ALEC FITOUT’s Post

Creating Unique Customer Experiences with Strategic Partnerships At The Intersection of Hospitality and Retail Today, the business environment is very dynamic, and there is a rising trend of convergence of hospitality and retail business through creating unforgettable guest experiences. Strategic partnerships between hotels, restaurants, and retail brands are becoming more common, with one goal in mind: provide value for consumers by designing and delivering unique & immersive experience that are more than just sales experiences. Imagine if you could spend a night in a stylish boutique hotel and all the artwork on the walls, the fluffy bathrobe on your bed, the cushions, everything is a product that you can buy so that you leave the hotel with a wonderful memory of the experience. In that regard, through convenience, lifestyle, and personalized service, we will be addressing customers in a different paradigm. These are not just about the cross-selling, they are about creating experiences that leave a long-lasting emotional effect. For example, luxury fashion brands partnering with luxury hotels, offering shopping that caters to guests’ preferences without requiring them to step out of the comfort of their room. Or consider the growth of food and beverage pop-ups in retail locations so that you can enjoy high quality food while you go shopping. Besides interacting with customers/prospects and making them satisfied with the overall experience in return, these also generate new sources of revenues for both sectors, and it underlines that the future of retail and hospitality in co-creation and shared values. Based on the increasing need for experiential travel and shopping, as outlined above, what will be the future form of these partnerships? How do you relate to the likes of the above scenarios where collaborations are often observed in foggily defined industry boundaries? Would be interested to know your thoughts regarding how ‘retailers & hospitality brands’ can start developing meaningful partnerships to enhance the customer journey into memorable events and how these ‘cross industries partnerships’ add value to the brands and the end consumer in the future. #StrategicPartnerships #Innovation #Retail #Hospitality #HospitalityMeetsRetail #CustomerExperience

The report underscores the pivotal role of service culture over amenities in defining luxury. It highlights strategies like personalizing experiences, empowering staff for immediate decision-making, and regularly updating services to surpass guest expectations. Essential reading for service industry leaders focused on enhancing customer experience. #CustomerExperience #LuxuryHospitality #ServiceExcellence #McKinseyInsights"

✈️🏨 In an era where personalization and guest experience are key, the move from focusing solely on Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) to Total Revenue optimization marks a significant leap forward for hoteliers. Nawfel Koundi presented our latest technology at the Global Revenue Forum in Milan, Italy. Find out how SynXis Retail Studio is driving this transformation, enabling hoteliers to unlock additional revenue streams beyond room sales 👇#hoteltechnology #hoteldigitalstrategies #gobeyond #hotelmerchandising

💡 "Redefining Airport Retail and Hospitality Experiences for Modern Travellers", written by Jonathan Song, Chief Commercial Officer at Plaza Premium Group. What might a brand activation within a lounge look like? In this blog, Jonathan talks about airport lounges and their potential to evolve into multi-functional spaces and create customer experiences. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/dBbTVifp

The evolving landscape of the hospitality industry, as witnessed at the 2024 #itbberlin, is characterized not only by the waning presence of hotel brands at the show but also by a notable divide between larger brand conglomerates and smaller, more focused players. While conglomerates are increasingly focusing on their distribution and loyalty schemes, opting for a streamlined approach, smaller players are doubling down on holding brand-based experiences. This dichotomy highlights a strategic divergence within the industry, where nimble, focused entities prioritize the preservation and enhancement of brand identity as a core driver of customer engagement and genuine loyalty. It will be increasingly interesting to see how the luxury consumer base will react to these separate routes.

