Transcript: Episode 162: Money-Making Machine
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE:
APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | TOPFLOOR.COM
[00:00:00] Susan Barry: This is Top Floor episode 161. You can find the show notes at topfloorpodcast.com/episode/162.
[00:00:12] Narrator: Welcome to Top Floor with Susan Barry. This weekly podcast right up to the top floor features tangible tips and excellent stories from the experts and characters who elevate hospitality. And now your host and elevator operator, Susan Barry.
[00:00:32] Susan Barry: Welcome to the show. Michelle Pascoe is a seasoned expert in the hospitality industry with three decades as a customer and team retention specialist. In addition to running the consultancy she founded, she hosts the Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast. Based in Sydney, Australia, Michelle's company offers proprietary market research tools and leadership training, helping businesses all the way from small venues to large gaming establishments improve their customer engagement and operational efficiency. Michelle is also a speaker and a trainer with expertise in the multi generational workplace. Today we are going to talk about leadership and hospitality, but before we jump in, we need to answer the call button.
Call button rings
[00:01:31] Susan Barry: The emergency call button is our hotline for hospitality professionals and anybody else with a burning question. If you would like to submit a question, you can call or text me at 850 404 9630. Today's question was submitted by Kathy, and I'm going to paraphrase Kathy's question because it's quite a long one. And so ask me any questions that you have to clarify. Basically, the headline is, can we ask people to smile anymore? And Kathy is describing what, I don't know if you've seen this, but there's been quite the discourse on TikTok lately about, you cannot expect customer service people to smile or be friendly or greet people that they are there to press buttons on a cash register. That makes me feel some kind of way, but I am also very pro-labor and very open minded to hear all sides of this issue. So I'm really interested, Michelle, in what you think. Can we ask people to smile as part of their jobs?
[00:02:40] Michelle Pascoe: I would honestly hope, Susan, that somebody who was forward facing customers, no matter what time of day or night, that they really enjoyed their job, that they would naturally smile. To me, somebody who, what's happening on the inside, you know, are they not happy with what's happening in the workplace or what's happening at home, are they perhaps in the wrong role? They might be the right person for the organization, but there's somebody who really loves the backend work and, you know, the being behind the scenes and now we'll put them in front of that cash register. And you know, it's like, wow. You know, the headlights, you know, with the deer. Or is it perhaps we'll put them into a scenario where they haven't been trained correctly? And so instead of, it's not that they don't want to smile, but do they have that, that scowling look on their face? Because particularly when it comes to cash handling or handling any apparatus, you know, to take funds, is it, are they trying to understand what's this new technology? So I'd be looking into that, but I'm sorry, when I'm being served and I'm paying money, I am looking for engagement from somebody. Somebody who is breathing oxygen through their body and is wanting to be there! Because you know, the competition's too big, Susan. You know, to be honest, like even if you went somewhere that they had the best coffee and you thought this is, but if you were served with a face that looked like they just sucked a bag of lemons, I'd be going elsewhere. Simple as that.
[00:04:06] Susan Barry: I totally agree. I just think it's, you know, I think there's definitely a cultural renegotiation of work happening right now and it's — I am empathetic to the people who are like, you're barely paying me a living wage. How can you ask me to do, you know, all of these other things on top of the sort of basics of my day to day. So I am empathetic, but I'm with you. I would prefer a smile, thank you. So your business was built kind of on the back of a very bad job interview. What happened?
[00:04:42] Michelle Pascoe: So look, it was quite interesting. I had been in the hospitality industry working front of house, being the restaurant supervisor. Because your listeners will learn, I love talking. So it was a great role for me to be the hostess during the American cup.
[00:04:54] Susan Barry: Did you smile?
