Jeannine Sok: The best training in hospitality: the Dutch weather.

“Lovely weather, isn’t it?”

It might be a slightly clichéd opening line for striking up a casual conversation with your guests, but there’s much more to it than that. The weather has a direct impact on the behaviour of your guests, as well as that of your colleagues. Rain, gale-force winds or extreme heat accompanied by a heavy thunderstorm – all of these have a direct impact on people’s moods.

What do you do when it’s sweltering hot one minute and the weather changes completely the next?

Flexible hospitality – from fourteen degrees Celsius to thirty… or the other way round

Rain, lovely sunshine, a biting wind or extreme cold – every type of weather has its own dynamics. Unfortunately, this isn’t often taken into account when discussing hospitality, but it does indeed affect your guests“ behaviour. The weather influences their mood, their expectations and even the pace at which they enter your hotel. You can respond to this quickly by adopting an empathetic approach – I call this the ”empathic scan’. Observe, sense and anticipate. So, “Do you see wet hair? Offer a towel. Do you see red cheeks? Bring a nice glass of cold water. Do you see cold hands? Offer a warm welcome drink.” This means noticing something and responding to it immediately, before the guest has even thought about it.

It is important to teach your colleagues to pick up on the signs. Anticipate these by, for example, welcoming a guest who comes in soaked from the rain. They don’t want the standard “Good afternoon, welcome to our hotel”. They want warmth – literally and figuratively. A dry towel, a smile, perhaps even a nice cup of hot tea. Small gestures that show you’ve noticed the guest, understand them and, above all, put their mind at ease.

The weather is changing the guest requirements And so hospitality needs to adapt accordingly. How do you prepare?

At many hotels, I often see umbrellas by the entrance; that’s really handy for guests and a great way to get them to spread the word about your hotel. But have you thought about wet guests coming in? Or wet dogs, if they’re welcome at your hotel? How do you deal with that? Speed is of the essence, because wet guests don’t want to wait. A nice dark towel to dry the dog off, for example, and you can give them a clean, dry one – with your logo on it, of course – to take home for next time. That’s how you stand out and really make your guests happy.

In extreme heat, it works exactly the other way round. Guests come in panting, perhaps a bit short-tempered or, on the contrary, in a relaxed holiday mood. Their needs shift towards cooling down, speed and clarity. No long explanations, just a glass of cold water with lemon and mint and a quick check-in.

A Dutch winter calls for comfort food – dishes with warming spices such as cinnamon. Guests are immediately wrapped in a warm blanket thanks to the cosy temperature inside. The cocktails, hot drinks and dishes are perfect for winter. There’s more time for a friendly chat with the guests.

”What small gestures can I make to turn things around in my favour?”

Sometimes you can see the effect of the weather not only in your guests, but also in how your team reacts. Think of one of those freezing cold mornings when an elderly lady walks into the lobby, her hands blue with the cold. Your trainee is ready with the standard greeting, but you, as the trainer, spot it straight away. You walk over to her with a cup of hot tea with orange and cinnamon and say: “Let’s get you warmed up first.”

She smiled, her shoulders slumping, and said, “How lovely!”

Hospitality means adapting to the weather

The weather is never neutral. It affects how guests feel, how they look, and how they react. That is why craftsmanship so important. The weather in the Netherlands calls for professionals who can recognise and acknowledge the weather and the guests’ needs that go with it. It calls for a flexible attitude and genuine attention to the guest.

You can’t change the weather, but how you react to it makes all the difference between an ordinary stay and an unforgettable experience. The weather affects your guests’ behaviour, but the hospitality you offer changes their day.

Ask yourself: “How can I make a difference again tomorrow?”