7 ways to make hospitality more than just a buzzword in your coworking business.
Hospitality isn’t just a concept or a strategy to be implemented. It's a feeling. It’s a feeling you get when you’re in an environment that you love and where you feel good. It’s about the warmth of generosity, a welcome, a sense of belonging that you’ve finally arrived, and this is where you feel comfortable and comforted. And, while we’ve heard lots of chatter on the role of hospitality and the future of coworking, we haven’t heard many people offering real, practical advice on ‘How’ to create this ‘feeling’ of hospitality that customers deeply desire.
So, we thought we’d step into the breach and provide operators with 7 clear, proven actions to integrate hospitality within their coworking and flex workspaces. These actions will help you to understand the fundamental essence of hospitality that underpins every positive customer experience. They will also inspire you to think about your own space and how you can create a welcome sense of belonging among your own members that engenders loyalty and advocacy.
But what makes us credible enough to give practical advice on hospitality in coworking?
At iWorkSpaceMail with iPostal1, we have our very own in-house expert, William Edmundson, who has already been there, done that, and has the top hotel industry awards to show for it.
William is the Senior Vice President of iWorkSpaceMail. Before joining our team, William held executive positions with Hilton’s Hampton Brand and Choice Hotels Cambria Brand, where he and his team won 4 JD Power awards for exceptional customer service in hospitality. He was also the CEO of Abby Executive Suites and COO of Office Evolution, where he used his hospitality knowledge and expertise to deliver record profits.
“The one thing that must always remain front and center is the customer, which means creating a consistently friendly and welcoming environment that makes them happy. The common denominator of my success as a hotelier, workspace operator, and now at iWorkSpaceMail is that I’ve always focused on creating a great customer experience, but it goes much deeper than that; it’s about how people feel when they leave you. It’s simple, really; just leave them feeling great!”
We asked William to share his trade secrets on how operators can create a hospitality-led coworking business that keeps customers coming back for more.
William draws many parallels with the coworking and hotel industries declaring his unwavering mantra,
“It’s all about the customer experience at every touchpoint. You must make every impression count, guarantee quality assurance, and create a ‘hospitality-led’ culture from the top down, whether it’s hotels, coworking, or digital mail companies. Not to mention an unwavering commitment to service, service, and you guessed it, service!”
This is precisely why we’ve asked William to explain how operators can create a hospitality-led experience within their coworking business. Actions that put the customer front and center lead to an increased lifetime value for each and every customer.
Quality Assurance: Getting the basics right, every moment of every day
A consistent approach to getting the basics right all day, every day, is the foundation of good hospitality. It assures quality of service and presentation.
“Inspect what you expect - I would use this phrase all the time with my teams. If your team knows what you’re looking for, they’re more likely to do it.
Every day, I would ensure the team and I got the simple stuff done. We’d check the lobby was clear of garbage and takeaway cups and make sure it was clean and well presented. Every bathroom was checked every hour to ensure it was clean, well-stocked, and smelling good. Every room was inspected daily, and if it was raining, floors were mopped, and umbrellas were by the front door. Tables and chairs were checked for breakages and then positioned neatly ready for guests to arrive. These are simple but often overlooked points if your team is busy and the space is bustling.
The key to this approach was to ensure every team member knew it was up to them to check these things. I taught them by example- never walk past a mess without clearing it up, never leave a desk dirty without cleaning it yourself, and always check the bathrooms if you’re walking past.”
Action: Keep a checklist of basic tasks that every team member can see. Teach every new employee that it is ‘everyone’s’ job to check these things, not just housekeeping or cleaning staff. Lead by example- show your staff it’s not beneath anyone to pick up a piece of trash, help a guest with their bags, clean the bathroom, or tidy a room. Never leave it for someone else to find, especially a guest!Surprise and delight with touch points throughout the day
“When I was in hotels, I would walk from the street through the front door and to the elevator. I was walking in the customer's footsteps. I would think about every opportunity to surprise, delight, and engage with the customer to create a unique experience. I’d start with the basics (as detailed above) and then add little extras that the customer wasn’t expecting that added value or simply made them smile.
For example, the basics might include mints and complimentary water at the check-in desk. Little extras could be a complimentary shoe shine or tickets to a local event for a regular customer. Paper and a pen that actually worked was a big thing - someone always forgot their pen, but it was the thought that you’d anticipated their need before they realized they needed it. This is what made us stand out from our competitors.”
