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- [00:00]
A
Some interesting things I picked up from that experience that made me think and was acts as a reminder that this is something that we need to be doing in all businesses.
- [00:10]
B
We only get one chance at making a first impression. I know I say this all the time, but we only get one chance at making a first impression.
- [00:16]
C
People notice these little things more than a big blast. You know, it's the attention to detail continuously being repeated that just says that they've thought about the client, they're focused on the client. They want the client to have an amazing experience.
- [00:32]
A
You never have to lift a finger. And it should always be our ambition in our photography businesses to give our clients that same experience.
- [00:41]
C
Hey hey and welcome to the Difference Maker Revolution podcast. And we've lost Janine from last week, but you've gained me. And of course we have the ever present Steve and Jonathan with us and we're going to talk about five star experiences because one thing that's really, really, really important is that we look outside our own industry and in our daily interactions with other businesses that we can learn from them as to what to do really, really good and see can we adapt that into our business. We can also identify not quite a five star experience and how we can learn from that and evaluate our business against a bad experience. So Jonathan, you've been on the lash, my man.
- [01:23]
B
What does that mean, on the lash? You're speaking Irish.
- [01:30]
A
It's like partying basically. Lots of partying.
- [01:33]
B
A partying.
- [01:34]
A
Okay. I was at a, what we call stag party in Ireland and the uk books turn in Australia and a bachelor party in America recently and it was in Quinta Delago in Portugal. So. So it was at the Conrad Hotel which is a five star hotel. And yeah, there were just some interesting things I picked up from that experience having arrived at the hotel that made me think and was acts as a reminder that this is something that we need to be doing in all businesses. And you know, Steve has talked about this before on podcasts that in a five, six star hotel, you know, you never have to lift a finger and it should always be our ambition in our photography businesses to give our clients that same experience.
- [02:24]
B
So how what did they do? What blew you away, Jono? What was most noticeable?
- [02:28]
A
So I think getting the taxi from the airport to the hotel doors. What was incredible straight away was that the minute the taxi pulled up to the front door, there were two people waiting at the front door for guests to arrive. And that person waiting at the front door, that first person, once I got out of the taxi. And the taxi guy opened the boot and out the trunk. As I say in America, I was not allowed to touch my bags. And that person who worked for the hotel basically was straight up super quick. He took my bags, I offered to take them because I had like four bags, three bags in the set of golf clubs. So there was a lot of bags. And he was like, no, no, no, no, I'm bringing your bags for you.
- [03:13]
B
How much beauty equipment do you need, Jono? A whole case for your whole case for beauty.
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A
Yeah, so exactly. So he, yeah, he. I was not allowed to touch the, my own luggage. He brought it inside the hotel, escorted me inside the hotel and guided me to the check in desks. He asked what my name was, he actually asked my surname. And we got up to the kind of check in area and there is another guy sitting there, his name was Diogo. And he said, Mr. Ryle, this is Diogo, he'll be looking after your check in. Please have a seat. There are two seats there at the check in desk. And the ogo behind the desk said, you know, you're very welcome. Can I get you anything, like a fresh bottle of water or, you know, lemonade or juice or whatever? Please have a seat, we'll get you checked in. You're very welcome, Mr. Ro. So yeah, it was interesting.
- [04:12]
B
Awesome. So we need to relate that to photography now, our photography businesses.
- [04:17]
A
Yes. So you take that, Steve, and translate
- [04:19]
B
it or Ronan, you can, you can jump in at any time too. It kind of reminded me of a couple of photography experiences I booked myself and my children in for. We booked a family. One was a family session and another one was a, was a headshot. Hate that word, experience. And we were really excited to do this as a family. We actually flew to another state and into a city. Another city. Cause I really wanted to have this photographer take our photos. And we got there probably five minutes early and he wasn't ready. Nobody answered the door and we were five minutes early, but that's a, you know, so it was fine. We kind of, it took about 10, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, I think maybe for someone to come to the door. And even after they answered the door, he just, he basically said, I'm really sorry. I was up all night, I slept in and come in while I get myself ready. And it took another 35 minutes. So I think, you know, being prepared and I gotta tell this other story. I went to do my headshots and I turned up and this time, you know, opened the door. It was all great, but the minute we started, picked up the camera and I could just see on the look of the face, look on the photographer's face, she's like, oh shit, I haven't charged my batteries. And she'd raced in again. You know, we need to be ready. We need to welcome our clients, we need to be there. And it's just simple things that make a massive difference. You need to get in, be early, test your equipment and be ready.
