Your definition of hospitality? Putting the customer at ease, making them feel welcome, making them feel special. This applies to most industries.
What does sustainability mean to you? Sustainability is all about creating a culture of self-sufficiency (in hospitality it’s growing your own produce, rearing your own animals, recycling as much as possible); purchasing locally from ethical producers; and avoiding the need for imports. Placing the environment alongside making money, so they coexist with equal priority. This is becoming increasingly important for all sectors and their customers.
Team or staff, and why? Team, so you create engagement and genuine interest in the business as the team are part of something they care about. ‘Staff’ implies subordinate, less than, which in hospitality is absolutely NOT the case. The most important person in hospitality is the one who serves the customer directly or indirectly.
Where do you see hospitality’s priorities? Post-Covid, the highest priority for the industry from a customer’s perspective is safety/hygiene. Since Brexit, the highest priority for the industry itself is resourcing – filling the gap left by the exodus of European labour without increasing costs or deteriorating service. From an individual business’ perspective it’s all about survival – many are struggling and aren’t getting the support they need from their banks.
Is hospitality local or global? With the advent of social media, customers’ experiences are instantly shared and widespread, so there’s no such thing as a truly local-only businesses. Every service touchpoint is an opportunity to surprise and delight customers and create positive feedback. Carpe diem!
What’s best about your weekend? Spending time with the family, my Labrador ‘Chow’ and with friends. Switching off, powering down and allowing the mind and body to restore themselves. My best ideas flow when my mind is in idle and not wrestling with day-to-day business challenges.
I relax by… Running to exercise my body and playing golf to exercise my mind.
Eat out or eat in? We mix it up – sometimes eating a takeaway at home with food on the lap, wearing relaxed clothing and watching a classic film on the box; but occasionally treating ourselves by eating out in different local restaurants whenever we find a decent excuse.
Tea or coffee? Tea (English Breakfast)
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise our readers. I’m terrified of clowns.
Neil Fillbrook, CEO, UK & Ireland, Bankbrokers