Action: What does a walk-through of your space look like? Where could you add extra touches that differentiate your coworking space from others? What would members love or need? Perhaps a notepad and pen on each desk on arrival.Refreshments at the ready
“Think carefully about the drinks you offer as part of your member bundles and what the paid extras are. We would always include unlimited coffee, tea, and cookies for all members every day. But we’d also offer complimentary donuts on a Wednesday and beers on a Friday. This not only added value but it provided great networking opportunities for members to take a break and get to know their coworking colleagues in a relaxed environment. It nurtured relationships, and the place had a great vibe. In addition to this, we also had a paid ‘marketplace’ for members who wanted lunch or a snack but didn’t have time to visit the store. We’d offer things like muffins, filled bagels, salads, and pasta, plus the usual confectionery. It was hugely successful.”
Action: Decide what’s included with monthly memberships and make that a selling point. Set up a ‘marketplace’ or vending machine service where members can purchase additional snacks and light lunch options. Also, consider having a local deli deliver daily sandwiches/snacks that can be pre-ordered each morning and paid on their member monthly account for easy billing.
Hiring with a hospitality mindset
“It’s all about keeping your community members, guests, and customers happy and coming back for more. That’s why when I began as a coworking operator, I started looking to hire people from any industry, but specifically with a service mindset. It’s about identifying those with an attitude to serve and please, while looking for opportunities to anticipate the guest's needs. While I could teach people how to set up a meeting room and give a tour of the space, they weren’t innately service-oriented. I tell all my colleagues and associates that you should never underestimate the power of a hospitality mindset.”
Action: Create job descriptions with a hospitality mindset. When interviewing candidates, present some hospitality-led scenarios and ask them to explain in detail, ‘What would you do in this situation?’ It’s your job to understand whether they have the initiative to provide exceptional service while also being confident that they have the resources and ability to think on their feet and resolve situations promptly.Being proactive instead of reactive
“At Hampton - we were so proactive that we could confidently offer an unconditional 100% satisfaction guarantee. But even more importantly, we also gave every staff member the autonomy to give that money back to any customer they thought warranted it - without justification.
One example was a woman who said she had a bad night's sleep because the light on the smoke detector in her room was red when she thought it could have been green - we explained it was supposed to be red, but we gave her the money anyway because we knew if she were happy, she would come back. That increased her ‘share of wallet’ in the long term. We knew for the rest of her days she would always stay in a Hampton hotel because she got great service, plus she’s very likely to recommend you to her friends too!” This is a simple yet hugely effective way for operators to be more proactive.”
Action: Create a customer satisfaction policy that assures your customers they’ll get great service. Give staff the autonomy to implement the policy without justification and without reprisal.
Business birthdays and celebrations
“Part of my mission was to identify opportunities to make our members feel special, and there was no better time than to celebrate milestones. From team members to customers, we would track birthdays (business and personal), event launches, and everything in between. Our CRM was our go-to tool for making sure we never missed a thing. Even a simple card and recognition of their milestone made their day. It was all part of creating an environment where people felt they truly belonged.”
Action: Use your CRM to track events, milestones, and details of your customers’ and teams’ special days. Partner with a cake supplier, card company, and balloon service to simplify ordering and delivery. Share the milestones and wins on your social media, member newsletter, etc.
Regular events and holidays
“A great way to get members interacting is by hosting event days. I’ve hosted July 4th celebrations, Thanksgiving lunches, Superbowl nights, and much more. There’s always something great to host and bring folks together. We supplied pizza, hot dogs, burgers, or whatever was appropriate and welcomed everyone to join in the festivities. It enabled us to partner with other local businesses to showcase them and also show our members that our space wasn’t just a place to work, but a place to belong.”
Action: Create a diary of celebration dates. Partner with local vendors and negotiate a deal to showcase their service and serve your customers. Invite your members and ask them to spread the word.
Operators have unlimited opportunities to embrace hospitality and create a welcoming, feel-good environment within their space. Begin by implementing some of William’s simple yet impactful proven action steps in your workspace, and you’ll quickly start to see positive changes. Remember, get the basics right first and then build on each step until you’ve created the hospitality-led experiences your members love.
William began his hospitality career working summers in his family’s hotels working in maintenance, unblocking bathrooms, cleaning pools, and rebuilding HVAC units. After college, he served several major brands in marketing, operations, and franchise support roles before assuming executive roles across Hilton and Choice Hotels brands.
Today, William is the Senior Vice President of iWorkSpaceMail leadership team. William focuses on growing the business by supporting operators and helping them increase revenue growth, profitability, and scale.
