book both aspirational and achievable, encouraging readers to push boundaries while also providing them with the tools to overcome obstacles they might face.
Limited Discussion of Scalability
One weakness of “Unreasonable Hospitality” is its limited exploration of how to scale the principles of unreasonable hospitality in larger organizations or more budget-constrained environments. While Guidara provides numerous examples from his high-end restaurant experiences, he could have done more to address how these ideas can be implemented in businesses with hundreds or thousands of employees, or in contexts where resources are more limited. The book would have benefited from a deeper discussion of the systems and processes needed to deliver personalized, exceptional experiences consistently at scale. This gap may leave some readers, particularly those in larger corporations or budget-sensitive industries, wondering how to fully apply Guidara’s insights in their context.
Potential for Employee Burnout
While the book emphasizes the importance of empowering employees, it could have addressed more thoroughly the potential for employee burnout when constantly striving to exceed expectations. The high standards and emotional labor required to deliver unreasonable hospitality consistently could potentially lead to stress and exhaustion among staff. Guidara could have provided more guidance on how to balance the drive for exceptional service with employee well-being, including strategies for preventing burnout and maintaining sustainable levels of enthusiasm and effort over the long term.
Ethical Considerations Underexplored
“Unreasonable Hospitality” could have benefited from a more in-depth exploration of the ethical considerations surrounding some of its recommendations. For instance, the practice of collecting and using detailed personal information about customers to personalize their experiences raises questions about privacy and consent that aren’t fully addressed. Additionally, the book could have discussed more thoroughly the potential negative consequences of always saying “yes” to customer requests, such as enabling unreasonable or unethical demands. A more nuanced examination of where to draw the line between exceptional service and maintaining appropriate boundaries would have added valuable depth to the book’s arguments.
Overemphasis on Extreme Gestures
One blind spot in Unreasonable Hospitality is its potential to create the misconception that exceptional service always requires grand, elaborate gestures. While Guidara’s examples of chartering planes and recreating winter wonderlands are undoubtedly impressive, they might lead readers to believe that only extreme actions qualify as unreasonable hospitality. This could overshadow the importance of consistent, small acts of kindness and attention to detail that form the backbone of great service. In reality, most businesses cannot regularly engage in such extravagant gestures, and focusing too heavily on these examples might discourage readers from recognizing the value of more modest, but equally meaningful, acts of service. Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business offers a complementary perspective, emphasizing the cumulative impact of small, consistent acts of hospitality. Meyer’s approach might help readers understand that exceptional service is often about the sum of many small gestures rather than occasional grand ones.
Cultural Sensitivity in Global Contexts
Another blind spot in Guidara’s book is the limited discussion of how cultural differences might impact the application of unreasonable hospitality in global contexts. What’s considered exceptional service in one culture might be perceived as intrusive or uncomfortable in another. The book could lead to misconceptions about the universality of certain service approaches, potentially causing issues for businesses operating in diverse cultural environments. For instance, the high level of personalization advocated by Guidara might be seen as a privacy invasion in some cultures. Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business provides valuable insights into how cultural differences affect business practices, including customer service expectations. Combining Meyer’s cultural framework with Guidara’s hospitality principles could help readers adapt the concept of unreasonable hospitality to different cultural contexts more effectively.
Potential for Creating Unsustainable Expectations
A significant blind spot in Unreasonable Hospitality is the potential for creating unsustainable customer expectations. While consistently exceeding expectations is a noble goal, it could lead to a situation where customers continually raise their expectations, making it increasingly difficult and costly for businesses to satisfy them. This escalation could result in diminishing returns on service investments and potentially harm long-term customer relationships if a business can’t maintain ever-increasing levels of service. The book doesn’t fully address how to manage this potential “expectation inflation.” Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion offers insights into how expectations are formed and influenced, which could provide a valuable counterpoint to Guidara’s approach. Cialdini’s work on the principle of consistency might help readers understand how to create positive expectations without setting themselves up for an unsustainable arms race of service.
