🌟 EXPERIENTIAL HOSPITALITY EXPERTS 🌟 Santosh Kuruvilla's Journey and the Art of Guest Satisfaction

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Talk About TV, where we talk about all things experiential hospitality. Today's conversation is part of a series with the members of the Experiential Experts Alliance, and this alliance is made up of a group of individuals who had decades upon decades of experience in hospitality RVs, marinas, lenders, everything in the spectrum that covers experiential hospitality. I know that you are going to gain a lot of insight and information from these remarkable individuals and I welcome you to this entire series of the Experiential Experts Alliance. Welcome, santosh Kruvala. Talk about TV. This Talk About TV channel. We talk about all things experiential outdoor hospitality.

Speaker 2: 0:57

Love it, Michelle. Thank you so much for the opportunity and truly looking forward to this conversation.

Speaker 1: 1:03

I am really looking forward to chatting with you today. This is a very casual conversation, as you know. Would you be open to just sharing really briefly a little bit about your background? I know you come from a very extensive history in hotel. Could you share just a bit about that? Absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 2: 1:23

So I'm originally from India, born and raised in India and then decided at a early age that I wanted to pursue hospitality. Then hospitality was not a big thing to be pursuing so as a result, convinced my parents, ended up taking a student loan. Finished went to. Switzerland did my highest studies in hospitality, graduated from there. So this was so in Switzerland, finished my hospitality and from there, as an intern, had an opportunity to move to Nashville, tennessee.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah, because Nashville is the logical progression from Switzerland. Absolutely right, that's what everybody does.

Speaker 2: 2:09

Yeah, it makes complete sense. Just think about it right India to Switzerland, to Nashville, tennessee, right, yep, yep, this says this says same old, boring, normal trip.

Speaker 1: 2:19

What part of India did you grow up in?

Speaker 2: 2:23

I'm originally from Kerala. Kerala is a state that is in the southernmost tip of the country, okay. And it's actually surrounded by three water bodies on all three different sides. So that's where I grew up. And then to Switzerland and from Switzerland to Nashville. The funny thing is like the reason why I moved to Nashville was because I had found an internship with a property down in Nashville which is about 3,000 rooms Gailor de Opryland it is 3,000 rooms 3,000 rooms.

Speaker 2: 2:58

That's where I started my career. I'm, having finished college and having done four to five years of hospitality management, I thought walking in on my first day in the internship I was like, at least I'll be a supervisor. So I put on a suit, a tie, dressed up, I had lots of hair then, so put the hair, got in, went in. I still remember my first day, walked in, they did the recruitment paperwork and after that they were like, hey, nice suit, nice tie, take it off and let's go. And I was like, yeah, sure. So I took it off and then for the next six to eight months all I did was scrub toilets and make vents. Wow, that was quite the journey. I enjoyed it.

Speaker 2: 3:40

That's how I started my career down in Nashville At Gailord Opryland as an intern, ended up spending about three years on that property, quickly kept moving up. I was in housekeeping, so from my intern then became a temporary supervisor, then became assistant executive housekeeper and then was headhunted to join a hotel down in Hershey, pennsylvania, again in housekeeping, when there was there for about a year, year and a half, again headhunted from there to join a to be part of an opening team for a casino hotel that we were opening in Atlantic City. Wow Was called Borgata, so joined them. Joined them as a laundry manager, spent about six years and that's where I cut my teeth in all different aspects of hotel operations. So did laundry. Then from there was moved into uniform room and then from there to front office guest services, butler Valley. So that's where I learned and I'm truly grateful to spend that.

Speaker 1: 4:49

Yes, because I was just speaking to someone else about this, regarding a small campground, actually how she started, and we were both discussing this very thing that starting at the very foundation, like where you have to learn every aspect of a business that becomes your superpower later on.

