I once enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea served by the impeccable waiters of a venue which describes itself as a hotel situated at the heart of the city’s premier shopping district, with world-class shopping at their doorstep and the grandeurs of a 5-star hotel within. An ideal residence for the discerning luxury traveler.

As I sat in the beautiful lobby, with its stunning artwork, beautiful decor and shiny marble floors I had time to observe the comings and goings. As luck would have it, I also got to observe the flowers being changed in the lobby.

I say ‘luck’ because ‘Hospitality, Flowers & Brands‘ is the title of my book and my observations reinforced a lot of the content I’ve written about.

I’m not sure about you, but my expectations of 5-star conjure up luxury, elegance and style. Yet, as I perused my surroundings, I couldn’t help but focus on a small drinking glass that sat before me. Did someone leave their gin behind? Sadly the focus wasn’t on the beautiful cymbidium that bloomed over the rim, but instead on the ugly glass.

Did Someone Leave Their Gin Behind?

On their website they describe the venue with such tantalising and beautiful phrases, “timeless elegance resides…” and “every experience will captivate your senses.”

Well, they’re right. The welcome experience did captivate my senses, but not in a positive way.

As I waited, I was disturbed to see a trolley, laden with plastic buckets being wheeled across the lobby by a rather scruffy florist. After 15 minutes of watching and listening to her talking loudly on her phone whilst snipping away at her flowers, I was relieved to see my friend arrive and escape to a quieter setting for our afternoon tea to relish the freshly baked sweet and savoury delicacies.

Plastic buckets have no place in the lobby of a 5-star hotel!


As a service provider to luxury brands, there are small details that make a difference in improving the customer experience of your clients' guests. For example, here are 6 tips for floral designers to ensure they deliver a 5-star experience:

1. Do ask your florist to use appropriate glassware and vases.

2. Whilst floral arranging can add a positive experience to your guests’ visits, a well-groomed florist is just as important as well-groomed staff.

3. Remind your florists that whilst in public spaces, they're also on public view and if they must take calls, to refrain from bellowing loudly on their phones.

4. When placing arrangements on coffee tables, make sure the flowers can be viewed from all sides.

5. Keep the flowers fresh and the water clean at all times.

6. Keep the mechanics hidden. Elastic bands and tape don't belong in 5-star arrangements.

These are the small but important details which ensure your brand goes beyond customer service and delivers a consistently excellent brand experience.

With flowery wishes

Karen

Visit the Karen French Floral Designs page to find out more about Karen's work.