Overlooking the Role of Pricing and Value Perception
Guidara’s book may create a blind spot by not fully exploring the relationship between exceptional service, pricing strategies, and value perception. While the focus on creating remarkable experiences is commendable, there’s limited discussion on how to balance the costs of providing unreasonable hospitality with pricing structures that make such service financially sustainable. This omission could lead to misconceptions about the feasibility of implementing these ideas in businesses with tighter profit margins. Additionally, the book doesn’t deeply explore how different levels of service might be appropriate for different market segments or price points. Hermann Simon’s Confessions of the Pricing Man: How Price Affects Everything provides valuable insights into the psychology of pricing and how it relates to perceived value. Combining Simon’s pricing strategies with Guidara’s service philosophy could help readers develop a more holistic approach to creating exceptional customer experiences that are both remarkable and financially viable.
Technological Integration in Service Excellence
A notable blind spot in Unreasonable Hospitality is the limited exploration of how technology can be integrated into the delivery of exceptional service. While Guidara’s focus on human touch and personalization is valuable, he doesn’t fully address how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation can enhance and scale personalized service experiences. This oversight might lead readers to underestimate the role of technology in modern hospitality and customer service. The book could benefit from addressing how to balance high-tech and high-touch approaches to create seamless, exceptional customer experiences. Shep Hyken’s The Convenience Revolution: How to Deliver a Customer Service Experience that Disrupts the Competition and Creates Fierce Loyalty offers insights into how technology can be leveraged to enhance customer service and convenience. Combining Hyken’s tech-forward approach with Guidara’s emphasis on personal touches could provide a more comprehensive guide to delivering exceptional service in the digital age.
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, like Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, focuses on the importance of exceptional service in the hospitality industry. Both books draw from the authors’ experiences in high-end restaurants to provide insights into creating memorable customer experiences. However, Meyer’s approach differs in its emphasis on what he calls “enlightened hospitality,” which prioritizes employees first, then customers. This contrasts with Guidara’s more customer-centric approach. Meyer’s book also delves deeper into the business aspects of running restaurants, including leadership and team building, while Guidara focuses more intensely on the philosophy and execution of service itself. Meyer’s work provides a broader perspective on hospitality as a business strategy, while Guidara’s book offers a more focused, tactical approach to elevating service experiences.
The New Gold Standard by Joseph Michelli
Joseph Michelli’s The New Gold Standard examines the exceptional customer service practices of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. While both this book and Unreasonable Hospitality advocate for going above and beyond in customer service, Michelli’s work provides a more systematic approach to institutionalizing exceptional service across a large organization. The Ritz-Carlton’s methods, such as their famous $2,000 employee empowerment policy, offer a contrast to Guidara’s more spontaneous and personalized approach. Michelli’s book also places a greater emphasis on training and standardization to ensure consistency across multiple locations, an aspect that Guidara’s book touches on less. However, both works share a common thread in emphasizing the importance of employee empowerment in delivering exceptional service.
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk’s The Thank You Economy approaches customer service from a different angle than Unreasonable Hospitality. While both books stress the importance of personalized, above-and-beyond service, Vaynerchuk focuses heavily on how social media and digital platforms have transformed customer relationships. His emphasis on using technology to create personal connections contrasts with Guidara’s more traditional, face-to-face approach to hospitality. Vaynerchuk’s book also explores how the principles of exceptional service apply to a broader range of industries beyond hospitality, providing a wider perspective than Guidara’s more focused approach. However, both authors agree on the fundamental importance of genuinely caring about customers and going the extra mile to create loyal brand advocates.
