Dr Max's hospitality industry secret found on Malaysian Airlines

"What was it he was doing that made him stand out from the rest?" I asked myself. He'd obviously been trained ...but so had all the cabin crew of the 18th October Malaysian Airline flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. "But what made him so much better?" I kept asking myself.

In my book, The Hospitality Jungle, I talk about the importance of watching, observing, listening and learning under the heading of the Owl Principle. "Physician, heal thyself." I thought. So I decided to take the time to 'observe' him to see if I could discover his secret...his magic elixir! "What is he doing? Why is he so effective?"

Time was something I had a lot of. I was on my way to speaking engagements in England and the Netherlands. Eight hours flying time to Kuala Lumpur and another thirteen hours to London. No shortage of time to observe! 'Din' was his name. He was a steward on the first leg of the flight. All the cabin staff were well trained. They smiled. They were attentive and courteous. They called you by name. They cared. "But what is Din doing that gives him the edge?" I kept asking myself. I observed him closely for at least five hours. Just like the Hungarian Count in the movie My Fair Lady trying to expose Eliza Doolittle, I was determined to discover his secret.

Isn't it funny how sometimes you miss the obvious answers to questions, riddles and puzzles...and you miss them because you are looking too deeply. I discovered Din's secret. It was so simple. He really loved what he was doing! And then I remembered something my Dad used to say "If you love what you are doing - it's not work!"

Until next week, I wish you good luck, good life and good fun.

Max Hitchins

The Hospitality Doctor

Marketing, motivation and management magician

http://www.HospitalityDoctor.com