At Wisely, our team shares one thing in common - a love for hospitality: empathetic and authentic care for a guest. Doing everything possible to see that guest leave happy.
We started a company together because we had a new perspective on how technology can aid the delivery of hospitality, specifically in restaurants.
We call it Technology Enabled Hospitality, and we've pulled together a 3 part guide to how we think it impacts a diner's experience before, during, and after their meal.
Let's start with before.
Knowledge = Empathy
The first rule of hospitality is empathy - without care, no amount of knowledge about a guest will change how a guest feels.
As Bobby Stuckey notes in his talk "Be a Hospitalian", cold delivery, even at a 3-Michelin star, can leave the guest feeling something was "off". But, in the case the care is there, having knowledge about a guest- their preferences, tastes, allergies - can serve as the key way to providing an incredible experience.
OpenTable provided the first technology driven innovation here by allowing guests to write in notes in advance of their visit. But we know that not every guest makes a reservation - and why should that guest receive a less inspired experience?
With Wisely, restaurants have a way to access any information a guest has shared, store new information, and view that information in real-time, regardless of whether the guest has a reservation.
Appreciation
In addition to building knowlege to personalize the guest experience, great hospitality also means recognizing and rewarding patronage.
As an example, Delta recently launched a program to upgrade certain fliers to private jets for a modest extra fee. Frequent fliers will be upgraded to private jets, skip security, and receive complimentary onboard catering. This is a win-win for Delta and its guests: guests get to experience an inspirational flying experience and since the upgrades are for “dead legs” when planes were flying empty anyway, Delta earns more profit.
At Wisely, our perspective is that making this explicit with guests is a good business decision. By explicit, we mean a formalized guest appreciation program that exposes guests to unique experiences and surprise and delight moments.
So, what does this have to do with technology? With a smartphone in most guests pockets, the need for clumsy loyalty cards, reward vouchers, and boring "off the shelf" programs disappears.
Technology brings the ability to customize a product to a single guest like nothing before.
Next in the series
What does Technology Enabled Hospitality look like during the visit? Read our next entry in the 3 part series - During the Visit.
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Wisely empowers restaurant groups to grow and sustain profitability by acquiring valuable new guests, converting them into regulars, and keeping them happy for life. Our software is easy-to-use and enhances productivity, so staff can focus on what really matters. For more information or media inquiries, please contact us at hello@getwisely.com.