- [05:54]
C
Steve, we are tempted to say, okay, this is obviously not a good day for you guys, we'd see you again and leave.
- [06:00]
B
Do you know what went through my mind at that moment was I've chosen the wrong person and I'm probably not going to like these photos. And we only get one chance at making a first impression. I know I say this all the time, but we only get one chance at making a first impression. And it put it down, I suppose on the start of it put doubt in my mind. It felt disorganized. I was looking at the whole experience through a filter of disorganization and so that what you look for is what you find. And it's me. It was my fault because I'd put myself in that mindset. But then I started looking for all the things that could potentially go wrong. The photos were okay, but that experience didn't live up to a five star experience. So it made me prejudge, I think, or I allowed myself to prejudge.
- [06:50]
C
So I know a lot of photographers talk about a luxury experience, right? And I'm sure those photographers may have said we do luxury packages and luxury experiences, which we're talking about. We're using the analogy now of five star instead because we don't like this idea of luxury experiences that aren't luxury. So. So, Jonathan, tell us about then. So Diego gets you checked in, right? Did the five star experience continue then at the next stage?
- [07:18]
A
Yeah. So basically after that what happened was there's kind of like. So the hotel has like a couple of swimming pools, this course, you know, kind of area and stuff. And then there's like parts of the area that are different. They're not owned by the hotel, but they're like kind of, you know, close by to the hotel. So basically he asked, was this my first time here? And I said yes, it was. And he took out a map. So they have a map printed up of where everything in the hotel is, how to get there, and also kind of the surrounding area that's walkable, that's close by to the hotel too. So he hands Me this map and I asked him, you know, where is a good place to get lunch? Because it's like half eleven when I arrived maybe. And he said, well if you like this food you can go to, it's a five minute walk up here, you can go there or we also have the option here in the hotel of the bar, food starts at 12 there, but you're welcome to go in and have a cup of coffee while you wait because the room check in was like three o', clock. So that was great. So got up, they took my bags away, I went to the hotel bar and they were straight up. What would you like? Americano please. Thank you. Perfect. Always checking in, they were really, really attentive. There weren't many people in the bar at this time during the day, but they were always like kind of watching. I could see because I was looking at them, they were behind the bar, there was two of them and they were kind of always checking, watching, you know, making eye contact, make sure that everyone was okay and looked after. Just really, really, really attentive in the bar area from that perspective. And then what was really interesting after that was that at 8, half 2 I got a phone call and the phone call was from the hotel and I said, you know, I answered it said hello, Mr. Isle, your room is now ready. Please come to check out the check in desk whenever you're ready and we'll give you your key. So I went, got the check in desk and then I went up to the room and as I was arriving at the room, the, they call them bellhops, right? The guys who deal with the luggage and stuff and the gals, something like that and they, as I was getting to the room, they were arriving to the room with my luggage and they bring the luggage into the room and really, really good from that perspective.
- [09:36]
C
So do you think that was by chance that they arrived at the same time or do you think that was all part of the experience?
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A
I think it was probably by chance. I think that, you know, a lot of the time luggage is probably there waiting for you. Yeah, it's tough to know. I think most of the time they'd have it there for you where they
- [09:52]
C
did phone you 30 minutes before official check in time to say that we have a room ready for you.
- [09:56]
B
So it could be by design though, just because they arrived at the exact same moment. Maybe it's planned for a few minutes after you get in perhaps. But interesting, interesting because you know what
- [10:07]
C
annoys me is when I get my check in and delivering the luggage and you're waiting for your luggage and you don't know how long it's going to be, you know. So having it there before or having it there as you arrive I think is the sign of a five star experience.
- [10:23]
B
I kind of like the thought that you are getting it, they're delivering it to you and you get to see the person delivering it rather than walking into the room and it's just there. I don't know. I think it adds. So I'm hoping that it was by design that you either arrive at just before, at the time that they're delivering it or just before because I think that gives a bit more of a personal touch rather than it just being there. And because they checked you in, it is possible that by the time you finish, you check in, they've timed it, they know which floor you're on, they have their own lift, they know how long it's going to take. You would hope that it would be by design really.
