On a recent episode of That Bad Review podcast, hospitality veteran David Jones and I had an enlightening chat about his 25+ years in the industry and how he has stayed excited and innovative for so long. Most of it, David says, comes down to putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and always looking for new ways to keep things fresh. Here are a few of his choice pieces of advice:

Get The Most Out of Technology

One of the main services that David’s company provides is helping businesses make the most of technology. In the hospitality industry, particularly with some caravan parks that have been in business for a long time, people tend to be reticent about adopting new technologies or taking the time to even understand systems they already use. But technology, especially now when everything is about data, can really help you boost your business. Are you tracking sales at different points around your park? Are you keeping track of repeat customers and taking notes on their experiences? It’s paramount to adapt to the times and get with the system (pun intended).

Find an Outside Perspective

When you’re spending nearly every day in your park or hotel, you can develop tunnel vision for your business. It can become harder to take a fresh look at your practices, and you tend to become too wrapped up in the day-to-day minutiae rather than being innovative and developing new practices. It’s important to hire outside people who can look at your finances and practices and let you know how you could do things better.

Focus on The Experiences You Create

Younger folks these days are more interested in experiences than an over-the-top luxury. They would rather have cheap or free experiences — a few beers at the beach with locals, for example — than sit inside the hotel next to the pool. There are a few things as a holidaymaker you can do to facilitate this. It can be as simple as posting a sign explaining a famous event that happened down the road, or you could organise your own camping excursion for curious travellers.

Take a Break

Above all, your own health and well-being should be the top priority. People in the hospitality business tend to overwork themselves, and it’s important that you get away from it every once in a while. Take a break from your property, go on your own vacation — do whatever you need to do. This isn’t just for your own benefit, as a refreshed perspective can help you be more creative and attentive to your property.

These are just a few of the things David and I talked about during the episode, but they’re important bits of advice for those working in the hospitality industry. Always make sure you’re looking towards the future and trying to do something new, rather than just becoming complacent.

Listen to my entire conversation with David here.