Hospitality Industry Motivational Quotes

St. Teresa of Avila once said: “We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can—namely, surrender our will and fulfill God’s will in us.” For Christians not of the prosperity persuasion, surrender is a virtue; the writings of the saints are full of commands to “let go” and to submit yourself to what seems to be the will of the Almighty. All of American culture and pop psychology scream against that. Never give up on your dreams! Just keep knocking, that door is about to open! Think positively! Self-improvement guaranteed!! The entire motivational-speaking industry rests on the assumption that you can have what you want, you can be what you want. Just do it. When prosperity believers live out their daily struggles with smiles on their faces, sometimes I want to applaud. They confront the impossible and joyfully insist that God make a way. They obediently put miracle oil on their failing bodies. They give large offerings to the church and expect great things. They stubbornly get out of their hospital beds and declare themselves healed, and every now and then, it works. They are addicted to self-rule, and so am I.

The great majority of those who, like Frankl, were liberated from Nazi concentration camps chose to leave for other countries rather than return to their former homes, where far too many neighbors had turned murderous. But Viktor Frankl chose to stay in his native Vienna after being freed and became head of neurology at a main hospital in Vienna. The Austrians he lived among often perplexed Frankl by saying they did not know a thing about the horrors of the camps he had barely survived. For Frankl, though, this alibi seemed flimsy. These people, he felt, had chosen not to know. Another survivor of the Nazis, the social psychologist Ervin Staub, was saved from a certain death by Raoul Wallenberg, the diplomat who made Swedish passports for thousands of desperate Hungarians, keeping them safe from the Nazis. Staub studied cruelty and hatred, and he found one of the roots of such evil to be the turning away, choosing not to see or know, of bystanders. That not-knowing was read by perpetrators as a tacit approval. But if instead witnesses spoke up in protest of evil, Staub saw, it made such acts more difficult for the evildoers. For Frankl, the “not-knowing” he encountered in postwar Vienna was regarding the Nazi death camps scattered throughout that short-lived empire, and the obliviousness of Viennese citizens to the fate of their own neighbors who were imprisoned and died in those camps. The underlying motive for not-knowing, he points out, is to escape any sense of responsibility or guilt for those crimes. People in general, he saw, had been encouraged by their authoritarian rulers not to know—a fact of life today as well. That same plea of innocence, I had no idea, has contemporary resonance in the emergence of an intergenerational tension. Young people around the world are angry at older generations for leaving as a legacy to them a ruined planet, one where the momentum of environmental destruction will go on for decades, if not centuries. This environmental not-knowing has gone on for centuries, since the Industrial Revolution. Since then we have seen the invention of countless manufacturing platforms and processes, most all of which came to be in an era when we had no idea of their ecological impacts. Advances in science and technology are making ecological impacts more transparent, and so creating options that address the climate crisis and, hopefully, will be pursued across the globe and over generations. Such disruptive, truly “green” alternatives are one way to lessen the bleakness of Earth 2.0—the planet in future decades—a compelling fact of life for today’s young. Were Frankl with us today (he died in 1997), he would no doubt be pleased that so many of today’s younger people are choosing to know and are finding purpose and meaning in surfacing environmental facts and acting on them.

What about accountability? Executives in industries as varied as hospitals and investment banks have asked me this question. Surely individuals must face consequences for failure to avoid an overly lax culture? If people aren’t blamed for failures, how can they be motivated to improve? This concern is based on a false dichotomy. In actuality, a culture that makes it safe to admit failure can (and in high-risk environments must) coexist with high performance standards. A blame culture primarily serves to ensure that people don’t speak up about problems in time to correct them, which obviously doesn’t help performance. This is why blameless reporting is so valuable. As you will see, uninhibited, rapid reporting of anomalies is vital for high performance in any dynamic context.

Boost Customer Satisfaction with Smart Feedback Kiosks In today’s fast-paced business environment, customer satisfaction has become a key differentiator for success. Companies are constantly seeking innovative ways to understand their customers better and improve their experiences. One such technology-driven solution making waves across industries is the Feedback Kiosk. These smart, interactive systems help businesses gather real-time insights, analyze customer sentiment, and make data-backed decisions to enhance overall service quality. What Is a Feedback Kiosk? A Feedback Kiosk is a digital touchpoint designed to collect immediate customer responses. Placed strategically in high-traffic areas such as retail stores, restaurants, hospitals, airports, and offices, these kiosks enable users to share their experiences in just a few taps. Whether it’s a simple smiley-based rating or a detailed survey, Feedback Kiosks make the process seamless, engaging, and efficient. Why Businesses Are Turning to Feedback Kiosks Traditional feedback methods like paper forms or online surveys often suffer from low response rates and delayed insights. A Feedback Kiosk overcomes these challenges by providing instant accessibility and user-friendly interfaces that encourage participation. By capturing feedback at the moment of experience, organizations can gain authentic and accurate data, helping them identify issues before they escalate. Moreover, a Feedback Kiosk empowers businesses to measure satisfaction levels, track employee performance, and maintain service consistency across locations. The automation of data collection also saves time and reduces the need for manual reporting. Key Benefits of Smart Feedback Kiosks Real-Time Insights: With instant data capture, a Feedback Kiosk allows management teams to monitor customer satisfaction levels in real time and take prompt corrective actions. Enhanced Engagement: Interactive displays and easy-to-use interfaces motivate customers to share their opinions without hesitation. Data Analytics Integration: Modern Feedback Kiosk systems integrate with analytics dashboards, converting raw feedback into meaningful insights that drive continuous improvement. Customizable Experience: Businesses can tailor survey questions, design, and branding to align with their goals and audience preferences. Increased Transparency: When customers see that their opinions are valued and acted upon, it fosters trust and long-term loyalty. Industry Applications Retail: Stores use Feedback Kiosks to measure customer satisfaction and optimize checkout experiences. Hospitality: Hotels and restaurants collect guest opinions to refine service quality and menu offerings. Healthcare: Hospitals install Feedback Kiosks to evaluate patient care and improve facility management. Corporate Offices: Companies use them for employee feedback, engagement, and HR assessments. How Feedback Kiosks Drive Customer Loyalty Customer satisfaction isn’t just about solving complaints—it’s about showing customers that their voices matter. A Feedback Kiosk bridges the gap between businesses and their audiences by fostering a culture of open communication. When customers feel heard, they are more likely to return, recommend, and trust the brand. The Future of Customer Experience As digital transformation accelerates, the Feedback Kiosk is becoming an essential tool in the customer experience ecosystem. Equipped with AI analytics, multilingual support, and cloud-based dashboards, future kiosks will not only gather opinions but also predict trends and behavior patterns.