[00:04:57] Michelle Pascoe: I always smile because I was always talking! But it was during the America's cup when we won the cup from the USA and brought it down to Australia. So I had the opportunity to be in that role. And I absolutely loved it. Then a few years forward from that, I find myself, I'm traveling, you know, two hours out from my home. I had two very small children that I had sole care of at the time. My mother was very, very sick. And so I thought I really need to get a job that's closer to home. So that's what I did, I applied. Now back in those days. Now I'm not a child at this stage. I'm in my early thirties. So I was nearly 32 and I had thought to myself, I will get something closer. So, you know, it was looking up newspaper advertisements at that stage, no mobile phone. So you had to sit there and pick up the phone. So I think the job ad, it said you must handwrite your application. So I thought, Oh, all right. So I put a lot of effort into it. And I got the job.
[00:06:02] Susan Barry: Do you think that was about penmanship or just psychoticness? I’m just kidding.
[00:06:08] Michelle Pascoe: Well, yeah. Well, you've answered the question because what happened was he says to me, come in for a job interview Friday evening, 7 p.m. I go in, which seems really odd. So I've left my two young children with my parents. I've driven there. And when I get there, I'm the only person in the office, naturally at seven o'clock on a Friday night. I walk into his office. He locks the door behind me. Now I'm not feeling very comfortable at this stage. He gets out the, the, my application that I had spent hours in writing and says to me, do you like to drink? Now, I don't lie. Well, apart from my weight. Uh, and I said, um, oh, well, I'll be honest. Oh, yes. Well, sometimes. He goes, well, you must have been drunk when you wrote this application. And he just then went into full barrage of just, just really humiliating me and demeaning me. And you know what? The worst thing was I was 32 years of age, nearly Susan. And I went back to my childhood where I had always been told that I had shocking handwriting and my whole belief system was just imploding on me. And I listened and it took me all of my ability not to get up or not to cry. Cause I do cry quite a lot, but I didn't.
And I got to the end of his barrage of yelling and carrying on and he goes, have you got any questions? And I went, no, no. And I, I left and the next day he rang me up and he offered me the job. And I had thought to myself all night, this is, there is something really wrong here. And I said, well, before I answer that question, may I ask you about your technique in recruiting, you know, and your hiring process? He goes, “Oh, well, I just wanted to test how you would handle being yelled at because we have a lot of customers that come in here. All those yelling,” and he goes, “I wanted to see.” And I said, “Well, that was interesting, but that's not the way that you interview people. And apart from that, every one of my values are totally incongruent with yours. So no, thank you.”
So I turned down a lot of money, close to home. But the next day I hung out the shingles, so to speak, and started my business and here I am 30 years later. And may I say that person didn't stay in business for very long. But you know, it was that defining moment between, is it just about the money and what I needed? Or is it about my values? And my values of all those being the foundation of my company. And the same with all my employees, I would never ask them to do anything that I wouldn't ask of myself. And you've got to know what your true values are. That's what I believe.
[00:08:46] Susan Barry: So how has that journey shaped your perspective on hospitality? Going from restaurant hostess to now market researcher, trainer. Do you feel like you engage with restaurants and hotels differently now than you used to?
[00:09:05] Michelle Pascoe: Oh look, definitely. So, you know, from both sides, you know, being that, you know, out there on the front, the hostess. Looking at, looking at diners and thinking sometimes “Seriously? Do you know what you're asking for or what your tone is like?” But then also understanding now from this side, or, you know, being a market researcher, as well as being a trainer, is that restaurants and hospitality venues, particularly are finding it very hard to recruit staff, and staff that really are in correct roles. And therefore it's looking at both sides. There's the cost of employing somebody and the training of them. So, you know, some business owners then look at it and go, “Oh, this is costing me money. Let's just cut one person out so we can save that little bit more money.” But what it does, it impacts on the service.
And therefore, then when we look at the service provider, they're looking at the customer going, I'm trying to do my very best, but there should be two people, but now there's only one. So now that frontline person is becoming frustrated, not only with the boss, or the manager, but also with the customer who is becoming more and more, you know, anxious and perhaps even irate and intolerant because the service is slow. And I think from my perspective now, it's looking at and understanding — I know Susan, when I'm at large conferences or even in local restaurants and I may be sitting around the table and people say to me, “Oh, gee, the, the service is slow” or they'll be really grumpy. And I'll say, just let's look at behind the scenes for a moment. This is what may be happening out in the kitchen. This is maybe what's happening at the business. You may be a little bit upset because it's a bit slow, but you know what? We're not here at a fast food diner. So let's just sit back and relax.