Speaker 2: 5:16

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more and the like. When I look back, I'll tell you the biggest takeaway from me from that time is the respect, right. What I mean by that is it's interesting that once you put on a uniform sometimes especially in big properties once you put on a uniform, you disappear. In the uniform, the person disappears. So it was interesting to actually do that and learn it that way, because then as you get further up in your career and you progress, you learn, you remember what is hard work it's like.

Speaker 2: 5:54

Even now, when I look back, I think that housekeeping is one of the toughest jobs ever. Oh, my goodness, it's non-gratifying, right. Think about it Make. Going into the same room and what's? 16 rooms daily and making 16 to 20 beds daily, scrubbing 16 to 20 toilets on your hands and knees, and all that stuff, the hard work, the ethic, all that that goes into it. It's truly, truly monumental. They say.

Speaker 2: 6:26

I've heard words used later where they talk about, where people talk about saying, hey, it's not back of the house, it's hard of the house, right, it's because they think it's housekeeping and cleaning rooms and all that is actually the basis on which the hospitality industry is built and that's what, yeah, it gets delivered to the guests. Housekeeping is not probably always in the limelight in front of a guest, the end consumer but anything that housekeeping does plays such a significant impact on that guest experience so that it's such a crucial aspect and people don't pay enough attention to it. So it's like that's why truly mean housekeeping is truly the heart of your operation. And Frieda, your housekeeper, is right.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Santosh, that is really powerful. Often I think about the language that we use and how it defines the way we are perspective on things. And that is just so powerful. The heart of hospitality. It reminds me of being a mother, because when you think about like what a mother I mean this is now I'm going to probably get in trouble for role, you know putting people in boxes but really think about what it takes to keep your family going and all the things you do and all the things the kids don't know you do, and you do it decade after decade after decade and that's that is the heart. And then the hearth becomes all of the guest experience and all the pretty things that you do right, the memorable moments. But at the core of that, if that place isn't clean and everybody's not fed, you kind of go nowhere.

Speaker 2: 8:22

It's all they have from that point on.

Speaker 1: 8:25

What an important point you know, I it's. It's a shame that I can't remember the name of this hotel. Hopefully I'll remember it, but I was in Orlando in I think it was October, and I stayed at a pretty large hotel. They had 1001 rooms, which was kind of interesting. One was for the owner when he came in and I was so impressed by the housekeeping and, first of all, everyone was always cleaning everywhere. Someone was everywhere. There was always someone somewhere cleaning and the rooms were taken care of beautifully, but every one of them gave me eye contact and spoke to me. That's uncommon with the housekeeping and it made such a difference in the quality of my experience there.

Speaker 2: 9:22

Absolutely right. So you talked about it from your perspective as a guest, right? It's like being, and the difference it made right? What I'm hearing is what the manager of the housekeeping team has done, right, so it's like what that person has been able to achieve there is that he or she has been able to create a team that is truly engaging with the president, with the guests. Right? And how did that happen? And for that to happen, the leader of that team there has given them clear direction, made them feel, have given them a sense of ownership, have been showing them good leadership with being firm and fair and taking care of them. Right, it's like, because it's such a tough job. It's also interesting to see how hard it is to motivate the team to actually go above and beyond, and it's complicated. Actually, when you break it down, it is a question of saying, okay, do the team feel being a part of a team? Do they have clear roles and responsibilities? Do they understand what role they play in the bigger picture and do they believe in the vision?

Speaker 1: 10:42

Yes.

Speaker 2: 10:44

Are they being treated right? You get those basics right and now, suddenly, even in a big 1000 room property, or 1001 room property, as you said, with 200 housekeepers, that's what you encountered was the benefits of something that is working, where the process is being laid out properly and it's a good team that is delivering exceptional service.

