Whether you are planning an exquisite event or simply want to bring people together, the details matter when it comes to guest experience. As a Front House Manager, the caliber of my experience was enhanced by the seemingly minor details.
Different events will require unique style and elegance. In some instances, old ideas need a dash of freshness and innovation. Your event checklist will be ticked off multiple times, and suppliers will be familiar with arrival times as well as their conduct. Everything will be set and in place.
Details Create A Memorable Guest Experience
It is that touch of perfection similar to the iconic moment in the folktale of Cinderella when the fairy godmother waves her wand and transforms Cinderella from rags to riches instantaneously. Attention to detail ensures that guests feel appreciated and special. A grand moment would be null and void in the absence of its attendees, so venture with me as I share from my experience how extra detail can go a long way.
Related: Sweating The Small Stuff
Your Brand Is The Foundation of Your Guest Experience
Familiarize and experience your brand before anyone else does.
In a safari guest lodge setting (where I was a manager), new staff members must undergo a whole guest experience before they commence their duties. The staff gets to sleep in a room of their choice, experience the fine dining deluxe, and go on a game drive.
When guests express their gratitude for a beautiful experience, staff can relate to that sentiment because they’ve felt it. Seeing is believing.
Related: Why Branding Your Wedding Business Matters
Preparation And Planning Make For A Subtle Guest Experience
Preparation and time consciousness is essential. At the lodge, communications about guests’ arrivals and departures are done directly between the lodge staff and the flight companies. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with broad smiles and royal waves. The butlers open the vehicle doors and introduce themselves to the visitors. The guests are offered fresh towels to wipe down their hands. In summer, the hand towels are cool, and in winter, warm.
This seemingly minor gesture is often the reason why guests come back to the lodge. They feel connected to the staff, and their presence is valued.
No stone is left unturned when it comes to the preparations of the rooms. Curtains are draped in one direction, chipped glasses and mugs are replaced. Mosquito nets are folded up neatly, and repellent is insight.
The mood of the room is set by the warmness of the lights. Throughout the guest experience, their days are carefully planned out with some having: picnics in the bush, mimosa stops midway through a game drive, deluxe private dinners, bubble baths, and a boma evening where they get to experience the culture of the people that have been looking after them during their stay. Amid many other guests, the individual needs of each person are well taken care of. It’s excellence.
A Safe Guest Experience Needs Attention To Detail
Always stay a step ahead when it comes to guest experience. Imagine a traditional office setting. As the designated Facilities Manager, you and your team are tasked to smoothly run the office’s facilities.
Before COVID-19 came into the picture, the system pretty much ran itself. However, incorporating the new changes requires you to think outside the box to provide a safer environment for everyone to work in.
You start by installing automated sanitizing stations around the office. Each staff member is issued with two material cloth masks, and their equipment is thoroughly sanitized before use. A digital temperature scanner is positioned by the doorway coupled with a QR Code which staff complete. If there is a problem, the automated system reports it almost immediately.
Little Details Add To Peace Of Mind
Boardrooms are sanitized before and after every meeting while social distancing requirements are adhered to. Coasters are put on the table not only for the coffee lovers to use but for water lovers too. The aircon is set to the right temperature, and the projector is ready. Connection cables that accommodate the various computer brands are available.
Reusable cutlery is replaced with disposable cutlery to cut off any channels of transmission while in the office. The day-to-day running of the office may have changed as we know them, but your care towards your clients hasn’t. You need to think further than the present moment’s needs. Explore the finer details and bring comfort and peace of mind to your client and working space.
You Usually Don’t Need More Than You Already Have
Perhaps there is no fancy system to make your life easier. What you have is often enough. There are things at your disposal that you can use to redefine the experience for those around you.
If you are at a house-warming party, taking pictures is a great start. You know your camera so well and have probably played around with the editing to know how to take great pictures. You can print out those pictures and present them as gifts to the host in a self-made jar. Recycle what you can and transform it. The people around you will appreciate it.
Your eyes need to stay open to the possibility of seeing something in nothing. Groundbreaking ideas go through metamorphosis – a caterpillar to butterfly process.
Repurposing What You Have At Hand Can Be Magical
Glass bottles could become decorative art, maybe tree light holders or even vases. All these ideas can be kept or given away as gifts. Old boxes with some upholstery can become gift packaging.
Ideas don’t have to cost an arm and a leg to be special. Remember, it’s the attention to the finer details that matters. Great ideas may start small. A little consistency and multiple failed attempts go a long way.
Attention To Detail Leads To Innovation
If the box doesn’t work out as packaging, maybe you can make it a stool instead. It’s the determination to build something spectacular, even if it comes from your backyard.
Tom Freston, the co-founder of MTV, puts it so perfectly by saying,” innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way.” Who knows, maybe the next great idea is right there staring at you and waiting for you to see it.
And you can plan your innovative events in ThymeBase’s event planning software.