The second session of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Institute centered on hospitality and how every business should have it in their professional tool kit. The Business Institute is a series of four programs held each year during the summer months.
The June program was Leaders in Hospitality. Leading the discussion was Erik Smith, Owner & Operator of Chick-fil-A’s location in Grovetown.
Smith said hospitality is demonstrated by making guests feel welcome from the start. At Chick-fil-A, it is accomplished by several traits that mark the company’s philosophy. They are known as the “Core Four”: Eye contact, a smile, speaking enthusiastically, and staying connected.
Among those attending was Jason Warner, Managing Partner of Allegra 360 Imaging.
While his industry is vastly different from a food service business like Chick-fil-A, he believes the core message of hospitality crosses all disciplines.
“One, it’s dealing with customers. How are you engaging with them? What are they doing, interacting that that’s successful,” he explained. “And then also our businesses are print and signs, and so we do print and signage. Hospitality needs those, so where are those doors? Where are those opportunities to engage with people that are in the hospitality field?”
Warner said the chance to network with the diverse businesses represented helps him understand what other people are doing to make their company successful.
“This is my first time coming, but just the opportunity to meet with other business owners and what they are doing, and build that network and knowledge base is extremely helpful. I’ve been to other chamber events, and it’s always been great to go to these events and see other people, meet business owners, talk to them about their ideas and what they’re doing to be successful, and how their businesses are doing,” he said.
Smith also explained a component of the Chick-fil-A commitment to providing more than just hospitality. It is called “Second Mile Service.” He said it can be something as simple as opening a door for a customer. He said it is a way to give people a reason to come back to a business.
“In the hospitality industry, we’re all together with one cause to help serve our customers the best way that we can. And even though I’m in the food service industry, everybody else deals with customers in different industries, and so maybe we can work together to help serve our customers even better,” he said.
However, he said, those opportunities are not unique to businesses. He said anyone can go the second mile in their personal lives by being aware of another person’s needs.
The next Business Institute will be on July 10 from 8-10 a.m. The topic will be Canva 101: Marketing Tips & Design Tricks for Beginners. It will be presented by Jamie Miller, Communications Manager at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.
The final session in this year’s series will be held on August 7th. The topic and location will be announced in the future.
For more information and to register, visit https://www.columbiacountychamber.com/business-institute-series/
