Providing world class hospitality is second nature for service professionals at HMG+ and it comes with the ground under our two feet.  As I spent more time in quarantine, I discovered a lovely show, “Below Deck”, that portrays service on super yachts.  While it may take months and years of training to reach the high bar that HMG+ sets for themselves, it can take even longer to get your sea legs.  Now imagine having six course meals, a full bar and guests that never leave!  It combines all the physical skills that one mighat need at a world class restaurant then heightens it with VIP clients that could ask for a cafe au lait, and a Gin Ramos at the same time.  As every service professional knows, it’s our job to say yes, no matter what.

As a staffing solution here in New York City, HMG+ has continued to say ‘Yes’, no matter what, for decades.  It’s this commitment to our guest’s comfort that has always provided unique, memorable experiences that guests and clients continue to come back for.  Providing hospitality on a boat isn’t beyond our experience but it’s usually moored at the seaport or piers around Manhattan.  In my humble experience, I’ve spent hours in what feels like a sea of thousands of guests at an airport that resulted in one of the finest experiences in hospitality that I’ve ever had.  Something changes when so many are gathered for an occasion and the service makes in feel like everything was meant to be.

Service on a 170 meter ship in 30 knots of wind in the Caribbean is another story.  In many episodes the Captain and the maintenance team are non-existent.  It’s up to the Chef,  Chief Steward, and the Bosun (Leader of the Deck team) to provide seamless experiences for guests.  Imagine a sprawling, winding, five star hotel room with your own private staff to address your every need.  As I said before several guests at any hour of the day will have new, personal needs that the crew must provide for and anticipate.  As with many events that have been held here in NYC, money is no object, rather it’s about the experience.  So, when the Captain and Crew sit down for their Guest Preference meeting they review the guests on paper to create a rough sketch of the events as they may unfold.  This is not too dissimilar from the work that Captains and the leaders at HMG+ do when they review the BEO and tour an event space to determine their needs to execute the vision of party planners and clients.

As things get more and more hectic during a busy service and as the charter season wears on many of the crew get burned out.  They stop taking care of themselves which snowballs into sloppy service or mistakes on deck.  As with service on good old Mother Earth, these mistakes can be costly, even dangerous.  The purpose of hospitality is to provide a welcoming, warm, and safe experience that guests will remember forever.  It means putting yourself second in service of another’s needs.   No matter how different they might be from your own, you do it because that’s what this career demands.  However, never let yourself fall into the spiral of fatigue and burn out. 

At HMG+ we became a staffing solution because we solve staffing problems.  We put healthy, smart, and motivated people in the right places to ensure the success of our clients.  Hospitality Made Great means taking care of our community and the community members can do that by taking care of themselves.  If you have the opportunity, take a few moments and see how important that is by watching a few episodes of “Below Deck”.  You’ll see how incredibly high the highs are and low the lows can go.  It makes me grateful for the opportunity to work for a community of like minded service professionals.  On land.