Build a gender-inclusive customer journey to get more bookings

Show Notes

In this conversation, Liam and Alex discuss the importance of gender inclusivity in the customer journey. They highlight the benefits of creating an inclusive environment from the very beginning of the customer interaction, including the booking process.

Alex emphasises the value of using gender-neutral language and asking for pronouns in booking forms to make customers feel valued and seen. They also discuss the importance of staff training and accountability in using correct pronouns. The conversation concludes with a case study of a venue that successfully incorporates inclusivity into their customer journey.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
03:08 The Importance of Inclusivity in the Customer Journey
07:28 Creating an Inclusive Booking Process
12:03 Communication and Confirmation
19:07 Training Hosts and Overcoming Pronoun Challenges
23:56 Case Study: The Flight Club
27:19 Conclusion and Actionable Steps

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I've got Alex, thank you so much for being here.

No, my pleasure. Lovely to sit down with you.

So we've actually been kind of trying to plan this for a few months, haven't we? Because I went to a small hospitality conference where I live in Liverpool and you came and you did the... brilliant talk on inclusivity and your personal experiences. And I guess the thing which really caught my ear and I was the reasons why businesses should care. So there's a lot of hospitality businesses who don't really know how to maximize the inclusivity, how to make sure that they are being as inclusive as they can to all groups. And I think a lot of it comes from people just not understanding how other people feel and I put myself a hundred percent in that so I'm gonna learn loads today because I'll probably ask loads of stupid questions but we'll see where we go. No I welcome questions, I welcome questions, always welcome questions I think that's the only way that we can learn it's the only way that we can grow so I am here for it but thank you so much for having me.

What your work is, why you're involved in this?

Yeah, so I am Alex. I am the founder of a company that is beyond the binary. I am a non-binary queer business owner. I got into the work that I do through my professional background and through my own personal journey of why inclusivity has got to be at the forefront of our minds.

so that every customer and client and employee that comes into our space feels valued, feels seen and heard as they are. And you know, this saying of you can bring your full self to work and I think having an inclusive culture for people to be able to engage with, for the productivity and the creativity goes up tenfold. And being able to work with companies within the hospitality industry around my consultancy. of the benefits of staff culture, of having this as an embedded way of living, breathing and being part of work. And my journey of self-discovery has contributed to that 100% because it gives me the space to speak about my own lived experiences from a scar and not the wound, let's say. So I can resonate with people and I can give people full permission to get things wrong so they can get things right Superb brilliant So we're going to be focusing more on the customer side of things today and we're going to be Specific because we always like to focus on something which is actionable on the podcast So we're going to be talking about what businesses can do at the beginning of the journey So in the book job booking process or let's say up to like when they step into the door even to be more inclusive, so First, can I ask you to qualify the problem for me a little bit? What do you, why should businesses be more inclusive in that very, very first section of interaction that they have with customers? What's the benefit?

The benefit of being like when customers step into like when we think about the hospitality industry itself, we go out to socialize, to spend time with friends and family and to enjoy that overall experience. Don't get me wrong, having a pint and having food is the ultimate reason for why we do it. But that full experience of being able to just relax and chill out, and as soon as that customer walks through the door, they want to know that they are being valued. They want to know that they're being taken as their full self, as a human being.

So that first initial interaction of, you know, addressing them as hello folks, hello people.

you know, hello gorgeous humans, you know, welcoming them in into that space. We're not making assumptions from face value because I know that in some situations, especially in my experiences, that when people have said, you know, hello ladies, immediately I'm on the back foot because I'm like, right, okay then, is this gonna be a safe space for me to be in? Is this gonna be an affirming environment for me to be in? and the benefits of being able to initially greet somebody as using gender neutral language, for example, you are giving that added value of raw connection to that human. You are not making assumptions from face value. You are simply just connecting with that person, with that human that's in front of you. So simply just being able to address them neutrally, being able to ask, you know, like what their pronouns are. Because there's always... What I found with working in hospitality and also being a customer within hospitality is that when somebody like a host or somebody that is looking after me in that journey somebody's saying to me, you know, hello can I like ask what your name is, can I ask what your pronouns are please we're making that connection straight away with our customers.

They feel valued, they feel seen, they feel like they are being looked after, that they are the sole importance to that host's life, which is what you want to create because then you are giving that sense of priority, that sense of engagement, which again, giving that sense of, oh, what's the, giving that sense of space holding for a customer. is going to get them to feel like they are a part of that community, that they belong to that family within the venue that they're a part of, which again when they feel that value, they feel that sense of belonging, they want to come back.

So then what you're looking at as a wider scale is that there's more profitability and there's more reinvestment from that customer because they will want to come back and enjoy and have that experience again and again. Yeah superb.