Speaker 1: 11:06

Exactly. It's not easy to scale that kind of thing. It's much easier to have that sense of family, that sense of team, when it's just like a small mom and pop, because everybody takes ownership, and so scaling something like that is really, really a challenge, and you have done it so well. I have a question for you regarding a conversation that's happening a lot of late, which is how do we take hotel best practices and implement them in experiential outdoor hospitality? Right, and I find it absolutely fascinating how that concept is interpreted by different people. A lot of people speak the language and yet I don't really see it being implemented. So I know that technology is a wonderful opportunity for everyone and that's kind of a no brainer, like you've got to do that and figure that piece out. But what about the rest of it? Like from your perspective coming from a hotel, are there a couple of things that you would really focus on in the experiential outdoor hospitality industry that people will listen to and implement? That's the trick.

Speaker 2: 12:38

Actually, that's a great question, michelle. If you don't mind, I'm going to answer this in a long-winded way. Perfect. So when you look at hotels as a whole, it's very important to cut out the buzzwords and the noise. You've got to separate the noise completely. Why I say that is? I think experiential hospitality has also become a buzzword lately. Everybody wants to be experientially driven, experience focused. Let's use technology. These terms have become so common that everybody loves using it.

Speaker 1: 13:16

Right.

Speaker 2: 13:18

I want to just go backwards, right, and let's start from where hotels start. What is actually a hotel? If you look at the evolution of hospitality as a whole, the original scope of hotels were small moment-warp projects, that. And what did they do? They didn't have brand standards, they didn't have the consistency, all that stuff that has become so common now. Right, it was like what they had was genuine service, right. So it was like Like what I have noticed from that time, or what I've read about that time, is like, hey, you're in somebody's home, right, you've got the matriot D or the matron of the home who's renting out three, four rooms in the same house that you're coming and using right, and she gets you checked in.

Speaker 2: 14:14

Right, she might have used your name, might not have used your name, right. Now it's become so complicated nowadays where you're like, hey, when you're checking in, somebody use the person's name three times, ask them about this. Like it's become so tailored, like, yes, it's actually that we are selling, right, it's like what is it that the consumer is looking for? Like that's why I'm going backwards in time and saying, at the end of the day, at that time, all it was was genuine service. Right, the person was actually coming in, making sure that they were situating you.

Speaker 2: 14:49

Like, if you wanted a king bed, that's what they were putting you in, coming back and checking on you to make sure that you were well satisfied. If there was something that you needed extra, that in case you forgot your toothbrush, she would go run out of it. That's that, extra touches. And then again there were some unexpected delights, right, maybe a cookie and milk in the night before going to bed, or a breakfast that she made for the entire family that she is also coming and serving, right. Those are the things that stick out from you, right From that time that people remember as service and they were like oh, that property, I really enjoyed it. Why? Because of how I was made to feel okay.

Speaker 1: 15:33

So that's how I was made to feel that's the key.

Speaker 2: 15:37

Yeah, that's the key Now, fast forward it through the hospitality evolution. Now we've got tons and tons of hotels out there, right, tons and tons of brands. I think the genuineness of that service became transformed slowly into tailored service standards right, it's that same, in the sake of achieving brand consistency. Yes, what it became was like hey, make sure you use the guest name three times, make sure you ring, you answer the phone after every three rings. That became the standards, right? As the journey evolved, people lost that genuine service and it all became about service. Now it became all these standards.

Speaker 2: 16:27

Now, when we are talking about to your question, when you were asking me how does outdoor hospitality and experiential hospitality merge into this nascent industry? I would personally say stepping stone the starting point is that genuine service. It's as simple as that. Right, it's like that's where you start from genuine service. And what is genuine service? I'm not telling you go create the brand standards of hey, use somebody's name three times and you got to turn down the bed.

Speaker 2: 17:00

Exactly this, it's that genuine, authentic service where you're connecting with the consumer that is right next to you or opposite. You Truly, genuinely want to understand their needs, truly, genuinely want to go above and beyond to create those memories and then you've suddenly got that lasting impression coming back from that consumer who suddenly now has become a loyal patron for you because they love the brand and love the service. Now one last thing on this. Hopefully I answered your question, michelle, but I also want to say one more thing on this topic because, as you can tell, I'm very passionate about it right Now. People are always consistently trying to create these genuine what do they call it? Unforgettable memories. Right Are the buzzwords that you're throwing?

