I read several business-related emails each day, but one of the most useful is Seth Godin’s daily dose of common sense.

I was particularly struck by the email he sent out recently. You can see all of it here, but I’m going to highlight a few portions that struck me for a few reasons.

He’s talking in this email about building a business that truly rests on the superpower of Customer Service.

Which, ugh. “Customer service” is suuuuuch an overused concept. So overused that, at this point, I think it’s almost meaningless. Every company says that’s one of their superpowers, right?

But there are companies that don’t just say they prize great service—they build their company around it.

Seth says: 

“Some organizations end up ingraining this ethos deeply into what they do, and stick with it for the long haul. They have a hospitality mindset. Service isn’t simply the tool to make profits–it’s a key part of why you’re here in the first place.”

Re-read that last line: “Service isn’t simply the tool to make profits–it’s a key part of why you’re here in the first place.”

That line had me thinking. About Here Comes The Guide and our commitment to heart-forward, relationship-first service to our venue clients. My main job at Here Comes The Guide is making sure we differentiate ourselves from our behemoth competitor by actively showing our venue clients we authentically care about them and their business. And we live that every day in our actions, not just our words. 

But also, to the fact that every one of our venue clients has hospitality at its core. It’s literally the reason most of our venues exist.

And yet I think we can easily lose focus on prioritizing great service and engaging in relationship-building; instead chasing bigger margins and faster, more efficient client interactions. 

We can streamline more tasks on fewer employees to cut overhead and spend time onboarding large sales management systems, but not train new hires on how to make a true connection on a site visit.

And yet we see, from our catbird seat watching the businesses of over 6,500 venues, that the ones that keep the focus always on what’s best for their wedding couple are the ones with the highest word of mouth bookings and the fullest calendars. 

So today, let’s keep it simple. I want you to ask yourself just one question.

TO DO FOR YOU:

Think about the last 3 decisions you (or your superiors) made for your wedding business. How many of them were to increase the level of heart-forward, client-focused service you’re providing?

If the answer is less than 3, it’s time to put that old cliché of Customer Service back in the forefront.