[00:10:59] Susan Barry: One of the things that you have expertise in is multigenerational workforces. So I want to ask some questions about that and maybe start with level setting the different generations that are working together now and some of their key characteristics, maybe their myths, maybe their real characteristics, but what, what are the, what should we be aware of in the workplace now?
[00:11:28] Michelle Pascoe: We use generational blocks to give us a little bit of a guideline of what these people, some generalizations. But of course, there are all those outliers, there's all those cuspers, and there's all those individuals within those groups. But let's look at that first generation of those that would be the baby boomers. Now, there may be some pre-veterans, but to me, they would be really those family-owned business and probably at that stage, be more of the overseers. The baby boomers from 1946 through to 64, roughly, they are, you know, in the workplace, but they're looking at changes. They've worked very hard. They've built up a nest egg. Hopefully they've got their own home. So just because they've turned this ripe old age of 65 or whatever it might be, it doesn't mean that, oh, they, they want to retire. So as they're in the workplace, have conversations with them about where do they want to be? Do they wish to continue working full time? Some of them need to, some of them want to, because what's the other choice? Sitting at home, not all of them have interest. I find particularly with the hospitality industry, you know, they've worked so many odd hours over the years, having interests outside of our industry is something that not everybody always has.
So therefore, yeah, you know, so when they get to that age and they said, “Oh, well, you know, you can retire now.” They go, “Well, what am I going to do?” We could use them as mentors. So it's having that conversation. They have an, a massive amount of institutional knowledge and we are going to see this dearth of knowledge just slide away because they will be leaving in droves globally over the next few years and we haven't spent the time to find out what have they got in here. It's not the step by step. It's, it's the, how do we make that step by step work with that customer over here or that one? And let me introduce you to this customer and that, this is what they like. That in the hospitality industry, that's key. Then of course, then our next generation is Gen X. Now they're the, they're a very interesting generation.
[00:13:37] Susan Barry: And the best one.
[00:13:38] Michelle Pascoe: The best one! But if you think about it, there’s all this, “Let's talk about baby boomers, Gen Y, Gen Z, now it's Alpha.” Poor Gen X just disappears into this gray crack in the world.
[00:13:52] Susan Barry: We like it that way.
[00:13:54] Michelle Pascoe: Oh, do you? They’re are an interesting generatation. And I'm on that cusp. And so, you know, I've got much older brothers that are baby boomers and I lived through a very different generation to them. But then the bottom end of Gen X, you know, you think to yourself, well they are different again, because they're very close to Gen Y. The biggest thing about this generation is for the global GFC, not the last one, but the one prior to that, Susan, many of these Gen Xs were really starting to build their career. And then overnight they just got the message, “You no longer have a job,” for no fault of their own. They had to eat into the very small amount of superannuation and perhaps savings. And for many of them, they've really struggled to get back to the roles that they once had because they had to come into perhaps even a lesser role or a lower entry level. And they've really had to save. I see them as a generation of never knowing when they'd be able to retire.
Now, once again, this is a little bit of a generalization, but for many of them, they keep working because now — I lovingly call them the club sandwich generation — because the generation that can't stop working because they just need to keep building that nest egg. They're now looking after aging parents. Now that is a big impact. I've gone through that myself a number of years ago. If you start to go through that, it impacts on you in a big way, particularly if you're an employee. So you've got to start having those conversations with your employer about timing and things like that. But then you're also looking after your wonderful Gen Y children that are still at home. Loving the life, enjoying the cocktail life, not paying rent, but eating you out of house and home. And then you've got the grandchildren.
[00:15:43] Susan Barry: Are you speaking from experience?
