You Ask Me to Enter, Then You Make Me Crawl
Hospitality is more than service. It is tone, intention, energy, and how people feel long after they leave the room. Sometimes a song captures that truth better than any training manual ever could.
Music, Memory, and Identity
Most people may know that I was a dancer as a teenager. I studied ballet at the Ballet Conservatory in Winter Haven, Florida. And I’ve always connected through music.
Music has helped me through tough times. It’s helped focus my beliefs. It’s a huge part of my identity. So music does for me exactly what it’s supposed to do.
Lately, I’ve been listening to One by U2. The version with Mary J. Blige singing.
First, before anything else is said, I have to acknowledge how amazingly powerful and soulful her voice is. And how much I love her version more than the original. There’s just something about it that feels heavier. More lived-in.
But what really comes through to me are the lyrics.
Parts like you ask me to enter, then you make me crawl hit home for me in so many ways.
Hospitality is The Invitation and The Experience
I’ve spent a large part of my life in hospitality. And honestly, I’m still taken back by how many places want to get you in their doors… and then treat you like a burden once you’re there.
Servers who act like you’re supposed to understand they’re busy.
Or that the kitchen is backed up.
Or that somehow your presence is an inconvenience.
True hospitality asks nothing of you as a guest.
Now, let’s not pretend the customer is always right. They’re not. I agree with that concept. Because to say the customer is always right means our employees are always wrong — and that’s not true either.
But real hospitality doesn’t require explanation. It doesn’t require excuses. It doesn’t require the guest to lower their expectations just to make things easier.
If you want to see how we build experiences around individuality and creativity, explore our catering menu or take a look at how we customize flavors and setups for different celebrations.
We Are One, But Not the Same
Honestly, this whole idea leads me right into the next line in that song that really hits home for me: we are one, but not the same.
If we were all the same, there would be no need for menus.
We’d all want the same thing.
We’d all eat the same way.
The real joy is in the experience of differences.
Opposites attract. Departures from our norms can be pleasant. Sometimes that’s the entire point.
In the workplace, we try to mix it up. We re-combine teams. We look for pairings that don’t just produce an end product, but creativity and growth.
The most successful companies don’t erase differences. They embrace them. And then they unify those differences around a shared goal or mission.
We’re not any different.
We love going into spaces and providing hospitality and then watching what people create. All the different combinations. All the unexpected results. All the personal touches people add when they’re given the freedom to do so.
Diversity is our bloodline to a more interesting and joyful planet.
And honestly… I don’t think I could spend an hour — let alone a day — with my clone without getting homicidal.
I mean… if clone killing is actually homicide.
Not sure on that one.
If you need something to make you a little less homicidal today… This is the version of One I’ve been listening to. You might even end up hugging a co-worker or singing at the top of your lungs.
Go ahead. No judgment here.
https://youtu.be/ZpDQJnI4OhU?si=lFDU6i8LRDPHrP59
Hospitality Should Never Make You Crawl
At the end of the day, hospitality is about dignity. It is about welcoming someone in and honoring that decision. Whether it is a restaurant, an event, or a simple gathering, the experience should lift people up and not make them feel small.
If you’re planning an event and want a team that believes in genuine, no-excuses hospitality, reach out and start the conversation. Call 678-722-3202 and let’s create something that feels as good as it tastes.