- [10:56]
A
Zeitatu Photography Meet studio It's the same
- [10:58]
B
thing for a client should never have to lift a finger and it's up to us to call our clients, they shouldn't have to call us, we should be making the calls. But we, and I see this, but we actually went to Katinka Studio. We all went together. That was how long ago? Maybe five, six weeks ago. And watching I was there, you know, when she was welcoming some clients it was awesome to see that her team was there ready to greet them. Very similar to what you talked about Jono. They were there ready to greet them. Katinka actually went out because the car park is just in front of their studio. They have reserved parking for their guests and their guests are parking right at the front. And so they go out and greet them and the same sort of deal, they're helping them carry all of, all of whatever they need into the studio. So that way the client's not struggling through the door, not having to do it all alone because a lot of the times they're carrying gowns, they're coloring, they're carrying shoes, they don't want to put everything in a bag because it just gets all creased. And so, you know, between a bag and shoes and carrying something, you know, up in the air, it's quite a lot to manage. And so getting out there, greeting the clients, being ready before the clients get there. And I noticed because I came down as they, as they came down, everything that they needed for that client was already laid out. There were the forms for them Glass of water. It was obvious, you know, where they were going to be sitting. So everything was well prepared. And I think in a studio, that luxury experience, that's it. Going back to, you know, you going up to the bar, there's that time between the session, that session's over. They have, they had the team make sure that when the clients finished having their. Having their photos taken as they come down the stairs, lunch is prepared, plates are out, the cutlery's out. I think it was just wraps or something, but it was displayed beautifully. It was almost like a family sitting down for a meal because whoever was involved in that experience was also sitting there with them. So I think that was a really, really nice touch. And everything matched, cutlery matched, the plates all matched. Really funky cups, a little biscuit on top of the teaspoon. I think it was an amaretto to go with a coffee that they ordered. Like it was five star service.
- [13:16]
C
Yeah, even our cutlery is a golden color, right?
- [13:18]
B
Yeah. The gold cutlery was out. It was truly perfection.
- [13:23]
C
They may seem like little things, but people notice these little things more than a big blast. You know, it's the attention to detail continuously being repeated that just says that they've taught about the client. They're focused on the client. They want the client to have an amazing experience.
- [13:40]
B
It wasn't thrown together, it was very deliberate. Everything was deliberate, even making a cup of coffee. They also had a cup of coffee and the way it was put down on the table, everybody had the same kind of cup. It wasn't a mismatch of mugs. It was proper cups with the spoon. Everybody had that little amoretto. It wasn't just the a client who got one, the team all got one too. And so everything was very deliberate and five star Ciano.
- [14:08]
C
So tell us then, was there anything about this hotel and the experience that sort of you weren't expecting from a five star hotel and experience considering they'd done such a great job up until this moment?
- [14:23]
A
Yeah, definitely. And I think it goes back to the fact that, you know, yes, we always want to be working on improving our experience and making it the best it can possibly be. But even these companies who have lots of resources, who are doing it day in, day out, they mess up too. And it was no exception here. So for me, one of the things that surprised me and disappointed me initially was that, so I was checked in for the first night on one booking and then I was moving to another booking. So I went down to the hotel reception desk on the second morning and I said, look, this booking was for one night, but I'm now moving to this booking for three nights. You know, just. It probably makes more sense. Sense for you. Same room, type 2, just keep me in the same room, right? And they were like, no, we can't do that. I was like, oh, okay. So they were like, so do I need to, like, check out and check back in again? They're like, yeah, just tell us your room number. Or they got my name, got my room number and said, you can leave your luggage there, have it packed up by 12, and we'll move it to your new room for you.
- [15:28]
B
So.
- [15:28]
A
So that was fine, but then just the hassle of having to wait and not be able to access a room for until 3 o' clock again, that day was just an inconvenience. However, I will say this on the I was only meant to stay in a single room for two nights, and then I was supposed to move in with a friend for the last night, and I did. There was an instance where not everyone could show up for different reasons. So I ended up having a single room for the full trip. And I got a text on the final morning from the hotel, signed off by the person at the desk to say, Dear Mr. Ryle, you can stay in this room for the night. We. You just make sure you pop by reception and we'll analyze your keys or something. Anyway, they use some word and basically to make sure my keys worked. So they kind of made up for that in that experience. But if they just done that from the start, that inconsistency kind of frustrated me a bit. That would have been fantastic. The other thing, and this kind of goes more to culture, I think, because the Portuguese in Portugal, the Portuguese culture, they're known for being a bit laid back and a bit kind of relaxed and a bit slow. So there was an instance where we were sitting at the restaurant and we were going, we just finished playing Padel, we were getting ready to go for golf. We didn't have that much time and there was like 20 of us, but we were all coming in dribs and drabs. But anyway, there's. The first 12 was set down for lunch and like, we just had to keep pushing the staff to like, move their butts and say, like, can we please order food? And then it took an hour and 15 minutes after we had ordered food for it to arrive. Just. And that's. That was consistent across everywhere we went in Portugal, to every restaurant. So it wasn't just this hotel. But, you know, if I'm thinking five star hotel, I'm thinking, right, service has got to be top notch. And like I'd say if the Americans are there because the Americans are known for exceptional service simply because of how their pay works, you know, they rely on tips, so their service has to be world class. And my friend, he's Irish, but he's living in Denver, Colorado now, he flew in for the event and he was saying, he said, like, God, the service here is terrible compared to the state. So that is one lesson that I would like to see them try and work on and help to train their staff on improving their service in the restaurant.