[00:15:46] Michelle Pascoe: Of course, mine are all gone, but then I love my grandchildren. But you know, there are some people that sort of think, Oh yes, uh, the grandparents have got that one day off a fortnight from work as an employee. That's your one day that you can go to the dentist, get your hair done, pay the bills, et cetera. But now you're looking after the grandchildren and as lovely as it is. We need time to ourselves. So that Gen X are very interesting in the workplace. We've got to start thinking about what do they need about their flexibility with time, but they're not going to ask you for it. But the biggest thing with them is change. When you get up there and grandstand in front of your team and go, “Oh, we've got some changes happening. You're going to love it.” The last time these people heard change, they lost their job. So we've got it. They'll either, they'll go into themselves. They may start white anting your ideas and it's not because they don't agree. They just don't understand. So if you've got some big changes — yeah?
[00:16:42] Susan Barry: I just want to stop you for a second because the “white anting” phrase is something that I just learned maybe a week ago. Can you explain what that means for people who haven't heard it before?
[00:16:55] Michelle Pascoe: Oh my goodness. Thank you for pulling me up on that. Sometimes, yes, you can get very Australian on that. So “white anting” is, you have this great idea, you'll put it to the team and you'll go, “So we're going to become a seven day operation. You know, we're moving from six days… And this is what we're going to have...” And you, and you really giving them the opportunities that. Now they'll sit back — and this is where the white anting comes — they'll sit down and go, Oh yes. And they'll nod their heads. Then when you go out and you leave them, they'll start to say the stuff, “Oh, what a, what an idea that is. That's not going to work. Believe me. You watch this. The last time I had an idea that didn't work.” So they start putting into the mindset, particularly of new employees or younger employees, that this is not going to work. Let's just not get on board with this. They start poking holes and making up the scenarios that may be so far from the truth.
But what they haven't done is allow the opportunity for that manager or that owner of the business to answer any questions. And this comes from that fear point of change. So my suggestion to you, if you do have Gen X people in your, in your business, have a conversation with them before you even made that grand announcement. You know, it may be, you know, we're having this meeting, you know, tomorrow, I'm going to be talking about some changes, but I'd love just to have a little bit of one on one with you and just say what these changes mean. Because if we can, if we can allay that fear that they're not going to lose the job or they're going to be demoted, or they're going to be asked to do more, then when they get in there, they won't white ant. They'll be supporting you because they're not ones to ask questions. They'll be highly skeptical about things. So yes, when it comes to change, have those conversations with Gen X. Once you've got them on board, they are extremely loyal. Oh, and very trusting.
[00:18:53] Susan Barry: That’s a really good idea. Okay, let’s hit on Gen Y before we move on to how to put this into practice.
[00:18:57] Michelle Pascoe: Yeah. So Gen Y they’re an interesting generation, they like everything to be customized. And that's the way they've been brought up. They've also been brought up that, Oh, you can be in a business for six weeks and now be become the boss.
[00:19:03] Susan Barry: Yeah. This is the millennials promotion plan, right?
[00:19:12] Michelle Pascoe: That's right. Gen Z are very similar. They're the biggest cohort in the next 10 years as employers as well as employees. They want that seamless experience. They want flexibility, but they want your knowledge. They want your wisdom for them to be part of a business they want to feel that they're being seen, heard, and cared for. And then of course, we've got our Alphas just around the corner. They're 14 years of age. They are the biggest global cohort at the end of this year, there'll be more than two billion of them. They are a massive cohort and they are very interesting again.
[00:19:46] Susan Barry: Wow. The Gen Z, Gen Z cohort, I think is the most interesting to me right now because it's almost like the promise or the wish of Generation X coming true, right? And one of the things that another guest talked about with that generation in the workforce is the idea that they're very entrepreneurial. And so if you approach their job or their position as you're giving them like an apprenticeship or an internship, that that seems to be very successful. Does that ring true to you?
[00:20:26] Michelle Pascoe: Look, I agree. They want to learn. They want to learn from your wisdom. They want to know a little bit more about your business, why you started it, and why you do these certain things. They've got a great skill set. For many they are highly educated as well. And so coming to the hospitality industry, they're happy to start off on that role, but they want to see that there's development. They want to know that they are being seen, that they are part of the culture. But not being part of the culture that you think just like everybody else. That you're part of the culture, that you bring in their own special part of diversity, that diversity in thought.