The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
The Experience Economy by Pine and Gilmore offers a broader perspective on creating memorable customer experiences compared to Unreasonable Hospitality. While Guidara focuses specifically on service interactions, Pine and Gilmore argue that businesses across all sectors need to shift from selling goods and services to staging experiences. Their work provides a theoretical framework for understanding how experiences create value, which complements Guidara’s more practical, anecdote-driven approach. The authors introduce concepts like the “experience realms” and “experience design,” which offer a more structured way of thinking about creating exceptional experiences than Guidara’s more intuitive method. However, both books share the fundamental belief that creating memorable, personalized experiences is key to business success in the modern economy.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Tony Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness shares some common ground with Unreasonable Hospitality in its focus on exceptional customer service as a key business strategy. However, Hsieh’s book, based on his experiences building Zappos, places a much stronger emphasis on company culture as the foundation for great customer experiences. While Guidara discusses the importance of empowering employees, Hsieh goes further, detailing how to build a company culture that naturally leads to outstanding customer service. Hsieh’s approach is also more focused on scalability, showing how to maintain high service standards in a large, fast-growing company, an aspect that Guidara’s book doesn’t explore as deeply. Both books, however, underscore the long-term business benefits of prioritizing customer happiness above short-term profits.
Cultivate a ‘Yes’ Mindset
Master the Art of Personalization
Empower Yourself to Make Decisions
Focus on Creating Memorable Moments
Continuously Reinvent Your Approach
Cultivate Collaborative Creativity
Anticipate Needs Proactively
Turn Mistakes into Opportunities
Manage Your Energy and Prevent Burnout
Create a Culture of Empowerment
Implementing Guidara’s philosophy of unreasonable hospitality requires a significant shift in organizational culture. Businesses need to create an environment where employees at all levels feel empowered to make decisions and take initiative in serving customers. This involves training staff to recognize opportunities for exceptional service and giving them the authority to act on these opportunities without fear of repercussion. The goal is to foster a culture where going above and beyond is not just encouraged but expected.
However, empowering employees can be challenging for businesses accustomed to strict hierarchies and standardized procedures. There may be concerns about consistency, cost control, and potential misuse of authority. Some managers might be reluctant to relinquish control, fearing that empowered employees might make costly mistakes or offer inappropriate concessions to customers.
To overcome these challenges, businesses can implement a tiered empowerment system. Start by giving employees authority to make small decisions, then gradually increase their autonomy as they demonstrate good judgment. Provide clear guidelines on the types of actions that are encouraged and establish a review process for larger decisions. Regular training sessions and role-playing exercises can help employees understand how to use their empowerment effectively. Additionally, create a system for sharing and celebrating successful instances of employee initiative to reinforce the desired behavior.
Develop Personalization Strategies
Personalization is a key aspect of Guidara’s approach to exceptional service. Businesses need to develop strategies for collecting, storing, and utilizing customer information to create tailored experiences. This could involve implementing customer relationship management (CRM) systems, training staff in the art of conversation and observation, and creating processes for acting on gathered information.
The main challenges in implementing personalization strategies include data privacy concerns, the cost and complexity of implementing sophisticated CRM systems, and ensuring that personalization efforts feel genuine rather than intrusive or creepy. There’s also the risk of creating inconsistent experiences if personalization is not implemented systematically across all customer touchpoints.
To address these challenges, businesses should start by being transparent about their data collection practices and giving customers control over what information is stored. Implement robust data security measures to protect customer information. For smaller businesses or those just starting with personalization, begin with simple, low-tech solutions like keeping notes on regular customers in a shared document. Train staff on the fine line between attentive service and invasiveness, emphasizing the importance of reading social cues. Develop a company-wide strategy for personalization to ensure consistency across all customer interactions.
Foster a Culture of Continuous Innovation
Guidara emphasizes the importance of constantly reinventing the customer experience to keep it fresh and exciting. Businesses need to create systems and processes that encourage ongoing innovation in their service offerings. This could involve regular brainstorming sessions, cross-functional innovation teams, and processes for quickly testing and implementing new ideas.
The main obstacles to fostering continuous innovation include complacency (especially if the business is already successful), fear of change, lack of time and resources dedicated to innovation, and difficulty in measuring the ROI of innovative service initiatives. There may also be resistance from employees who are comfortable with existing processes.