- [17:54]
C
So Steve, an interesting point there around. Jonathan has alluded to incentivization of money might help keep even motivated staff more motivated to deliver for the client. What are your thoughts on that in the photography industry?
- [18:10]
B
It just, I think it depends on the person because, I mean, I've been to America many times and it's almost like the expectation is they're going to get tipped regardless. And so it's inconsistent with how great the service is really. You go to one restaurant and it's amazing and then you go to another restaurant and you just, you want to walk out without even paying the bill for how bad the service is. And yet you then still get abused because the expectation is they're not earning enough from their boss to, to warrant you sitting there and you need to pay regardless of what the service was like. I believe I, I don't believe everybody's motivated by money. And I found this in my studio. I think it's important to know your team and know and have those conversations with people because a lot of people are motivated by other things. It doesn't, not necessarily money. I had one employee that valued being sent to courses to because he couldn't afford to. It was makeup artist. Do you know a theatrical makeup course? And so that was a much stronger motivator because he was like, well, if you give me the money, I'm just going to spend it on something else. I'm never going to get to do this course. But what I would really love is the opportunity to do this course because it's something I've always wanted to do, do, but I haven't been able to do it. And that, that became a much stronger motivator for him. And so I think it's about finding out what motivates people. I found that I got a much better result from my team and they were much happier when we worked out what, what really motivated them and A lot of the times it was experiences too. So we went hot air ballooning, we went on a four day spa retreat. There was I think a lot more fun things to do. It made me have those conversations with people. It gave them the opportunity to do things that they wouldn't normally have treated themselves with and it really motivated them to. I tried to book things that I thought would help them learn about service and about being pampered and about improving their skills. So I was all in favor for those sort of things. So, you know, the spa we went to was six star. Like it was just amazing from the moment you arrive, even saw the gates to come in. It was a retreat. And I think they learned so much from that experience of how they were treated, all the little things and how, how those little things much those little things make a differ. And so their reward leveraged into them learning more by default. But it gave them an experience that they would never have treated themselves for themselves. So I think rewarding people is really important. But you have to know how people want to be rewarded. And not everybody can have what they want. But if we win every month then we can rotate it if that makes sense. And sometimes, you know, one person might get one thing and the other person might not get something else completely different, different month. So. But if it was a group sort of thing then, you know, everybody had to, we all had to sort of come to some sort of consensus as to what was happening.
- [21:32]
C
So Jono, if I want to learn more about how I turn my business into a five star business, what should I do?
- [21:40]
A
I thought you were going to ask. I can. About learning how I can win more. So yes, how you can turn your business into a five star business and win at the same time for both you and your clients. All you need to do is click the link below and apply to join the inner circle. Where inside inner circle, not only do you get access to the incredible training, the incredible community accountability, access to the mentor team, access to other members, but you also get access to your next best employee, kcb. And like we've been mentioning on the podcast, Kasey B. Is next level. She's unbelievable. As I've been saying, imagine taking like this big huge brain sucker. That's kind of what we did and we put it on Ronan and Steve and Janine and Jonno and Steve's hair is gone as a result and went and we took all that knowledge and we made some AI voodoo to create the best employee you will ever need in your business. She will help you to implement to get Sh1t done to get you results. And that is what she is designed to do. Such as creating your blog posts, creating your email newsletters, creating your social media posts, creating your Facebook ad copy, your website copy, creating ideal client avatars. And the best part is she will write your blog posts, your social media posts, your emails, your copy to your specific avatars, and following the frameworks of the entire Difference Maker Revolution team. So all you need to do is click the link below, apply to join, and we'll be in touch about whether we can help you.
- [23:13]
B
Click the link everyone. Thank you.
- [23:15]
C
See you on the inside.