Hospitality with Rein Pastoor - What are we all about!

The hospitality industry is the greatest industry there is! Yet almost every day I experience things that really aren't acceptable. If I don't experience them myself, I get the stories forwarded to me. Surely you can do better than that?

'The whole hospitality industry seems tired,' someone said to me the other day, and maybe it is. Corona, staff shortages, rising costs, it's no mean feat either... But surely the guest shouldn't notice any of that? It seems like we are resigned to the fact that the service is no longer perfect and that the team is not as hospitable as we would like. That can't be true, can it?

Just the other day, I was sitting on the terrace at a reputable catering establishment in Amsterdam. After a good 10 minutes (!), a young lady stood in front of our table with only a "yes?". As I was rather bewildered and couldn't imagine that was the only thing she would say, I was silent for a moment, followed by a slightly louder "yes?!".

'Luckily', I was then still sitting on a terrace where a hostess actually walked around instead of having to order (and pay immediately) myself via a QR code. Ordering yourself, with only so-called 'runners' coming to your table. Young people who barely greet you, place the order as quickly as possible, don't look up or back and fly back inside as quickly as possible. Too scared that a guest will ask them something, when at that moment probably half the terrace still wants to order something and the other half of the terrace can be taken out.

I do know that I am exaggerating and fortunately there are plenty of companies that are doing a really great job, but it seems like more and more I am hearing things like:

You know it? Right at the moment you want to checkout, no one is there. Or at least no one who can or may pay. And when someone finally arrives, you do automatically get the choice of 10, 15 or 20 per cent tip with the bill.

I don't have to think long about that then... uhh, no!