To overcome these challenges, businesses should make innovation a core part of their organizational culture. Set aside dedicated time and resources for innovation activities. Implement a structured innovation process that includes stages for idea generation, evaluation, testing, and implementation. Create incentives for employees to contribute innovative ideas and recognize successful innovations. Use customer feedback and metrics to measure the impact of new service initiatives. Encourage calculated risk-taking by celebrating both successes and “smart failures” that provide valuable learning experiences.
Implement Systematic Training Programs
To consistently deliver the level of service Guidara describes, businesses need comprehensive and ongoing training programs. These should cover not just technical skills and standard procedures, but also soft skills like empathy, creative problem-solving, and the art of creating memorable experiences. Training should be an ongoing process, not a one-time event.
The challenges in implementing such training programs include the time and cost involved, potential resistance from employees who view it as extra work, and difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of soft skills training. There’s also the challenge of making training engaging and relevant for all employees, regardless of their role or experience level.
To address these challenges, businesses can develop a modular training program that allows for flexibility and customization. Use a mix of training methods, including in-person workshops, online modules, and on-the-job coaching. Incorporate real-life scenarios and role-playing exercises to make the training more engaging and relevant. Implement a mentoring system where experienced employees can guide newer ones in the art of exceptional service. Use customer feedback and service metrics to measure the impact of training and adjust the program accordingly. Make training a part of performance evaluations and career development plans to emphasize its importance.
Create Systems for Capturing and Sharing Best Practices
Guidara’s book is full of examples of exceptional service moments. Businesses need to create systems for capturing these types of experiences when they happen and sharing them across the organization. This helps to inspire other employees and creates a repository of ideas for exceptional service.
The challenges in implementing such a system include motivating employees to document and share their experiences, creating a user-friendly platform for sharing, and ensuring that shared stories are used effectively to drive improvements across the organization. There’s also the risk of the system becoming a time-consuming additional task for employees.
To overcome these challenges, businesses can create a simple, user-friendly platform for sharing service stories – this could be as simple as a dedicated Slack channel or a more sophisticated internal social media-style platform. Make sharing stories a regular part of team meetings or daily briefings. Implement a reward system for employees who consistently share valuable stories or ideas. Create a dedicated team or assign specific individuals to curate shared stories, extract key learnings, and disseminate best practices across the organization. Use these stories in training materials and company communications to reinforce their value.
Develop Metrics for Measuring Exceptional Service
While Guidara’s approach to service is often about intangible experiences, businesses need ways to measure its impact. This involves developing metrics that go beyond traditional customer satisfaction scores to capture the frequency and impact of truly exceptional service moments.
The main challenge in developing such metrics is the subjective nature of exceptional experiences. What one customer finds exceptional, another might find ordinary. There’s also the difficulty of quantifying the long-term impact of these experiences on customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing.
To address these challenges, businesses can implement a multi-faceted approach to measuring exceptional service. This could include tracking the frequency of personalized gestures, monitoring social media and review sites for mentions of above-and-beyond service, and conducting in-depth interviews with loyal customers to understand what experiences have had the most impact. Implement a system for customers to nominate staff members who have provided exceptional service. Use text analysis tools to analyze open-ended customer feedback for mentions of unexpected or exceptional experiences. Correlate these metrics with business outcomes like customer retention rates and average spend to demonstrate the ROI of exceptional service.
Hyper-Personalization in the Age of AI
The concept of unreasonable hospitality aligns well with the growing trend of hyper-personalization. As AI and machine learning technologies advance, businesses will have unprecedented capabilities to analyze customer data and predict preferences. This could take Guidara’s ideas to a new level. Imagine a hotel that not only remembers your favorite room temperature but anticipates your mood based on your social media activity and adjusts the lighting accordingly. Or a restaurant that creates a custom menu based on your dietary history and current health goals. The challenge will be balancing this level of personalization with privacy concerns and maintaining the human touch that Guidara emphasizes.