And this is where so often I see businesses, they look at, you know, an application form today, and then that person will come in and they never ask them about what's, what's more than the skill set? What can they also bring into the business? What are they learning outside of the business that you may have not even asked them about? And that's where we have that entrepreneur. And you know what? If they want to start a side hustle, don't go, “Oh, you can't do that. That's going to impact on your, you know, your role here in the company.” Maybe it's something that you can work together. Maybe you can mentor through them through that as a business owner. And you know what? Nobody wants to be, have an employee that you go, “Oh, well, I want them to be here 10 or 15 years.” Just forget it. Just forget it. Like, um, if you do, that is wonderful and you must have a really great business that people want to be in. But let's be honest, if they're there for two years, I would, I've always said, I would rather have the best two years of somebody in hospitality than 10, 15, 20 years of somebody who's sucking oxygen and just doesn't want to be there. Let’s be realistic!
[00:22:11] Susan Barry: That’s a great segue into how to approach generational differences in customer service roles. And I think this harkens back to our call button question from earlier, can we ask people to smile? You know, some generations grew up with a certain expectation of how they behave at work. And other generations have not learned those expectations or experienced them yet. So what kind of techniques or trainings or I don't even, even ideas do you have to bridge those gaps?
[00:22:45] Michelle Pascoe: And you've made a really good point there that some people just don't know. And I think we saw that coming out of COVID, you know, I deal with the gaming industry and where there's alcohol, where there is gambling, where there is great food and entertainment. And it was quite odd because we were finding customers coming in who didn't understand a queuing system. Now, seriously, I would say to myself, you know, like there is a queue, that's what you, you stand in that queue. But they didn't. They would just believe that it was just. All about them because they had turned 18, 19, which is a here in Australia is when they are able to go into a gaming or a hotel. And so they had missed that those simple little cues in life, the ability to talk that little bit quieter, that this is not your lounge room anymore, and that you have to be tolerant of different people's opinions. So coming into the hospitality industry as an employee, what we were also seeing is that that lack of those simple little things, like how do you, how do you have this conversation with somebody that is not on a screen?
So it's not that you're going to be treating them right back into basics, but have that conversation with them. Because hospitality for many is the very first foray into the employment. They've gone straight from school or perhaps have been out of, you know, the workforce for 20, 40 years, you know, looking after children, et cetera, or aging parents. So let's start back with the basics, but in a kind way. And I always find training is reversing that role. How would you like to be greeted, Susan, when you come into that restaurant? You know, you've worked hard, you've made that money, you've read the menu, you've thought, oh, this is fantastic. You've gone out, you've dressed up, you know, you may be meeting girlfriends or it's with your partner or whoever it might be. So, you know, how, what are you expecting? And getting them to really start to share those stories and how does that make you feel? And what, what, what's the, what's the server doing to make you feel that way? And really getting them to see what it's like from that perspective. And then getting to say, okay, so you now as a server, what do you do? What are you going to do to, you know — and it takes a little while. Some get it really easy and others, they just, they get it once and then you have to tell them, you know, a number of times, but that's fine, that's fine, but it's consistency.
[00:25:16] Susan Barry: I think there's something here that we have talked about on the show before, which is the idea that we often expect people who have never experienced white glove service to provide white glove service. And sometimes it might just be giving new employees the opportunity to experience the kind of service you want them to deliver that would make all the difference in the world. But I love the idea of asking them, like, how would you like this to go? If you're on the other side, what a great way to do it.
We like to make sure that our listeners come away from each episode of top floor with a couple of very practical, tangible tips to try in their businesses or in their personal lives. You've already given lots of great tips, but what advice would you give companies that are looking to improve intergenerational teamwork? If I never hear someone say, “These young people just don't want to work anymore,” again, it will be too soon. Take it away, Michelle.
[00:26:20] Michelle Pascoe: It drives me crazy. Uh, as a quick little segue, I was training a group of 20 staff and not long ago, only a couple of weeks ago, and the manager was there and I was going through the generations and she goes, “Oh, that is gen Z. Oh, they're so lazy. They never do anything.” And I'm standing at the front of the room realizing then the 19 other people in this room around that manager are all Gen Z! And they all just look at her and she goes, “Oh, I don't mean you. I mean the others.”