Speaker 1: 17:54

out, it is, it's. Yeah. It's hard to get away from those buzzwords.

Speaker 2: 17:58

So unforgettable memories. What is it right Now, the way I look at it now, if you cut down the noise, the unforgettable experiences yes, you might be able to have a cool new concept in outdoor hospitality, say, where you have a fancy lodging unit. Right, it might be a tent, it could be a dome, it could be something unique. Right, yeah, you got people through the door, but from that point on, you've not converted that person that came and stayed there because they were chasing a novelty which they got. They came and stayed once they got it Right and you've got to convert that person into a brand enthusiast who will continue to patronize it. Right, yes, now you've got to create that genuine service and you've got to create those memory triggers, that botch in your memory that helps you remember the good times you had.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Simple example I always use this example because I'm a dad of two kids and consistent times where I have to go to different theme parks. And when I'm at theme parks as a dad, sometimes I'm frustrated. Right, a little long lines, huge crowds, I'm spending a lot, sorry, but spending a lot. So I'm like I'm hot, I'm sweaty, where's my sports? All that jazz.

Speaker 1: 19:23

Right, right the sacrifices you're making and that every time I'm thinking back.

Speaker 2: 19:32

You know, what comes back as a memory trigger for me is when I look back at my memories. My memory trigger is the spikes that happen right During that theme park trip. I quickly forget the lines, I forget the crowdiness, how expensive it was and all that stuff. I'm remembering coming down on a roller coaster, my hands up, my son's hand up, and he's got that big, beaming, smart right, that's a memory trigger that gets botched in your memory and you forget everything else. And those are the core moments that trigger those memories which then make you want to go back and do it again.

Speaker 2: 20:15

So, as operators in our space, how can you create those memories? Right? It's like, how do you genuinely connect with them and give people opportunities to find their triggers so they can create those memories which then translate and benefit you too, by getting the patron? That's the key question and, as an operator, that's the challenge that I would pose to everybody in our space. It's like, hey, as an operator, as many times as possible, because there's no cookie cutter answer.

Speaker 2: 20:49

Right, it's like the memory trigger for Michelle might be different than for me. Right, it's like I like to play games with my kids. Right, the board games. You, it might be going on hiking trails, right? It's like this is where the genuine service comes into play. Whereas an operator, I can find out what is it that Michelle is looking for and tailor it that way. So she's got an opportunity to create those memory triggers with her family, and now she remembers this vacation as something memorable. And now she'll come back to it and same thing and use the same same. The operator didn't use the same methodology with me, but instead found out that what do I like? And now they've left me a board game in my room that I can use to play with my kids. And now that's my memory, right?

Speaker 1: 21:36

Yeah, I'm still aligned with you. I mean, the interesting thing is, we make it so much more complicated than it needs to be, to your point of like now did you do this and we get the staff? I mean, there do have to be standards and not everybody comes with that heart of understanding or that ability to connect. But I think the focus then becomes how do we be more novel? And and this was something I wanted to speak with you about too, because I think that the quote unquote experience economy, you know then all of all of these experiences become commoditized and the next thing, you know, we're we're doing it again, we're taking the heart out of it Instead of simply. I mean, it's so simple to just connect with the human being that is in front of you. Forget AI, artificial and like. What about human intelligence? Emotional intelligence, heart intelligence, whatever you want to call it it's, it's powerful and simple.