The Rise of Experience Economy 2.0
Guidara’s focus on creating memorable experiences dovetails with the continuing evolution of the experience economy. As consumers increasingly value experiences over material possessions, businesses across all sectors will need to think like high-end hospitality providers. We might see this manifest in unexpected ways. A car dealership could offer a personalized “new car adventure” complete with a curated road trip. A dentist’s office might transform routine check-ups into spa-like experiences. The key will be finding ways to infuse everyday transactions with elements of surprise and delight. This trend could lead to a blurring of industry lines as businesses compete not just on products or services, but on the overall experience they provide.
Empathy as a Core Business Competency
The emphasis on understanding and anticipating customer needs in “Unreasonable Hospitality” points to a future where empathy becomes a critical business skill. As automation takes over more routine tasks, the ability to connect on a human level will become increasingly valuable. We might see this reflected in hiring practices, with companies prioritizing emotional intelligence alongside technical skills. Training programs could focus heavily on developing empathy and perspective-taking abilities. Customer service roles could be rebranded as “experience designers” or “empathy experts.” The challenge will be developing ways to measure and quantify empathy skills in a business context.
Sustainability Meets Exceptional Service
As environmental concerns become increasingly pressing, businesses will need to find ways to deliver exceptional experiences while minimizing their ecological footprint. This could lead to innovative new forms of hospitality. Imagine a hotel that turns energy conservation into a delightful game for guests, or a restaurant that creates personalized dishes based not just on taste preferences but on the lowest-impact ingredients available that day. The principles of unreasonable hospitality could be applied to make sustainable choices feel special and rewarding rather than restrictive. This trend could reshape supply chains and business models across the hospitality industry and beyond.
The Gig Economy of Exceptional Experiences
As the gig economy continues to grow, we might see the emergence of freelance “experience creators” who specialize in delivering moments of unreasonable hospitality. These professionals could be hired by businesses to inject elements of surprise and delight into customer interactions. They might work across multiple industries, bringing hospitality-level service to unexpected contexts. Picture a freelancer who specializes in turning routine business meetings into memorable experiences, or a team of gig workers who can be deployed to elevate customer service during peak times. This trend could create new career paths and change how businesses staff for customer-facing roles. The challenge will be maintaining consistency and brand alignment when relying on external experience creators.
Unreasonable Hospitality has the potential to significantly influence the field of customer service and experience management across various industries. By challenging conventional notions of what constitutes good service, Guidara’s book may inspire a shift towards more personalized, creative approaches to customer interactions. This could lead to a reimagining of service standards across sectors, from retail to healthcare to technology.
In the short term, we might see an increase in businesses experimenting with more elaborate, personalized service gestures. This could result in a wave of viral marketing stories about exceptional customer experiences, potentially raising consumer expectations across the board. However, this could also lead to challenges as businesses struggle to balance the costs and scalability of such high-touch service with profitability.
Looking further ahead, the book’s emphasis on human connection and personalization might influence the development of AI and automation in customer service. As these technologies become more prevalent, Guidara’s insights could guide how they’re implemented, ensuring that automation enhances rather than replaces the human element in service interactions.
The book’s ideas could also impact education and training in the hospitality and service industries. We might see a greater focus on teaching creativity, empathy, and problem-solving skills alongside traditional service techniques. This could lead to a new generation of service professionals who are more adept at creating unique, memorable experiences for customers.
In the broader societal context, if the principles of “unreasonable hospitality” gain widespread adoption, they could contribute to a cultural shift in how we value and approach service roles. This might lead to improved working conditions and greater respect for service industry workers, as their roles are increasingly seen as requiring creativity, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills rather than just following scripts.
However, the long-term impact of the book will likely depend on how well businesses can adapt its principles to different contexts and scales. If companies can find ways to deliver exceptional, personalized experiences consistently and profitably, we could see a significant transformation in the service landscape. If not, the book’s impact might be limited to inspiring occasional grand gestures rather than fundamentally changing service norms.
