The Power of Hospitality

It’s the Whole Experience That Matters

Last weekend was one of the best of my life.

I visited my brother and his family, and in just two days, we packed in a summer's worth of fun: a perfect 10-mile single-track mountain bike ride, multiple walks in a pine-scented forest with the dogs, daily jumps into the lake, healthy and delicious food throughout, and an incredible experience foiling for the first time.

Have you seen anyone foil? Before it was my turn, I watched closely from the boat while my brother and sister-in-law rode the waves. My mind was blown because, to me, they looked like superheroes floating on a magic carpet above the water.

When it was my turn, I jumped in the water and followed their excellent coaching to experience a thrill like no other. Getting up on the foil, being pulled by the motorboat, and floating two feet above the water was absolutely incredible. I've been replaying the sensation in my mind ever since.

It was epic, and my heart is beating faster as I write this, simply at the recollection of the experience.

But while my weekend was one for the books, filled with fun and lots of quiet self-care woven through each day, it was the hospitality that my brother and his family showed me that made the trip truly meaningful.

Hospitality has the power to uplift a great experience into a memory that will be treasured for years.

And hospitality isn’t confined to select situations or industries. It isn’t only for hosts, restaurants, and hotels. Any business that caters to people (which is every business) will benefit by weaving hospitality into their customer journey.

When hospitality is woven into each touchpoint with a brand, it creates a structure that drives revenue growth: stronger conversion rates, higher customer satisfaction, lower customer acquisition costs, and an increase in lifetime value.

While a company’s offering is a key factor in driving revenue growth, companies often focus solely on the product’s attributes instead of focusing on the customer’s experience with the brand.

Since humans are wired for connection, when we feel seen, understood, and valued, we feel connected to those who created that experience. We’ll tell our friends about it, and we’ll maintain a positive feeling as we think back on the people who made that experience possible.

So while the action-packed weekend made me feel like I was at the summer camp of my dreams, it was how my brother and his family treated me that elevated the entire experience. They showed genuine curiosity, thoughtfulness, and care, which left me feeling understood and valued. I’m deeply grateful to them and for the entire experience.

While the level of care offered by a loving family is different from what a company would offer a customer, the principles are the same. When companies are curious about their customers, build trust through clear communication and expectations, are eager to understand and meet the customer’s needs when possible, and show their customers that they’re understood and valued, customers can feel it.

At this point in my career, I’ve worked within so many different industries (software, publishing, fitness, cannabis, CPG, film, coffee, and more) and have driven revenue growth each and every time by weaving hospitality through every interaction with customers.

To illustrate the power of hospitality in business, here’s one example of how it worked to keep a CPG return rate incredibly low.

After partnering with the founder and raising $500,000 to relaunch The Ritual Rug, a beautiful hand-woven yoga mat, I created a customer journey that allowed us to convert at 20x over the prior year. While there were many steps in the customer journey, for now, I’ll focus on what contributed to a 1% return rate (compared to the 10-30% average for online purchases).

The Ritual Rug sells for $188, which makes it one of the most expensive yoga mats on the market. With this price point, and the fact that it is handwoven and will have imperfections, we needed to manage the customer’s expectations so they would be thrilled with their purchase, even if it didn’t look “perfect.”

We did this every step of the way with clear communication, instructions on care, and by setting expectations throughout the website, on product pages, and in-package inserts.

We offered a 30-day money-back guarantee, and when a customer reached out via email or through our social channels, they received an immediate, caring response. By taking the time to listen to the customer and address their concerns, we created fans of the brand, as illustrated by hundreds of five-star reviews, praise for our customer service, and the low return rate.

Weaving hospitality into the customer journey, every step of the way, is not only a winning strategy for sustainable growth, but it’s also fun.

Customers who feel understood and are treated well will reward a business with stronger conversion rates, higher customer satisfaction, lower customer acquisition costs, and an increase in lifetime value.

And your team? They’ll benefit too!

When connection and appreciation are fundamental business practices, it creates a pleasant customer service experience for everyone involved. And when your team enjoys their role, there’s lower turnover, leading to numerous financial, and emotional, benefits for the company as a whole.

If you’re building a customer-centric brand and you’d like to weave hospitality into each step of your ideal customer’s journey to drive revenue growth, let’s connect! As thrilling as it is to ride a single-track trail or foil, I also find it thrilling to meet people who see business as a tool for creating positive ripples for everyone.