[00:26:50] Susan Barry: Oh, come on. Isn’t that a mess?
[00:26:54] Michelle Pascoe: And that's exactly it. Because there'll be some of those in that room that would have been water off the back, you know? “Oh, well, she's just having a joke.” But there's others that would take that to heart. And that's what we've got to think about. So how do we do this? We've got to bring them together. Because we've seen this on the screen, not coming into the workplace, particularly with hospitality, we're like ships in the night. You know, one person comes in for the roster, one leaves and they never get that opportunity to connect. And that's where we need to build that connection between generations because all then each generation is hearing about the other generation is what the media is telling us, or what their friends are telling us. And they're not all those great experiences. So then we inform this opinion on other people's opinion. And so when we come into the workplace, like that lady, you know, “Oh, well, they're all, they're all lazy. Although we'll don't do this,” you know, and you think to yourself, no, think about the team. So please have that opportunity where you can gather your hospitality team. Now, I know you're going to say, Oh, Michelle, this is going to cost us time. It's going to cost us money, but no, even if it's a small amount, that little bit of spend can bring you back so much growth to your business, but not just about that financial growth, but about your people.
[00:28:15] Susan Barry: What are some small changes that you think businesses can make to improve service quality in that sort of environment?
[00:28:23] Michelle Pascoe: The biggest is consistency. And that, that's globally, you know, I speak all around the world about hospitality and that's all, that is the biggest thing is that lack of consistency. You can have your values, which are really important, but behind those values, you need actions and behaviors. You can't allow your team just to self interpret what they think “teamwork” is or “customer service,” you know, great looking posters. But we actually need, what are those actions and behaviors behind that? And then share them. with the team, you know, really get them to understand what they, what they mean. In the workplace to me, it is, yes, you've got to have a job description, but it's got to have that part in that's a little bit flexible about it. And that's having that conversation and saying to him, here was your job description. These are the six key points. You know, it's the cleaning or says prepping of the bar, it's a serving of the drinks, it’s how we serve the food, but above those is also that teamwork. Because, you know, if you're here and you can see somebody else working really hard, ask them, would they like some help? You know, don't just barge in and take over, but ask them. People really appreciate it and ask them, go, look, I've got five minutes, how can I help you? And people, you know, the other staff member turn around, “Oh, that'd be great. Could you go down into the storeroom and pick up some glasses?” You know, it's not going, I'll come in and I just start taking over serving - ask. You know, have that, have that sharing moment is really, really important. But also understand that when somebody says, this is my job description. What's behind that? That to me is a little bit of a red flag for a conversation in asking them. Let's find out what's behind that. Now, has it been in the past, Susan, where in another job role, they've gone beyond those, you know, job description and have been in trouble for that?
[00:30:21] Susan Barry: Or taken advantage of.
[00:30:24] Michelle Pascoe: Yes. Yes. And so they thought to themselves, I'm never doing that again. So have that conversation with, find out that a little bit more, you know.
[00:30:33] Susan Barry: Well, we have reached the fortune telling portion of our show. So you are going to predict the future and we'll see if you were correct. What is a prediction that you have about the future of customer service?
[00:30:44] Michelle Pascoe: They will always need people. I know that we are into AI and robots and that is fantastic. We've been using it for many years and it's, and it's making a big difference in all our lives, across all industries, but we'll always need that human connection, Susan. And we saw that coming out of the pandemic where people just crave to get back into your cafe. They wanted you to say, “Hi, Susan, how are you? Do you want that half strength latte? Come in and take a seat.” That's that connection. We will always crave that. We are people with all feel the same inside. So we will never lose the hospitality industry and that customer service will always be something people seek out.
[00:31:23] Susan Barry: If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about hospitality hiring practices, what would it be?