"I believe that we are all in the business of serving other people. We just happen to sell them different things." We had the privilege to speak with Will Guidara, the visionary behind the world-renowned Eleven Madison Park. Will shared his deep insights on the essence of customer experience and the true meaning of hospitality. 💎 The Core of Customer Experience: “We should all just care a little bit more and try a little bit harder to make people feel seen, to give them that sense of belonging. It's about how you make people feel.” 💎 The Distinction Between Service and Hospitality: “Service is getting the right food to the right person at the right time. Hospitality is the way you make someone feel through the service.” 💎 Measuring the Return on Hospitality: “While it's harder to calculate the return on people feeling appreciated, that doesn't mean the return is not there.” Tune into our blog for more from Will Guidara on cultivating a culture of hospitality: https://lnkd.in/dRbETdcK #nbforum2024 #hospitality #leadershipdevelopment

On a recent travel, I experienced this thoughtful gesture from frontline restaurant staff at Radisson Blu, Nasik that struck an emotional chord - the joy of being special by valuing the presence of a customer. In today's competitive clutter, exceptional customer service goes beyond being a nicety- a source of competitive advantage. By prioritizing positive customer experiences, your brand can traverse through the brand resonance pyramid, transforming casual awareness at the base into unwavering loyalty at the summit, to build your Brand Equity. A very professional customer service, whether in service or brand marketing, fuels this ascent to the summit of Brand Resonance from base camp of Brand Awareness : * Performance: By consistently exceeding expectations, you build trust and move up the pyramid. * Judgment: A team that delivers quality to serve unmet need builds positive judgment. * Feelings: Positive interactions through multi channels evoke positive emotions. * Resonance: When positive feelings and trust converge with power of personalisation, building empowered communities and meaningful engagement, you reach the pinnacle - resonance. Customers become loyal fans, singing your praises and recommending you to others. Such gestures however small, tugs at the very heartstrings of your customer. This enables to etch your imprint in their hearts and minds making your brand as special to your customer as you make your customer feel special to you. #radissonblu #brandequity #customerexperience #customerengagement #brandresonance #customerloyalty

Is your team allowed to think? 🤔💡 There's a great true story about a kid who forgot his stuffed giraffe in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room. When the hotel staff found the toy, they didn't just send it back to the family - they included pictures of him having a blast on the beach, by the pool, and even getting a massage. Now, I don't expect a Ritz-like experience each time I buy a $7 hamburger. But clearly the Ritz isn't just the Ritz because of the price & amenities - they have a team that is allowed, and encouraged, to think. Both the best and worst customer experiences I can think of usually start with a problem. The difference comes from how it's solved: whether the team is empowered to think, make judgment calls, and fix the issue. For an operator who can't be in every store at once, this is easier said than done, as the haunting thought of, "but what if they make the wrong decisions" looms large. That's where it's critical to establish clear guidelines & non-negotiables, and have a way to measure them for accountability. Everything else comes down to one thing: trust. #cx #storeoperations TruRating

When it comes to optimising customer experience, visual identity, display and merchandising are equally important in hospitality settings too. Throughout coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars, designers like us need to create visual accents in these spaces. We need to trigger positive connections with customers to prompt purchasing, make them linger longer, and drive recurrent footfall. There was plenty of discussion about these challenges during networking at this year’s Food Drink & Hospitality Week. Read more on that here. https://lnkd.in/eiKPT_b6 #HospitalityTrends #ConsumerBehavior #RetailDesign

Dive into 'Unreasonable Hospitality' by Will Guidara, where he unveils the art of going beyond the ordinary in customer experience. Discover the magic of creating legends – experiences that transcend expectations and redefine hospitality. 🌟📚 #UnreasonableHospitality #CustomerExperience #HospitalityRevolution #CustomerExperienceMastery #UnreasonableMagic #CreatingLegends #BeyondExpectationsReads #GuidaraJourney #ServiceExcellence #HospitalityInnovation #BookRecommendation #ExceptionalCustomerJourney #UnleashHospitalityMagic #TranscendExpectations #RedefiningService #LegendaryExperiences #CustomerSatisfactionElevated #HospitalityGems #UnreasonableExcellence #InspiringHospitalityReads #ServiceBeyondOrdinary #RevolutionizeCustomerExperience #therealissaj #fyp #explore