So Um, I guess what I'm hearing really is there's kind of like two, you can kind of bucket the reasons for doing this into two big buckets, really. You've got like compassionate reasons.

So just wanting to be a better human for other humans, let's say. But then you've also got business reasons. Like you're going to get more spend, you're going to get more customers.

Uh, you're going to get more spend. So like there's two reasons to do it really. Can we.

Can we think about this then from a chronological point of view? Because that's kind of how my brain works. So we've, I want, and obviously we're blessed because we've got you here now.

So you're actually, you, you would actually live this experience. So if you're choosing somewhere to eat, let's say restaurants or whatever, right from the very moment where you're sitting down and you're thinking, right, I want to go out for food on Saturday. So right from that booking experience, let's start there. Like what can, what can restaurants do to, to be more inclusive right from the very beginning?

So I know a lot of places now will do like bookings online or will take bookings over the phone or whatever. And one of the ways that I have seen hospitality venues and companies do is on the booking form from the initial off, you know, asking what pronouns are. So again, before you've even walked into the venue, you are already connecting with that customer straight away. So simply adding into that booking form, you know, you've got the name, you've got your email and then what are your pronouns?

You know, who are these guests? And straight away when you're stepping into that venue, you know that the people that are there are gonna look after you. They already know a part of who you are without assuming from face value.

So again from my experiences when I've been a customer of a venue, when I've completed a booking form for example and I say you know can you please tell us what your preferred pronouns are I'm like amazing before that anxiety just drops immediately I can walk through the door and I'm being greeted in a way that is affirming and that is validating to me and again it gives that sense of value and it gives that sense of importance of what pronouns are it's also showing that staff team have got that awareness, they've been given inclusivity training for example, they've been given that awareness of that people can identify outside of the gender binary, which does create this safer and affirming environment for people to enjoy themselves because that's why we go out for food, that's why we go for drinks because we were there to enjoy ourselves, we're there to just kick back and relax especially if we've had you know like a busy We want to have that initial first off, I am safe in this space. So before you even stepping into that environment, booking forms are a really crucial and valuable way that you can connect with that customer before you even clap ties on them. And just we'll have some people who I guess are thinking about this maybe for the first time. So. Let's just break it down the absolute dummies guide. So when you say pronouns are we talking about he she they them or Yeah, so we talked so pronouns.

So it's a big conversation around pronoun development at the minute in all spaces And you know hospitality being one that I feel will benefit Mostly because we are we are using those community Communication skills in every single element of the word of hospitality, right? We think about pronouns.

I hear him she, her, they, them. But again, that list is not exhausted. There is up to, or there's over 70 ways that people can use pronouns. So it's giving them that option.

So for example, on a booking form, if you've got the option of having a drop down menu, you know, importing all of the options for pronouns on there, or simply giving an example of what that might be. So one way that I have... advise clients that I've worked with or that I've seen as a customer is you know please let us know your pronouns he, him, she, her, they, them. If not specified please write in the box below. And again it's opening up that option it's giving people that space to affirm themselves before they've stepped into a space. But yeah pronouns is a very big conversation at the moment like there as a customer that even on their name badge, they've got their name and the pronouns underneath.

It's just a very simple way of being able to show that there is awareness, there is validation and there is value to human beings, to that connection with human beings that are coming into our space, whether that be paying customers, whether that be investors or whether that simply be employees as well.

We've got an online book of form, we've asked for pronouns, the information has come in.

So I would assume that we're gonna have some sort of confirmation that goes by email or something back to the customer now. Are there any best practices that you would include in that communication, that part of it? I would think, you know, if you've got a generated like email sequence that is going out to customers like to confirm, you know, that this has been booked. I would be making sure that in that booking form that we're using gender neutral language. So there's always like an introduction at the beginning of an email it might say you know thank you, like ladies and gentlemen thank you so much for your booking with us for this date for example. It might simply just be removing that ladies and gentlemen and just putting like hey folks thank you so much for your booking we're really looking forward to you being a part of our family for the evening. where you can enjoy our food, enjoy our drinks and also enjoy the space and the people that venue creates.

Because I know that many people, especially within the LGBT community, if there is a sense of belonging when they walk into that venue, which is created by staff culture, which is created by the leadership and management of that setting, when you step into that, what you already get... Before you've even walked into the door, if you already get in a sense of what that feels like from an email, from a booking confirmation, you've got that customer hooked into what you are providing before you get there. So a simple gender neutral language, thank you so much folks for booking this, this is great. It might even be like confirmation, like this is the information that we've got for you. We will make sure that you've got everything that you need. even simply just letting them know what facilities that you've got in the building. So if you have inclusive toilets, if you've got all your gender neutral facilities, and that there's a safe space like out in the beer garden, or some people don't call it the beer garden, we've got a quiet space out in the garden that you can use, giving them almost like a bird's eye view of what they are going to receive. before they get into that venue, because the anxiety of, especially people who might be neurodivergent or might be on the back foot with anxiety, when you think about COVID, there is a lot of anxiety of, or there still is a lot of anxiety of people going out into built up spaces. So that initial communication needs to be almost giving a bird's eye view of what they are going to be stepping into.