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The Power of Moments provides an excellent companion to Guidara’s work, offering a framework for understanding why certain experiences stick in our memories and how to create more of these defining moments. While Guidara focuses on the hospitality industry, the Heath brothers expand the concept across various fields. They break down memorable experiences into four elements: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. This book can help readers systematically apply Guidara’s principles of unreasonable hospitality in any context, providing a scientific backbone to the art of creating exceptional experiences.
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
For readers intrigued by Guidara’s emphasis on personalized service, The Thank You Economy offers a complementary perspective on how this approach scales in the digital age. Vaynerchuk argues that social media and technology have brought us full circle to a time when business was personal, but now on a global scale. He provides insights on how to maintain the human touch in customer interactions even as businesses grow and increasingly rely on digital platforms. This book can help readers bridge the gap between Guidara’s high-touch approach and the realities of modern, technology-driven business environments.
The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
The Experience Economy provides a broader business context for Guidara’s ideas about creating memorable experiences. Pine and Gilmore argue that experiences are becoming the predominant economic offering, distinct from services or goods. This book can help readers understand the larger economic trends that make Guidara’s approach so relevant. It offers frameworks for staging experiences and creating customer value that complement Guidara’s more specific tactics, making it an excellent read for those looking to apply unreasonable hospitality principles at a strategic level.
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
While Guidara focuses primarily on customer experiences, Leaders Eat Last explores how to create the kind of organizational culture that enables exceptional service. Sinek’s insights on leadership and team dynamics can help readers understand how to cultivate an environment where employees feel empowered and motivated to go above and beyond for customers. This book is particularly valuable for managers and executives looking to implement Guidara’s ideas across an entire organization.
The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture by Robert Spector and breAnne O. Reeves
The Nordstrom Way offers a case study of a company renowned for its customer service, providing a real-world example of many principles Guidara advocates. The book details how Nordstrom has built its culture of service excellence over decades, offering practical insights on employee empowerment, customer-centric policies, and maintaining service standards at scale. This makes it an excellent read for those looking to understand how unreasonable hospitality can be systematized and sustained in a large retail organization.
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
Guidara’s approach to hospitality relies heavily on understanding and responding to customers’ emotions. Goleman’s seminal work on emotional intelligence provides a scientific foundation for these skills. The book explains the importance of emotional intelligence in personal and professional success, offering insights on how to develop these crucial abilities. For readers looking to enhance their capacity for the kind of intuitive, empathetic service Guidara describes, this book provides essential background knowledge and practical development strategies.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Contagious explores why certain products, ideas, and behaviors become popular, which is relevant to understanding the impact of the exceptional experiences Guidara advocates creating. Berger’s research on what makes things ‘go viral’ can help readers understand how to craft experiences that customers will want to talk about and share. This book can provide valuable insights for those looking to amplify the word-of-mouth effects of their unreasonable hospitality efforts, turning exceptional experiences into powerful marketing tools.
The Airbnb Way: 5 Leadership Lessons for Igniting Growth through Loyalty, Community, and Belonging by Joseph Michelli
Michelli’s examination of Airbnb’s success offers a contemporary case study in creating exceptional, personalized experiences at scale in the digital age. The book explores how Airbnb has built a culture of belonging and community among its hosts and guests, which aligns well with Guidara’s emphasis on creating meaningful connections. For readers interested in how principles of unreasonable hospitality can be applied in innovative, technology-driven business models, this book provides valuable insights and real-world examples.
Hospitality Net
Hospitality Net (www.hospitalitynet.org) is a comprehensive online platform for the hospitality industry. It offers a wealth of articles, research, and opinion pieces on various aspects of hospitality, including customer service excellence. The site regularly features case studies and interviews with industry leaders, providing practical insights into implementing exceptional service strategies. Its global perspective can help readers understand how Guidara’s principles apply across different cultural contexts.
