Beyond The Lobby – Edition 3

^{BIG IDEA FOR THE WEEK}
The Cost Of Too Many Choices

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Guests walk into your hotel room or restaurant, open the food menu, and… freeze. Too many options. Too many decisions. What should be a simple act of ordering dinner — suddenly feels overwhelming.

This is the paradox of choice.

Barry Schwartz, in his book The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, explains:

"When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable. As the number of choices increases, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear."

Now, think about your hotel. Does your restaurant menu feel like a novel? Do your room categories require a flowchart? Do your upsell options overwhelm instead of entice?

Offering more options feels like good service, but in practice, it creates decision fatigue. The brain, like a smartphone, has a finite battery. Each decision drains it. By the time a guest has scrolled through an endless menu, their battery is empty—not on excitement, but on frustration.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Curate, Don’t Cram.
   Think of Apple’s approach. Walk into an Apple Store, and you’ll see just a few models for each product. Fewer options, but each one is deliberate and high-quality. Instead of offering 15 entrees, offer 5 that guests will rave about. If the chef wants to offer variety, circle different menus in and out with a few key dishes that stick.

2. Guide the Guest.
   Ever notice how Netflix uses categories like “Top Picks for You” or “Trending Now”? It narrows the field. Highlight popular choices or staff recommendations on menus and booking platforms. Make choosing easy, not overwhelming.

3. Tailor the Experience.
   Daniel Kahneman, in Thinking, Fast and Slow, writes: “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it.” Use guest data to pre-select or suggest options. If a guest has booked a spa package before, show them that option during their next stay — don’t make them hunt for it.

Think of your guest experience as a path through a forest. Too many trails and the traveller feels lost. A clear, well-marked trail lets them relax and enjoy the journey.

The less your guests have to think, the more they can enjoy. Simplicity isn’t just elegant — it’s effective. And in hospitality, a little clarity goes a long way toward creating memories that matter.

^{OPERATIONAL INSIGHT}
Zero Tolerance For Request Silos

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Consider this scenario: A guest calls for extra towels. The front desk logs the request, but housekeeping never gets the memo. Twenty minutes later, the guest calls back — frustrated and impatient.

Sound familiar?

This is what happens when requests fall into silos. Each department is doing its job, but the handoff breaks down. Guests don’t see the silos—they just see unmet expectations.

The fix? Break down those silos with a centralized tracking system:

1. One Source of Truth: Use a digital system where all requests — towels, maintenance, room service — are logged and tracked in one place. Everyone sees the same information in real-time.

2. Accountability: Assign ownership to each request, so it’s clear who’s responsible. When ownership is visible, things get done.

3. Escalation Rules: Set time-based alerts. If a request isn’t resolved within 10 minutes, it’s flagged and escalated automatically. No more slipping through the cracks.

Remember, guests don’t care who handles their request — they just want it handled. Break down the silos, and you’ll solve problems before they become complaints.

^{CRISIS PLAYBOOK}
When A Guest Makes A Scene

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It happens — a guest raises their voice at the front desk, storms into the lobby, or disrupts a restaurant. Tensions flare, and everyone’s looking to your team for a response. Here’s how to handle it without escalating the situation:

1. Stay Calm and Take Control.
   The louder they get, the quieter you should be. Lower your tone, keep your posture open, and avoid matching their energy. The goal is to de-escalate, not to win.

2. Move the Conversation.
   Public confrontations make everything worse. Politely but firmly suggest moving the discussion somewhere private:
   “I want to help, but let’s step aside so we can talk this through without distractions.”

3. Listen, Acknowledge, Respond.
   Most angry guests want to feel heard. Let them vent without interrupting, then acknowledge their frustration:
   “I understand why this is upsetting, and I’m here to make it right.”

4. Offer Solutions, Not Excuses.
   Apologize without being defensive, then pivot to what you can do:
   “Here’s how we can fix this…” Be clear, concise, and actionable.

5. Involve Backup (If Needed).
   If a guest becomes aggressive or unmanageable, call in a manager or security. Your team’s safety always comes first.

Key Reminder: A public meltdown doesn’t just affect one guest—it affects the mood of everyone nearby. By staying composed and resolving the issue quickly, you not only help the angry guest but also protect the experience of others. Handle it right, and even the angriest guest might leave with a story about how you turned things around.

^{WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING}
Room (Dis)Service

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A guest at a JW Marriott ordered room service. Two burgers, two fries, and two cans of beer show up… in takeout containers.

Total bill? $110. Yep, you read that right. The mandatory 22% tip and $5 delivery fee were the cherry on top.

Now, let’s unpack this. Room service is supposed to be indulgent. It’s the kind of thing you order when you want to feel fancy—like you’re living in a world where burgers don’t come in cardboard boxes. But takeout containers? That’s what you get when you’re hangry at midnight and DoorDash is your only friend.

Here’s the bigger picture: room service isn’t what it used to be. A lot of hotels are scaling back, swapping silver trays for brown bags. Why? Because running traditional room service is expensive and tricky to staff.

But here’s the thing — guests aren’t paying for the food. They’re paying for the experience. The tray on wheels. The fancy dome over your plate. The feeling of eating a burger in bed while pretending you’re royalty. Strip that away, and you’re left with a very expensive picnic.

Hotels need to rethink this. If you’re going to scale back room service, make it feel intentional. Partner with a local restaurant. Create a menu of amazing takeout-style meals. But don’t charge $110 for what feels like fast food with a luxury price tag.

Guests don’t mind paying for the experience — just make sure it’s worth remembering. For the right reasons.

^{SHOWER THOUGHT}
💡 The tallest person in the world has physically experienced being the exact height of every other person in the world at some point.

^{SPONSORED BY HAVEN}
Running a hotel is hard. Haven makes it easier.

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