What is it going to look like? What is it going to feel like? You know, giving that customer that reassurance that you're going to look after them when they step into that building.

That was the biggest thing, to be honest, I took away from your talk a few months ago. It was the, you kept kind of bringing it back to this like baseline of anxiety that you have when you go out because it's all related to the unknowns. So the things that you don't know about a venue. And I really came away from that thinking, well, there's there is so much, isn't it? That event you could do beforehand, like all the things you've just said, which can be automated, that just like brings that base level of anxiety down. Because if you know what you're going to expect, like your mind's not racing. Well, is there going to be, you know, toilets for me? I were going to feel comfortable, et cetera. So that was definitely the thing I took away from your talk. Most like this is really simple stuff that, you know, an operator listening to this could probably.

knock together probably just like you said just changing their email sequences and takes about half an hour. Yeah and simply just put in on like on socials because I know a lot of places now will use social media you can go on Facebook LinkedIn that is simply just put in your bio that you are an all in gender inclusive environment we provide these services even just simply who is making sure that everybody's looked after.

Some of these things take 10 seconds to do.

Don't get me wrong, it's a building block of development. It's not just a one destination thing because it's part of our culture. It's about making that, having authenticity and inclusivity at the heart of our culture. It's about this building block. And we start with the basics of the small things like simply getting somebody to look over a booking form and adding an option for pronouns. You know, you're talking tops half an hour to get that done or simply just putting out a post, you know, like, hi, we are an inclusive business, we provide X, Y and Z to make sure all needs are met. Getting that out there and getting it out into the world and shouting about it as well. Like there are these misconceptions that within business.

like this fear of openness because we're scared like the people that are already within our spaces or in our audience like they're going to stop they're going to stop coming using our going to stop investing in us they're going to stop paying us money right and that's what we are fearful of and very um like valid like validated that within the hospitality industry there is a lot of fear of people not coming back and investing into our services because of the pandemic, because there was so much money lost from the pandemic. But simply creating that space and having that continuity that you need to be proud to shout about it, be proud that you are supporting people to enjoy the venues and the experience that we create. That customer journey needs to be started from the...

from the get-go, it can't just be as soon as we get to the door, because there is this dynamic risk assessment, which is something that I talked about at the Art of Hospitality, that this dynamic risk assessment starts even before we step foot into the venue. So creating that customer journey of reassurance, validation, easing that anxiety, they get to your door and they know exactly what they're going to get, and they're going to have an even more chilled experience because you have created that customer journey from the moment that they've clicked on your website and got themselves booked in for a table. It is creating, it's having that very transparent and validating customer journey.

So let's take it up to the point where somebody does step through the door then that's just finished that part of the journey there. I guess in an ideal world your book and form will probably plug into your reservations software ideally so pronouns would appear to the host or whoever was sort of at the door for example and then they can see those and then hopefully they can use those but I know that a lot of people, me included, like I'm nervous that I get pronouns wrong because we're so used to using he and she all of the time. that it's like muscle memory, isn't it? So even if I know, you know, like yourself, so even if I, even though I know you identify as they, them, you know, I was thinking to myself, I bet you're gonna say she, I bet you're gonna do. Because you're just so used to it, it's just muscle memory.

So what tip, I know you come up with one great tip already, which was using the word folks instead. So just expand on that and give me any more tips you've got where you can maybe train hosts and things to. just I guess, just negate that whole like, the whole risk of using the wrong pronouns. Yeah, so again, it comes down to staff training and staff awareness.

We are always communicating in, especially in hospitality, you know, we're checking in with our customers, you have it, is everything okay, can I get you anything, you know, having that banter with your customers as well, you know, getting that relationship with your customers.

getting to know them on first name basis. I think from the get-go, and when you're saying about the booking forms, linking into reservations, that the team will be aware of. I think having training around gender-neutral language and having the confidence in being able to take that accountability, if, say for instance, you get it wrong. Because I'd never shy away from telling people that you're not gonna get it right first time. and that's okay, but it's about taking this accountability of how you can make those changes, how you become consistent, and how that starts to be embedded into your culture. So for an example, if I was speaking to a customer, you know, like, hi folks, my name's Alex, I use they, them pronouns, we're gonna sit you at this table over here, is this all right for you? Yeah, sit them down, I've checked over their reservation, I can see that.

