During one of the annual incognito inspection at a top-notch luxury resorts in Maldives, the inspector had a casual chat with the waiter by the ocean-side restaurant. As it was the National Day holiday, the conversation centred around the significance of this day, the local celebration and so on. The inspector then asked about the national anthem and its language. Without hesitation, the waiter offered to sing for him. Caught totally by surprise, the inspector said he would love to hear it. Immediately, the waiter stood (even more) to attention, placed his right arm across his chest with fist closed, and belted out Qaumi Salaam…….
This employee aced the audit – of which I am sure the national anthem singing was not designed as a test in itself.
He achieved the highest emotional engagement grading of “5” – making the guest feels indulged.
Reflective thoughts: How can we evolve an ordinary conversation of local culture (or any topic) into an unforgettable experience? Often, hotel staff ask the standard chat questions of where the guest is from, if it is their first time in the country, etc.. In fact, guests are often just as interested in learning more about the local culture. If guests do express interest, what would you or your team share that would make it an interesting takeaway or learning for the visitors?