The Service Center SHORTS: Recent Episodes
William Murray
Welcome the The Service Center SHORTS! It is #AudioMo month, so this quick show will be a fun experiment of me communicating some of my thoughts, ideas, insights, musings, and feelings about the hospitality and tourism industry. I hope you stick around and enjoy the ride!!If you're looking for the long format interviews with some amazing leaders and entrepreneurs in our industry, head on over to the main page of The Service Center (https://theservicecenter.buzzsprout.com/). As always, drop a note on social or via email to say HI, let me know what you think, offer up any questions or maybe a suggestion for a topic you'd like to hear about this month. william@theservicecenter.ca
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
In our non-stop daily grind, sometimes the daily grind is exactly what we need to pull ourselves back into focus. To exercise the art of patience. Patience is one of the core aspects of mindfulness and can bring the most common of experiences into better focus if you can take a moment to be in the moment.
Be sure to have a listen, then come back and let me know what you think!!
And, as always, be sure to share and subscribe.
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to hear more about.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
One of the core perceptions of the hospitality industry is that the pay is low. Ok, it's pretty true for front line staff - but what if it didn't have to be. What if operators mapped out their costs to include paying a living wage to all staff. They planned for this, then including it into the menu mix and menu engineering so that all menu prices were completely inclusive.
No tips either!! Completely inclusive.
That's what Barque's BBQ (https://www.barque.ca/) chose to do. And I support it - I hope you do to.
Just my thoughts on the matter. Be sure to have a listen, then come back and let me know what you think!!
And, as always, be sure to share and subscribe.
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to hear more about.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
Today, I want to talk about language - particularly the phrase, "No problem!"
It has seeped into everyday usage, just below verbal ticks likes, "Like.." and "So, she was like... I was like..."
Language builds context for service, setting the stage and tone for interactions. Wherever possible, avoid inserting negatives, such as 'no', into our communication with guests, unless we need to establish clear and important boundaries. And use words to influence the context - being in service to someone, especially when it is your business, should be an absolute pleasure, not the absence of a problem.
Just my thoughts on the matter. Be sure to have a listen, then come back and let me know what you think!!
And, as always, be sure to share and subscribe.
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to hear more about.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
Remote workers - it's just amazing how quickly the conversation has changed in the last 2 1/2 years! It's a transformation worthy of a Marvel comic storyline - massive changes that have captured the attention of the world.
All of us that have worked from home or remotely these past years have experienced the same thing. We miss the connections to people and the relationships at work. The chance to feel allied and aligned with our organization. It's a human thing. But many companies have been so focused on getting work done, that they've forgotten about the needs of those doing the work.
This episode highlights the importance of affective connections and commitment, particularly for remote workers, highlighting a new article by Barry Dust in Fast Company called, “Your Remote Employees Aren’t Disloyal. They Just Need More of This.”.
Be sure to have a listen, check out the article, then come back and let me know what you think!! And, as always, be sure to share and subscribe.
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to hear more about.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
Choice is an illusion and a paradox. We've all heard the phrase, "There is no free lunch!", and the same applies to choice. Today, I share my thoughts on the a la carte pricing model used by airlines - one of growing interest to hotels and restaurants. Charge for every piece and let customers sort it out by having to make choice after choice. In my mind, this deflects both responsibility and burden of choice onto the customer, whilst the business operator seek to increase their bottom line (according to a new study released just this week).
Barry Schwartz's book The Paradox of Choice is a fantastic resource to understand this and I highly recommend it.
Let me know what you think - and be sure to share and subscribe!!
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to show up this month.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
Hard work beats talent every time. I truly believe this and so that's the topic today - looking at the importance of respecting the journey to excellence and the willingness to engage in the process of mastery. Whether it's a quote from Dwayne Johnson about being the hardest worker in the room, or research presented by Malcolm Gladwell from his book "Outliers", or insight from industry experts like Jerrett Young, the perspective is the same.
To obtain mastery and excellence, practice matters.
Let me know what you think - and be sure to share and subscribe!!
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to show up this month.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
In this episode, I surface a taboo - that seeking to delight you customers as a primary goal of service is wrong.
Pulling from a great study from HBR of over 75,000 customers, I point out the while most service companies extoll that exceeding customer expectations is their TOP priority, an overwhelming number of customers state that the expectations had not be exceeded in prior interactions. Not to mention the law of diminishing returns on loyalty when you seek to exceed versus consistently meet expectations.
Perhaps the value of solving customer problems and making their lives easier through your services should become THE primary goal, taking advantage of those extra opportunities to delight as they appear.
Let me know what you think - and be sure to share and subscribe!!
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to show up this month.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.
William is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada) in the School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the Lang School of Business & Economics. He is an award-winning hospitality management educator with over 20 years experiences at both colleges and universities across Canada. His research focuses on workforce sustainability and the human condition of workers. He has published work in top journals, including Sustainability, the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, and the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, along with being a co-author of the textbook Snapshots: An Introduction to Tourism, 6th Cdn.
Welcome to The Service Center SHORTS! These are super short episodes produced daily for the month of June in support of #AudioMo - the month of audio sharing and podcasting.
In this episode, I share some of the research published by myself and my co-author Mark Holmes about employee empowerment, organizational commitment, and the impacts on an employee's intention to leave. Spoiler alert - our research shows that the meaning an employee finds in work, found in the alignment of person and organization values and purpose, has THE greatest impact on commitment and retention.
Be sure to share and subscribe!!
Reach out and connect through email or on my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you, talk about your thoughts and comments, and hear what topics you would like to show up this month.
E-mail: william@theservicecenter.ca Twitter: @WilliamCMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamcmurray/
Host: William C Murray, PhD:
William is passionate about service, the hospitality industry, and the human experiences found therein. He began in the service industry at the early age of 14 and has never looked back, gaining experience in retail, restaurants, and major hotel companies nationwide. Along the way, he earned a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a degree in English Literature, an MBA in Tourism Management, and his PhD in Management.