Service Design Tools
Service Design Tools (www.servicedesigntools.org) is a free platform that offers a collection of communication tools used in service design processes. While not specifically focused on hospitality, this resource can help readers visualize and map out customer experiences, which is crucial for identifying opportunities to implement Guidara’s unreasonable hospitality concepts. The site includes templates and methodologies that can be applied to enhance service delivery in any industry.
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
The Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (chr.cornell.edu) provides access to a vast array of academic and industry research on hospitality management. Their publications cover topics ranging from customer satisfaction to employee empowerment, offering evidence-based insights that complement Guidara’s experiential approach. The center’s webinars and reports can provide readers with data-driven strategies for implementing and measuring the impact of exceptional service initiatives.
The Special Event
The Special Event (www.thespecialeventshow.com) is an annual conference for event professionals that focuses on creating exceptional experiences. While primarily aimed at the events industry, its workshops and sessions on customer experience design, personalization, and wow-factor creation are highly relevant to anyone looking to implement Guidara’s ideas. The conference offers opportunities to learn from and network with professionals who specialize in creating memorable moments.
Customer Experience Exchange
The Customer Experience Exchange (www.customerexperienceexchange.com) is a conference series that brings together senior-level customer experience executives from various industries. The events feature case studies, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities focused on innovative approaches to customer experience. Attendees can gain insights into how different industries are applying concepts similar to Guidara’s unreasonable hospitality, providing a broader context for these ideas.
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
HSMAI (www.hsmai.org) is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals in the hospitality industry. Their resources, events, and certification programs offer opportunities to deepen understanding of customer service excellence in hospitality contexts. HSMAI’s focus on the business impact of service initiatives can help readers understand how to measure and communicate the value of unreasonable hospitality efforts.
Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA)
CXPA (www.cxpa.org) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience management practices. While not specific to hospitality, CXPA offers resources, networking opportunities, and a certification program that can help professionals in any industry develop the skills needed to design and implement exceptional customer experiences. Their broader perspective can help readers apply Guidara’s principles across different business contexts.
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast
Hosted by Michael Tingsager, the Hospitality Mavericks Podcast features interviews with industry leaders and innovators in hospitality. Many episodes touch on themes related to exceptional service and customer experience, providing real-world examples and insights that complement Guidara’s approach. The podcast’s focus on innovation in hospitality makes it a valuable resource for staying current with industry trends and best practices.
Experience This!
While not specifically focused on hospitality, the Experience This! podcast, hosted by Joey Coleman and Dan Gingiss, explores how companies can create remarkable experiences for their customers. The hosts analyze real-life examples of both good and bad customer experiences, offering practical advice on how to improve. This podcast can help readers understand how Guidara’s principles of unreasonable hospitality apply across various industries and customer touchpoints.
Customer Experience Innovation and Customer-Centric Culture by INSEAD
Offered through Coursera, this online course from INSEAD business school focuses on creating a customer-centric culture and driving customer experience innovation. While broader in scope than Guidara’s hospitality-focused approach, the course provides a strategic framework for implementing exceptional service practices across an organization, making it valuable for managers and executives looking to apply Guidara’s principles at scale.
The Science of Well-Being by Yale University
This popular course, available on Coursera, explores the psychology of happiness and well-being. While not directly related to hospitality, understanding the factors that contribute to human happiness and satisfaction is crucial for creating the kind of memorable, positive experiences Guidara advocates. The course can provide valuable insights into the psychological underpinnings of exceptional service experiences.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
This documentary film follows Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. While not explicitly about hospitality, the film showcases the dedication to craft, attention to detail, and pursuit of perfection that align closely with Guidara’s philosophy of unreasonable hospitality. It offers a compelling visual example of how commitment to excellence in every aspect of service can create extraordinary experiences for customers.
The Founder
While this film about the creation of McDonald’s might seem at odds with Guidara’s high-end hospitality approach, it offers valuable insights into systemizing and scaling customer service. The film’s depiction of Ray Kroc’s focus on consistency and the customer experience provides an interesting counterpoint to Guidara’s more personalized approach, encouraging viewers to consider how to balance standardization with exceptional, individualized service.
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