One of the customers uses she her pronouns and one of them uses they them pronouns. If I was referring to them and talking to them, also one way of being able to maybe curb that a little bit to maybe, because I understand that there'll be anxiety around the employers or the employees, sorry, that will be thinking, oh, I don't want to get this wrong. I don't want to upset this customer. One kind of big tip is like get to know their name or ask them what their name is and then replace their pronoun.

with their name. Which you can't establish because sometimes, you know, we're busy and we're constantly bouncing between, you know, 10 or 13 different customers and you think I just don't want to get everybody's pronoun, I'm simply just getting their name. So if they're walking and you're like, hi Folktyke, I'm Alex, I use their pronouns, can I get like, what are yours names? Or like, my name is Liam and my name is Bob or whatever.

Alright mate, it's really nice to meet you, Liam and Bob, what can I get for you? Just replace their pronoun with a name. But again, if you do use an incorrect pronoun, it's simply like, I'm really sorry, this is just something that I'm getting used to. Correct yourself and just carry on moving on with the conversation. What really is inspiring when having these conversations with people is that accountability, the accountability of going... Yeah, I've got it wrong, but I'm making an effort to get it right for you because I want you to enjoy this experience. I want you to feel validated in this experience. And again, it does come down to that culture. So providing your staff team with inclusivity training, for example, or being able to come up with ways, like quick wins of being how you can speak to your customers in a busy, active environment without... potentially causing them upset or anxiety or distress. But that just comes with learning about what that terminology is, learning about how you can get creative with your language as well. Because language is a habit and it's something that can be broken, especially when we put that effort and we have our customers at the forefront of our, our mind and that journey. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So don't be afraid to get it wrong. Just there.

Cause you're going to You're going to put the customer more at ease anyway, as long as you're as long as you're trying. So even if you do get it wrong, it's still better than not trying and just being sort of ignorant to the whole fact. So I love that. So is there can you give us any case studies of somebody who's doing this particularly well? So I've been working with a number of different clients and being able to kind of put what I'm speaking about now into fruition. and my experiences with them at the moment, it is simply been a learning curve and it's been something that they are constantly developing. My experiences within being a customer, within hospitality, is queer spaces and also spaces that are looking to expand and shout about being inclusive. So for an example, like I live in Bristol, and we went to, it's called the Flight Club. And the Flight Club, it's like a, you go and have drinks and food, you play some darts. It's very, very sociable. And as soon as, before we even got there, on the booking form was pronouns. So, you know, like. Hi everybody, really looking forward to having you with us. We just need to get some details from you so we can make your experience as accessible as possible.

Can you give us your name, your email and your preferred pronouns? Perfect. That all got sent off, the booking was confirmed, we got an email back saying, you know, you're in, you're booked in at this time and this time, this is what you can expect within your... experience so you know like telling us how long we've got with the darkboards, telling us how we order food, telling us where the toilets are and then when I stepped into the building it was hi folks my name is this is I'm going to direct you to where you need to be. It took us to the table to like the little like booth that we had and it was simply like you know My name is X, Y and Z. This is what you can expect from the experience. Our toilets are this way. We do have an accessible toilet, if you would prefer to use that. I'm gonna be floating about if you need anything, if you need a hand with making an order with your food and your drinks, like come and grab me. Immediately in my experience from that, from the start of the customer journey, to sitting down with my first pint, I felt held, I felt reassured. I felt like I was there.

And because I felt so affirmed and because I felt so safe, I ended up spending more money than what I actually expected I was going to spend. You know, I was expecting to stay for a main meal and a dessert and maybe two or three drinks. I ended up having a three course meal with cocktails and more food and all that sort of stuff because... of that customer journey.

And the flight club did an absolutely brilliant job of showing that was at the heart of their culture. And it was simply being embedded by everybody because it wasn't just this one person that I came into contact with. There were several other employees that were there that were very, using gender neutral language, hi, how can I help you? you know, this person needs help doing this. It wasn't the assumption of, oh well, this lady needs support doing this, or this lady needs a hand doing this. It was this person. I was referred to a human as well, which was great, because there was no assumption there, which just eases my anxiety massively, and I spend more and more money, and I have now reinvested into that company, time and time again, because I know that it's a safe space. I know that I'll be looked after in that experience. Superb, brilliant, so I appreciate you sharing that. So, let's leave it there then, because there's loads of really actionable stuff for the listener to go away and to use there. So that was brilliant. So, Alex, your details will be in the show notes. So, if anybody wants to reach out and ask any questions or maybe get you in for any training or anything like that, then to the listener, please go into the show notes and connect with Alex. And Alex, for me, that was brilliant. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for having me Liam, it's been great.