Speaker 2: 22:46

And so absolutely I couldn't agree with you more. I think emotional quotient, or emotional intelligence, is a tool that, as a as a owner, as an operator, that you need to have and you need to make sure when you're hiring your team and because your team's going to be also in front of guests to make sure that is a skill set that you're always looking for. You need somebody, the technical skills, but all but the first thing that she do is find people like I'm. I think there was a beautiful example from five years ago. I was talking to somebody in a different industry and they were asking me hey, how is it that every time I walk into this hotel, everybody's smiling, kind of thing? And then I was like it was a true, genuine question they were asking, and you know, it took me a minute to understand the question actually and then I was like then, as we started talking more and more with that person and I understood that he was being serious and he was asking that the answer was simple right, it's like hire a person that actually smiles, like when you're doing a and you know the person is smiling, you don't hire him because he's already worked at a five star property and got him in and technically is very sound.

Speaker 2: 23:55

Great technical skills are the next level, but basics need to be there right. Basics is like are they smiling? Are they already a cheerful person? Are they more optimistic? Are they genuine? Are they connecting with the person right next to it? When you're interviewing the person, are they looking at you? Are they actually genuinely interested in you? Are they just doing it for the sake of getting the job, like get those right and it'll fall into place, kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 24:23

Yes, it's just this. I love that. This is what you chose to focus on. When I asked the simple like what, what should we be implementing? You didn't give me a certain kind of software and get all technical and complicated. It really is just bringing the heart into whatever it is you're doing, at whatever level, because those kinds of things cover a lot of mistakes. You know you can overcome and, as you know, in hospitality I mean, I've been in different versions of this restaurants and, and you know, resorts and such and as an owner I was always seeking, like where, where's the person that's complaining? Like that's my biggest opportunity, right? But not everyone seems to have that adventurous spirit. You know they're more afraid when someone comes with a complaint. Instead of seeing the advantage in it, they kind of recoil and like so, so, and that kind of comes with just being in the trenches, I think, and having mentors that can guide you. How do you, how do you train when you're training, or how do you consult on training Larger organizations?

Speaker 2: 25:42

That's actually a great question. Like. I wanted to go back to what you were saying, michelle. I think I connected a lot with it, right, you touched on it, saying that, hey, when I'm in a restaurant as an owner as when you were talking about yours, michelle you were like saying, hey, I go look for people that are having an issue or a concern, right, because the normal trend in our world is that you see an opportunity or you see somebody coming with a complainer, right, or is like some, you try to shy away from it. Right, it's like pushing, because it's nobody likes conflict, right. Right, the simple philosophy that I was taught, like long ago that I was coming up the ranks in the hospitality world was, like, it's not rocket science, you are not curing brain cancer, it's people. Right, you're people right Now dealing with people. You either get it or you don't get it. Now, when you get it, I'll tell you.

Speaker 2: 26:35

Even when there are people that are coming to you like it's funny, right, it's like if I had to go back and tell you all the complaints that I had to handle, or there were situations, dissatisfied customers or guests that I had to handle, that I had to convert all that stuff. There's tongues, but the common theme that always comes from all that is, people tend to, instead of looking at it as an opportunity or a learning experience, you tend to be defensive. Right the minute somebody walks in and is starting to starting to come at you saying, hey, my room was dirty. I checked in, this was not the room I wanted, like the myriad of complaints.

Speaker 2: 27:15

It can easily be solved by just listening and then saying okay, and then quickly looking at okay, can I solve it for you? What would make you happy? Right, it's like I didn't have a perfect solution for it. Right, it's like I would just look at the person and say, michelle, you were the person who were coming to me to complain. I would look at you and say, michelle, I'm so sorry. Okay, because most of the time, all you wanted to hear from me was you just wanted me to be. You wanted yourself to be heard.

Speaker 1: 27:41

So I'm giving you a call.