[00:31:31] Michelle Pascoe: Ask them about themselves. They can have a skill set and that's great that they can carry eight plates and, you know, play cymbals between their knees at the same time. But let's ask them about themselves. What do they enjoy? What interests are they? And it's not a question of, well, what are your five top interests or what are your hobbies, Susan? It is, oh, tell me a little bit about yourself, you know, when you were at school, because what you're going to learn or what, what, or in the last workplace is what is the learning style? Because that is, that's probably one big tip. When you employ somebody new and that's the very first day, ask them, Susan, “How do you learn best?” Do they like to make notes? Do they like to watch? Do they like to listen? Because that we all learn differently. We've all got different styles. And so, you know, somebody who's new at the job, they're going to feel, may feel a bit embarrassed of the taking notes, ask them straight up. “How do you like to learn?” Okay. And then once you know that, then you can adjust the way that you train them to the best way that they're going to take it on board.
[00:32:32] Susan Barry: So, Michelle, what is next for you and for your company?
[00:32:37] Michelle Pascoe: Look, you know, we continue to grow. Uh, I'm not looking for retirement yet. I don't know unless there's a bingo hall and I can do some calling for that in another 10 years, it will continue. I have a wonderful team here in Australia. So they do the market research for me, but my passion is spreading the word. And so, you know, I've been a professional speaker for over 20 years. With, you know, a certified speaking professional, which is internationally recognized. I am really getting out there and talking about building those bridges, you know, in the workplace between those generations. But I put a little bit of a fun spin on it, Susan, because I grew up on a turkey farm. And did you know turkeys are a highly intelligent bird?
[00:33:19] Susan Barry: I'm not surprised because they're very delicious.
[00:33:24] Michelle Pascoe: So it's all about the art of talking turkey in your workplace. So that's where we're heading. We still do the training, the market research, of course, and the, and the coaching of leaders in our amazing industry, but as a keynote speaker, but also breakout sessions, that's where I want to get at. How do we bring together these amazing generations that we have in the hospitality industry that are serving now six generations of customers?
[00:33:50] Susan Barry: Unbelievable. Okay, folks, before we tell Michelle goodbye, we are going to head down to the loading dock because that's where all the best stories get told.
Elevator voice announces, “Going down.”
[00:34:08] Susan Barry: Michelle, what is a story you would only share on the loading dock?
[00:34:10] Michelle Pascoe: I think it's about that human connection again. You know, working in the gaming industry, a lot of people see that is, it is just about this, this money making machine. And being open on days that, you know, are very special to, to some. And we have some of my clients, so their customers will come in very early in the morning and they may stay there all day. And some people would look at them and say, “Oh, you know, they have a problem. Why aren't they at home? Why aren't they doing this?” But I remember I spoke to this beautiful older lady one day and she said to me, “You know, Michelle, the only time I have any connection, any touch is when that server puts the change into my hand.” And at that point in time, I realized that our hospitality industry, yes, it can be flashy and amazing and these fantastic food offerings and beverages, but it's all about connecting with our people. No matter how old or how young they are, we need to be there for each other. For some, it's an extension to their living room. To others, it's a safe and secure place, whether it's your coffee shop and they sit there and they sip one coffee all day, or whether they come in and experience a beautiful moment that takes up their whole pay packet for the week just to have that one meal. To me, it's that connection and never forget that's what we're there for in hospitality. It's bringing people together.
[00:35:45] Susan Barry: Michelle Pascoe, thank you so much for being here. I know that our listeners got some great tips and great ideas, and I really appreciate you riding to The Top Floor.
[00:35:55] Michelle Pascoe: Thank you, Susan. I've loved it, and I hope your listeners have enjoyed our conversation this morning. As always, lovely to chat to you. You've got an excellent podcast, and I really thank you for having me as your guest today.
[00:36:09] Susan Barry: Thanks so much for listening. You can find the show notes at topfloorpodcast.com/episode/162. Jonathan Albano is our editor, producer, and all around genius. He even wrote and performed our theme song with vocals by Cameron Albano. You can subscribe to Top Floor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And your rating or review will go a long way in helping us give you more of what you like.
[00:36:44] Narrator: Thanks for listening to the Top Floor Podcast at www.topfloorpodcast.com. Have a hospitality marketing question? Reach us at 850-404-9630 to be featured in a future episode.