Setting the Table for a New Relocation Experience
We’re taking cues from the hospitality industry and asking… What's the new mint on the pillow?
A big learning we’re still resonating with from our DEIB spotlight last month is that people need to be seen, heard, and belong - no matter who you are or where you are, the human experience matters. From hotels to restaurants, the hospitality industry has prioritized and perfected the human experience from the moment you step into an establishment. Read on to find out who we’ve drawn inspiration from to elevate, curate, and humanize the relocation experience.
Enlightened Hospitality.
We’re motivated and truly inspired by the Danny Meyer ethos of enlightened hospitality. The Shake Shack Founder’s success can be linked to a number of winning strategies, but for us, the big takeaway is: from employees to customers; take care of your people and the rest (success) follows. Going a bit deeper into the Shake Shake story, we’re seriously vibing to intuition over data decision making and listening to who really matters for the ultimate customer-first approach:
“Following a poor New York Times review of Shake Shack in which the writer called out the restaurant for serving frozen, not fresh fries, Meyer took action. “It really got under my craw, and I said, we’re going to show him,” said Meyer (mad again!). He converted all existing Shake Shacks (at the time around 30) to begin serving fresh french fries. Little did he know – because he hadn’t done the research – that you’ve got to fry fresh potatoes three separate times and hang them between each oil dip.
Even then, for a variety of reasons, the quality and taste are inconsistent. “Frozen fries are picked at peak when fresh and flash frozen so they never change their molecular structure. They’re actually coated with something that acts like a raincoat, sealing in the heat, sealing out the oil,” Meyer explained.
“We were so proud and free of evidence and not listening, and it was the biggest lesson that I think we learned,” said Meyer, who after more than a year decided to bring back Shake Shack’s frozen crinkle cut fries, improved with non-GMO potatoes. “That was the biggest one-day bump in business we’ve ever had.” - Lessons From Shake Shack Founder Danny Myers, With a Side of Fries, Wharton.upenn.edu
There’s more here than a serious craving for french fries. Sometimes, it takes a leap of faith, trusting your gut, to offer something extraordinary and memorable. We don’t want the relocation industry to serve soggy fries. People deserve extra care and attention, and we’re here to urge and promote a virtuous circle of care to evolve our industry into something more than a transaction and bring passion back into what we do.
Unforgettable Hospitality.
We’re giving big kudos to Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, from the big to little things, the hotel brand executes the luxury experience on every level imaginable. If you’ve ever stayed with Fairmont, you likely come back not only with an epic experience but a story or two of how this legacy hotel brand surpassed your expectations and left you with something memorable. Going beyond leaving a little mint on your pillow, Fairmont’s success in our mind, lies in anticipating customers' needs to offer unforgettable surprise and delight.
“Fairmont Hotels understands luxury is more than opulent interiors, exquisite service and iconic addresses. True luxury is the gift of unforgettable experiences. It’s that moment when you see, hear, taste, touch or feel something as if for the very first time. Capturing that instant in a memory is the hallmark of the very best experiences. And it’s our privilege to help you experience this each time you’re our guest.” - Fairmont.com
Luxury isn’t limited to opulence, it’s the little things that make you feel something that are lasting. The concierge experience has evolved to be tuned into your every move. Noticing the little things like organizing (at no charge) a dry clean service and leaving you macaroons after a bird poops on your blazer to observing your workout routine in the morning and offering to clean and leave out your gear before the next day - this brand gets it and has made us think.
What if we, in the relocation industry, claimed back the concierge-mindset towards a hands-on, tuned-in approach to customer care? It’s not a stretch. The world is changing and people are craving a more curated, personalized approach to service. Here’s another one to think about, knowing we have a finger on the DEIB pulse. A little mint on the pillow is a nice touch but, what do you offer the folks that don’t like mints? A shift in mindset to solve for humans and start a revolution around inclusive customer-care.
Hospitality, Disrupted.
In true Sproutlier fashion, we’re going where no one else has gone before - Sproutbnb land. Yes, we may be dreaming (secretly manifesting) but we’re serious about this concept. What if relocation took cues from the Airbnb model and disrupted our industry to be synonymous with this equation: relocation = community connection and travel experience? This is “live-work-play” in true form.
We’re going beyond the limits of traditional relocation services and here’s who inspired us:
“On the surface, what people come to Airbnb for is a new way to travel, but below the surface, what they find on Airbnb is connection. They experience a deeper connection to the communities they visit and the people who live there. This connection is delivered by our hosts, and they provide guests with a deeply personal experience — after all, guests are welcomed in their homes, and they live in their communities.” - Airbnb Founders, Airbnb.com
We’re saluting Airbnb, an OG disruptor, not only for its outlier founder story, but for its creative and inspiring business pivot during the global Pandemic. One of the biggest elements we resonate with is how Airbnb sees challenge as an opportunity to become and do better. They adapted their approach and went back to the core of who they are, and likely re-asked why they do what they do in order to focus on what makes them unique.
This is the place Sprout is in. With a curious lens, we’re going back to our roots to offer people something different and introducing the Hu (human) Element in the relocation sphere.
With each and every person we relocate, we aim to connect with their unique spirit to offer something extraordinary, memorable, and human-centered. We have a Relocation Concierge mindset; willing to go above and beyond to ensure that wherever someone is, they can feel at home.
Experience the Sprout Difference. Experience Home, Wherever You Are.