Speaker 2: 27:43

And then I'm like Michelle, how can I, how can I turn the experience for you? Now there are going to be Michelle's of the world Sorry, I'm just using your name Now Michelle's of the world. That will be reasonable when they come back with saying, hey, I think you know what, it's okay, you took care of it, just give me a late checkout, I'm good and that's it. Or there might be the Michelle's of the world that say you know what, tantush, you guys messed it up completely. I want my entire stay comped and I want another stay given to me for a two night stay because you completely messed up. It.

Speaker 2: 28:20

Like, when you get outrageous requests like that, again, human tendency is that you would try to become defensive, right. One of the things that I was taught at that time. When you get those requests is like try to find a medium compromise, but also keep in mind how much money as a business do I spend on finding a new customer? That's right. So can I use this like okay, fine, I know Michelle is giving me that I'm losing out here and she's being outrageous, but you know what? Fine, you know what A happy Michelle. Let Michelle win. You know what it's a satisfied customer, let them go Right. It's like let me take care of you and giving in, sometimes you win on the bigger game, because then Michelle's going and telling 15 other people that's right, automatically, it's a basics right.

Speaker 1: 29:15

It's like it is, but people do recoil from it. I mean, I think the idea is to come along beside them instead of being the opposition, and then you have to come around and stand next to them and you're taking their hand to help them through this problem that you're both having. It's not them against you, and I think some people, like you said, they just get that and other people need to be shown, because no manual is going to is going to really communicate that in an effective way, and there are so many times that I would win 10 times because they would ask something completely unreasonable and I'd say, great, not only am I going to do that, but I'm going to do this, and then they would feel bad. They would feel bad, it's it's.

Speaker 1: 30:11

It's like they kind of realize they're being an idiot. You know, they're being like a spoiled brat having a tantrum. And then they it's that law of reciprocity they want to give back, and then they'll be like, oh well, I'm going to buy 10 more tickets and come with with all of my family, you know? And then you've got, you've won someone for life. They will, and now they'll sing it from Instagram instead of the rooftops. Right, your praise.

Speaker 2: 30:40

A lot of advertising is so underrated. It's like a Michelle telling 10 of our friends to come check out my properties worth I would spend 1000 bucks, 2000 bucks that I would spend on a digital marketing channel promoting my property. Right, right, I spent on Michelle saying, hey, that's the same thing as that. Right, it's like again, I'll keep going back to it. Hospitality is simple. Right, it is. That's my biggest takeaway. It's not rocket science, it's all about service, genuine service. Right, it's like here. The takeaways like kill, like one of my mentors always told me, they're like I'm not going to be in the house until I'm done with kindness Right.

Speaker 2: 31:19

Yes, I have Tough, tough guess. Put on a smile and kill them with kindness Right and two. This is a big takeaway. He used to also say when, when I come, when a guest walks through your door and having an yeah.

Speaker 2: 31:37

You're dealing with your mom, right? So it's like. It's like you should be proud, like how affectionate is a mom with a kid that is coming back after a couple of years? Right, it's like. So it's like you are like, hey, can I get you some milk, can I get? Like that, that if you start automatically practicing it, that becomes your second nature, where you exactly they genuinely care about another person.

Speaker 1: 32:00

And that becomes your culture. It's funny you say kill them with kindness. I haven't heard that for a long time. We had bumper stickers like that made. When I had a, I had like a dinner theater at this resort and we had so much pushback from everyone because of the building and all the stuff we were doing and we had. It was like a Disney movie, I tell you, because our staff was. We just played with it. It's like we're going to kill them with kindness and everyone was so happy and on a mission and when you can have your staff, they everyone's looking for a purpose, right? A lot of people don't have their own sense of why they matter and then you give them this reason to matter. They're addicted to hospitality because absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 32:54

I think again, michelle, it's like, right, when we look back, like we spent about 40 minutes, the big takeaway was like a gracious, genuine service, right. So that was the second element that I would say, which you touched on just now, is where, when you start doing it, your team starts following it. Right. It's like if you're hiring people with automatic genuine service in the heart, that team culture is all automatically set. Now they have the teams watching you how you handle tough situations and they're learning from it. Now that becomes they start following it, they start practicing it and that becomes your team culture. And that's the next element right, having genuine service, having a quality team with you that also believes in the same mission. And when you're building that team, you hire right, you train right and get out of the way right. It's like it's not your job to micromanage your team to death. Right.

