devout hospitality
How much a skills gap can cost?
true example + how to prevent it
How to lose a million dollar contract in one day
happened in a luxury hotel
Losing a contract is a huge damage. But there can be less visible consequences of service errors, that compound DAILY.
Most teams are trained on procedures, not perception. They know the steps — greet, seat, check in, ask a ritual question “how was your day”. But they are far less equipped to read and respond to context, adjust tone, and respond authentically under pressure and difficult scenarios.
I once took my parents out for dinner at a high-end venue. The waiter asked them:
'Can I fire your mains?'
They looked at me, confused and slightly embarrassed, because the didn't understand what does "fire the mains" mean.
Simple "common sense" things, right? But what may seem obvious to leadership and management is not automatically obvious to the team. Even experienced staff. Even people coming from big brands. Even those with years in hospitality don't always bring the right behaviours on the floor by default.
Yet in most properties there is training in place. E-learning, one-time workshops on "effective communication", departmental trainings... But somehow the issues still persist.
They persist because most training models are outdated — not designed for real hospitality operations, neither for modern learners who are mostly Millennials and Gen Z. The approach should change.
Traditional training assumes:
What your teams are actually missing is clear, usable frameworks they can apply in seconds. They lack feedback, they lack practice.
What actually works is a different approach:
If you’re looking to close communication and service gaps without adding operational burden, this is where to start.
The Service Excellence Fast Track. Your Learning hub.
A soft-skill focused microlearning with topics selected not by accident. But because I've seen those gaps throughout my 16+ years in the industry. I was looking for the answers myself as a hospitality newbie, I've seen teams continuously making same communication mistakes when I was a manager in operations and a Training & Quality in charge. It's observational, it's based on experience, it something I encounter as a guest in 90% of places I dine or stay at.
- it can be a guest, who decides to have breakfast somewhere else - not at your restaurant.
- a guest who resists recommendations
- or doesn’t invite his partners for lunch because the needs were not acknowledged.
Most teams are trained on procedures, not perception. They know the steps — greet, seat, check in, ask a ritual question “how was your day”. But they are far less equipped to read and respond to context, adjust tone, and respond authentically under pressure and difficult scenarios.
I once took my parents out for dinner at a high-end venue. The waiter asked them:
'Can I fire your mains?'
They looked at me, confused and slightly embarrassed, because the didn't understand what does "fire the mains" mean.
Simple "common sense" things, right? But what may seem obvious to leadership and management is not automatically obvious to the team. Even experienced staff. Even people coming from big brands. Even those with years in hospitality don't always bring the right behaviours on the floor by default.
Yet in most properties there is training in place. E-learning, one-time workshops on "effective communication", departmental trainings... But somehow the issues still persist.
They persist because most training models are outdated — not designed for real hospitality operations, neither for modern learners who are mostly Millennials and Gen Z. The approach should change.
Traditional training assumes:
- People will remember information when pressure hits
- One-time sessions will change behaviour
- Managers will find time to constantly retrain with no tools
- Generic courses or self-made AI training with no structure will solve the problem
What your teams are actually missing is clear, usable frameworks they can apply in seconds. They lack feedback, they lack practice.
What actually works is a different approach:
- Blended Learning that fits into busy operations
- Tools managers can use without preparation or long sessions
- Clear behavioural expectations for real service scenarios
- Reinforcement that happens during operations, not outside of it.
If you’re looking to close communication and service gaps without adding operational burden, this is where to start.
The Service Excellence Fast Track. Your Learning hub.
A soft-skill focused microlearning with topics selected not by accident. But because I've seen those gaps throughout my 16+ years in the industry. I was looking for the answers myself as a hospitality newbie, I've seen teams continuously making same communication mistakes when I was a manager in operations and a Training & Quality in charge. It's observational, it's based on experience, it something I encounter as a guest in 90% of places I dine or stay at.
