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JIMINY SELF-HELP HANDBOOK 7

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An example of empathic workers in our target group

Since we need to focus on JIMINY’s target group (and not only to managers and executives) we must
think the industries where low-skilled and marginalized workers is easier to find work and evaluate if
EI and especially Empathy can play a role to that. Our research confirms that the hospitality industry is
one of these cases.
In this industry many tools have been developed to measure quality, but what now emerges in e.g.,
the hotel sector, is the emotional aspect of guest feedback. While aspects like the standardised (non-
fluctuating) service, a good quality and clean product have always a positive and cumulative impact, it
is the employees who are real the differentiating factor for a hotel; they are in the best position to
shape and influence the emotions of their guests, and therefore to drive decisions like to return to and
recommend the hotel.

The approach of having employees asking their guests ‘how do you feel?’ may not seem a very targeted
or relevant approach in many industries, but it is important in hospitality. This is why it is essential not
to overlook the emotional intelligence of employees and guests alike. It is driven by the need to be
understood. Human beings have an underlying desire to be understood and that is what empathy is all
about. If a hotel’s guests feel consistently understood, the establishment is already quite likely to
outdistancing its competitors.

So how can a hotel reap the benefits from emotionally fulfilled guests and employees? As we will see
later in the document active listening and observing are the main techniques. It is understandable that
in the heat of a busy service the employees’ instinct can be simply “to get the job done” but, while
they may not have the time to stop, they should make a conscious effort to pause, look and listen to
each individual guest. Not listening can be the single biggest cause of service errors and the prime
source of guest frustration. In addition, by not looking, opportunities to pick up on cues that would
allow staff to provide personalised service, may be missed. These observations are not only related to
hotel managers, awarded chefs or just the receptionists. Every single employee who communicates
with a guest can affect his/her experience and that’s why all the companies in the sector provide
targeted training for the required soft-skills which are mostly related to EI and Empathy.