Speaker 1: 33:56

I like that so much.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Give them a purpose, tell them why they're doing what they're doing, give them goals and walk away and just check in once in a while and when you're checking in you're just making sure they're making progress towards your goal. And two, or, if they're having roadblocks, you're helping elevate or reduce those roadblocks. So they've got a clear path to that goal. That's all. And then you're just a mentor and get out. Get out and let them run and suddenly the team morale changes, the culture changes and now you've got an engaging team that is looking at your guests and smiling and connecting and genuinely service and they feel empowered to do stuff to take care of the guests. It's also people, right? It's like if you get them to get the team to buy in into your Kool-Aid, then the whole thing, then your job becomes easier.

Speaker 1: 34:51

Exactly, it's all the people, and then you've got an engaged team. I just love everything that you are saying, santosh. So one last question. I could just hang out with you all day. You're so delightful and I just I really value everything that you're saying, because people don't talk about it enough. They blow it off as it's just all the soft stuff, and yet that's what this industry has made of. It's like if it's hospitality indoors, outdoors or in the air or under the sea or whatever it's like doesn't matter where. So, regarding this outdoor, this idea of outdoor hospitality versus hotel, do you see distinct differences? And, like what are we doing wrong in the outdoor hospitality industry? What would you correct based on what you know about hotels?

Speaker 2: 35:56

I don't think we are doing anything wrong as yet. Outdoor hospitality, I personally think, is in the nascent status of evolution. Hospitality as a whole has been evolving for a long time. So it's like, as I was saying before, you're at mom and pops. From mom and pops it became brands, from brands it became a trend towards boutique hotels, and so it's time to evolve. Outdoor hospitality is just finding its way. I think, as we are finding its way, people tend to chase the next shiny thing. I want to create unique lodging. So you had tents, you had domes, you had cabins, you had trailers. It's container homes. All these things are all these new shiny things that people are building to build your concept. There's nothing wrong with that, because that's your core mantra of your experience, right Blinded by it. Because that's not all. It is because that will get your consumer to come into you for the first time.

Speaker 2: 37:06

One time, because the next time it happens they'll be like okay, being there, done that. Like how do you convert that person from a first time user to a continuous user? You can't do that conversion unless you are engaging with them, connecting with them and providing genuine service and creating those triggers that are making your memories so that you remember it fondly and you want to keep chasing that rush so that you come back to hang out with your family because that was a memory that you made. Now I think one other thing that I would say People also forget the basics. Outdoor hospitality is still a hospitality process, so it is all about people. It is not rocket science. You can leverage technology. There's a fine balance line that you could do. You need to hire right. You need to look at your process like map out your guest journey. What are the touch points at the journey when a person is making a booking? What are the touch points where I'm connecting with the person and how is the consumer feeling at each of those touch points? Like map out that journey and saying, okay, how am I differentiating myself from the consumer at that touch point, at this touch point, and then build that up. All these sounds sounds a little complicated, but it's not right.

Speaker 2: 38:38

You can use technology right. It's like you do. I'm not saying, though I'm I keep harping about genuine service and go back to the roots and basics and all that stuff. There's, time has evolved right. There's some technology too. I can tell you hey, here's the property management system to use. Great, there's so much software out there to use. But use it smartly to leverage technology to be the supplement yes, supplement to your human touch, so that, between technology and the human touch, now you are delivering that exceptional service that is actually creating the trigger which then brings it back. So it's like don't just go in one shape, one shoe fits all. There are different things you could do Higher right, use the right technology platforms, look at your processes properly, build a proper team and then make sure your team's committed and get out of the way and be an effective leader.

