Try Random Acts of Kindness

While reading "Springwise," one of my favorite newsletters, I came across an item about Hyatt Hotels. They are going to start a program of random acts of kindness for their Gold Passport guests. Hyatt is empowering their employees to provide “thank you” surprises for their loyal guests. It might be a free meal or some other similar gesture to build and strengthen brand loyalty.

What a great idea! How many restaurants — from the individual unit to the larger chains — strive to break through the competitive clutter to make a memorable, favorable impression?

I frequently ask restaurant managers how much food and beverage their servers are allowed to give away during a typical shift, and the answer is usually zero. Wrong answer! The server should be empowered to comp an appetizer, dessert or beverage to make the meal occasion an unexpected treat. If it’s a well-known, frequent guest, why not the entrée or even the whole meal?

Whether you’re serving a regular customer or a first-time customer that could become a regular customer, we can all attest to the power of these sorts of interactions. Random acts don’t have to be limited to the servers. Imagine the impact of having the chef (in a clean uniform, of course) come to a regular’s table to ask for feedback on a menu item that is being developed. How about the manager walking up to the table and saying, “Please have dessert on us as our way of thanking you for joining us this evening,” instead of the rote question “Is everything OK?” 

By the way, these acts of kindness could be useful beyond full-service restaurants. I was in a QSR chain with members of its corporate staff. An older couple walked in. The head of marketing noticed they were unfamiliar with the menu and ordering process. He broke away from our conversation, helped them through the process and picked up their tab. It may be a small event to the company, but it was a huge gesture to those two people. From the looks on their faces and their numerous expressions of “thanks,” it was clear they would be telling the story to friends and be back as customers.

From my viewpoint, random acts of kindness are a powerful, low-cost and under-utilized way to build business. How about giving them a try?

Isn’t it worth exploring?