“Le Joie de Vivre”, the Joy of Life! A few weeks ago I was in Paris and loved feeling this expression everywhere I went! There were so many brief and spontaneous interactions that allowed me to be “in the moment” and fully focused on my present experience while the historic past of France and the brilliant future of this city of light surrounded me. Almost everyone I met, whether for business or pleasure, whether on the Metro or on the rooftop of the Hotel Raphael, gave me some “in the moment” joy! And when they gave that joy…they experienced it too! What a simple and brilliant strategy to adopt on the frontlines of service and to better understand the power of those simple short moments.
There was Joseph, the “hat man”, selling his beautiful chapeaux at Les Puces, making this simple purchase into a special occasion. We ended up buying 5 hats instead of 1, just because it was so much fun to interact with him. There were the chanteuses and chanteurs( singers) at Chez Louisette bistro along with owner Richard, who welcomed and captivated us so much we stayed two hours instead of one and spent twice as much! There was Lionel, the Chef Concierge of the Hotel Raphael, who greeted us like royalty and made a simple walk in the lobby a VIP experience. We will now refer his hotel more because of his gracious welcome. There was the local wine shop owner on Rue Marcadet who not only helped us select a lovely wine but helped us pick out the fresh cheese and sausage to go with it and went deep into his refrigerator to find us the perfect combination. In turn, we went deeper into our pockets.
All this to say, being “in the moment” is profitable , both for the soul and the bottom line. Training our teams to understand how that first impression, made within 7 seconds , is key to everyone’s experience and that whatever happened in the past is completed. When the baton is passed to you, it is time to focus on the present and maximizing that moment . When that happens, send your guests into the future with a positive memory and the desire to come back for more.
Vive á ce moment!