Speaker 1: 39:34

That's that's an excellent that would play out.

Speaker 1: 39:38

Yeah, very, very good. Thank you for saying all that. I think that it is a tool. Technology is a tool to, to enhance everything. You've been talking about the genuine human touch, and I can think as you're speaking. I'm thinking of so many instances where I was delighted, initially by receiving tax, you know, oh good, we're connecting, but we demand more than just the technology. And then I would get this has happened to me several times this year where then I get to the property and like the door wouldn't open, the automatic door wouldn't open, and I couldn't reach anyone. They were, they just vanished. And that's worse than anything, because you're going along this journey and all of a sudden there's a brick wall, you know, and especially right when you show up. So you've got to, yeah, you've got to, let that be the priority. I think that was really powerful. Well, sam, do you want to share what you're doing now, how people can reach you?

Speaker 2: 40:50

Absolutely, thank you. Thank you for that opportunity, michelle. I think I don't think I've finished my menu. First, we're asking about my introduction, my time right, so it's like I. I don't think I finished that story, but long story short. After Atlantic City, I had a chance to go to Dubai, open a iconic resort in Dubai, did a stint in Singapore, vietnam came back and so that's mean hotel world. So from that point on since then, what I've been doing now, I like, without me not having hair, will probably explain why I don't have hair.

Speaker 1: 41:30

What I mean is that what I've learned.

Speaker 2: 41:33

I wanted to give it out to people that I can benefit. Right, so what I do in my company right now we've got a company by the name escape and stay. What I do is like I provide resources for different landowners, developers that are looking to create business cases for any concepts they have. Like I've worked with different consumers or different owners that had an idea right, so one person wanted to do something in a tent right, so we were like, okay, I, I look at him and be a partner with him to look at opportunities, to look at the business case, look at the feasibility study will put a business plan together, put the financials together so that then he's equipped to go raise capital, kind of thing.

Speaker 2: 42:14

I also in my company I also have a consulting arm where different operators as well as different organizations come to me for them to for me to look into their operations, to understand how to elevate their guest experience, where I go in, look at their processes and then look at the what, the what the consumer feedback is and then tailor the processes as well as the team to elevate that experience levels. And then the third element that we do in the same arm is also for existing operations. We go in to see okay, at the end of the day it's a business, right, it's not making enough money, right, it's like. So somebody comes to me and say, hey, I'm trying to increase my adr, but how do I get that? So then I outline, I work with with the owner to come up with areas to increase the opportunity on the top line and then how to flow it down to the bottom line by streamlining operations so that it flows in better. So, of course, set of service that I provide I'm more of a consultant or a partner that helps I tend to.

Speaker 2: 43:21

The main thing that I tend to do is like there are things that I've learned that I would like to pass on that helps people get avoid the shortfall. That's a way I look at Now. To reach me. It's simple. My phone number is 949-500-5365. I'm always available. Feel free to hit me If it's late in the night. I might not respond immediately, but I will definitely respond. And my email address, my first name, which is S-A-N-T-O-S-H, and then at escapeandstaycom Wonderful.

Speaker 1: 43:57

I'll put all that information in the description here for this video too, and anyone that's watching. Is there anything more hospitable than that? Just pick up the phone and call me. Well, that's what he's inviting you to do. So how wonderful. I mean the experience and background and all the value that you bring to this is quite astonishing and incredible. So I hope that this video gets out to the right people. It usually does right. The right people will find you and you understand Santosh's heart, which is just massive. Thank you so much for this time. It's been absolutely delightful Speaking with you. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2: 44:47

Absolutely, michelle, truly. Thank you again, truly enjoyed the time. Didn't feel like anything official, it just felt like I was just standing with you and just talking through, so love it. Anything I can do, please don't hesitate. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 45:03

Thank you so much.

Speaker 2: 45:04

Good Thanks, Michelle.