In a service oriented hotel or restaurant operation, guests usually come first. We try to make the impossible, possible and no is never a good answer, at least in an ideal world. That is what hospitality should be all about. However, sometimes we are so busy pleasing our customers with all the wishes they might have or we are overwhelmed with work, stressed out and can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel.Ê
Sometimes we forget the quint essence of an extraordinary service experience. The true meaning of hospitality; the little details which create lasting memories and loyal customer relationships. The goal of every service oriented business should be to anticipate our guest’s needs and demands, without them reminding us, or even better, without our guests even realizing they had this wish in the first place. The difference between a good and a great hospitality business is the ability to create demand where no one expected it to be.
Take coffee as our main example today, everybody is so busy serving mediocre coffee supplied by a standard hospitality distributor. The hotel bars offer wrongly ÒpulledÓ espresso or cappuccino without proper froth. Sure, the taste is there and customers are unlikely to complain. If they are not enjoying it, well the next Starbucks is just around the corner. No harm done.
With an evolving gourmet cuisine where the priority lays on food and Michelin stars, the chefs are treated as celebrities and the atmosphere and ambience of a restaurant is designed by the latest architects. We forgot one thing: the beverage side of the business. Yes, sure a sommelier will recommend matching wines with every course, someone might add, but what about after the meal?
The world of coffee is as diverse and interesting as wine. Flavors and aromas differ depending on brewing style, roast level and origin, yet very few establishments have experience on this subject. Imagine a customer spending a few hundred dollars on a well-executed meal prepared using the finest local ingredients available, yet when it comes to dessert, all one can offer is an espresso with poor crema and little flavors. Is that what we are aiming for in an industry where we sell a ÒfeelingÓ?
Let’s take it one step further. Did you ever hear about Vietnamese coffee and Vietnamese coffee culture? Well, let me explain. Vietnam is the world’sÊsecond largest producer of coffee in the world, yet this is a very little known fact. The coffee culture in this county is extraordinary and fascinating. I often refer to it as the complete opposite of our western drinking culture where everything has to go fast and on the move. Vietnamese celebrate their coffee time and cautiously enjoy it with friends and family, or with the daily newspaper on hand to catch up on the latest happenings. You will never see a Vietnamese running on the street with a cheap paper cup in his hands drinking coffee. One must sit down and take the time to enjoy.
Let me explain the brewing process very briefly. Vietnamese brew their most favorite drink in a so-called ÒphinÓ; a stainless steel contraption which sits on top of the glass. The ground coffee is placed in the chamber of the filter, when hot water is added, the grounds soak it up and the delicious black gold is slowly dripping into the cup below. This process can take a few minutes, depending on the water to coffee ratio, which creates the perfect time window for people watching, reading or just enjoying valuable time with the friends you love. Also, Vietnamese often drink their coffee mixed with sweetened condense milk and as iced coffee. Why? Vietnamese coffee in general can be very bitter sometimes; the sweetness of the milk balances the bitterness of the coffee and creates a coffee experience unlike anything else. It is the perfect dessert coffee and a refreshing cold brew on warm summer days.
So in the future when you think about your clients, don’t just anticipate their needs. Create demand. Imagine you serve traditional Vietnamese coffee in your hotel bar or fine dining restaurant. Not only will you create the perfect conversation piece, but you will unconsciously allow your clients to take a step back from reality and to focus on the little things in life. And isn’t this what hospitality really means?
To top everything off, we here at Farmers Blend Coffee, set as mission to introduce the fascinating Vietnamese coffee culture to the world. To reach our goal we have recently launched our crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter.com ÒFarmers Blend Coffee Ð a Vietnamese SpecialtyÓ and we’d like to invite you to support our vision to bring this delicious treat to consumers around the globe. Please have a look at our campaign, here, and if you have any further questions, or need some more ideas on how to exceed your customers expectations using coffee, please let us know. Happy Brewing.
By Dietmar Vogelmann
Dietmar Vogelmann has a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and has worked in various luxury hotels around the world, including Six Senses Resorts, Westin and privately owned boutique hotels. Coming from the Food & Beverage part of the industry, Dietmar is familiar with increasing customers’ demands and how to fulfill them. Now living in Vietnam, the world’s second largest coffee producer, Dietmar followed his passion and started Farmers Blend Coffee Company in 2014 with the goal to introduce the exciting Vietnamese coffee culture to the world. With a strong focus on hospitality, Farmers Blend Coffee is able to customize coffee and directly export it to hotels around the globe. Farmers Blend specializes in in-room coffee solutions to match customers’ expectations.ÊContactÊDietmar at info@farmersblend.coffee.
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