Hospitality Heroes
The Harvey Girls were 19th-century hospitality heroes who could feed an entire trainload of travelers in under 30 minutes! They were employees of America’s first hotel empire, The Harvey Houses, which were built along railroad stops on the A.T. & S.F. Railroad from the 1880s-1940s. Harvey Houses delivered what hungry travelers needed—quality food—as well as what they wanted—respite from their travels.
The food was hot and plentiful because employees used the latest technology (the telegraph!) to get updates on train arrivals and passenger numbers. The facility was clean, guests were treated with courtesy, and cultural norms were respected. And, perhaps most importantly, these factors were consistent at every Harvey House.
Soon the hotels were famous for their magnificent aproned employees. In a sense, the employees were the destination. Can your destination say that? Would you like it to?
Considering the American hospitality industry’s current labor shortage, “retain and retrain” is the mission du jour. We’ll bring you oven-fresh insights on that topic next week, but for now, let’s compare the roles of technology and employees in hospitality.
Don’t get sidetracked!
We agree that sometimes technology is shiny, exciting, and just fun! But no matter how impressive a piece of technology may be, there are times that it cannot replace the human touch. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center poll, only 61% of adults 65 and older own a smartphone. By making an experience app-dependent, 39% of that population either cannot participate or must constantly rely on someone for assistance. This feeling of dependency will not increase satisfaction, it will increase frustration. The same type of frustration is forced on people with physical limitations who find smart phones unhelpful in their daily lives.
Independence and self-determination are part of comfort. Creating unnecessary barriers places destinations on the wrong side of the tracks.
Lenore Koppelman posted to her Facebook these photos of an employee at Universal’s Islands of Adventure who went out of her way to help a boy with autism, Koppelman’s son Ralph, after he had what Koppelman described as an “autistic meltdown.” (Courtesy of Lenore Koppelman)
Consider the story of Jen, a Universal Studios employee who assisted a child with Autism by laying down on the ground beside him and helping him breath through his big emotions.
Or a wonderful moment where Disney’s Gaston soothed a crying toddler with a free cinnamon bun bigger than the child’s head.
Employees at Lani’s Suites de Luxe in Puerto Del Carmen, Spain once overheard a couple talking about their upcoming 100th night at a Lani brand hotel. Staff responded by filling their room with balloons, champaign, and chocolate.
These stories are all examples of responsive, in-the-moment thinking by customer-focused employees. They were empowered by their employer to use their personal creativity and judgement to make the guest experience amazing. I’m confident that their gestures of empathy and spontaneity created customers for life. If there was a Harvey Girl Hairbow of Hospitality Award, these employees would be on the fast track!
New Trains of Thought
There are places where providing technology can reduce staffing needs while increasing safety and profitability. Contactless check-in at hotels became highly desired and achievable in 2020. Restaurant kiosks, such as those at Panera, may reduce mistakes in food preparation while offering more accurate and detailed dietary information. In addition, they give customers a chance to see how their substitution choices affect their bill. And five years ago, Amazon opened its first brick and mortar store, Amazon Go, where shoppers scan their app at the entrance, pick items off the shelf, and exit the store without standing in a check-out line.
Would the Harvey Girls approve?
The Harvey Girls didn’t turn up their hairbows at technology, but their bloomers would have bunched at the idea of replacing the human touch without adding value and purpose. Technology should decrease friction points and increase the time guests spend enjoying amenities. If it doesn’t, guests will feel like they are working on their vacation.
Next week, we will continue this conversation by examining ways to retrain and retain your current staff so they don’t hop the next train out of town.
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