Hospitality Its the Attitude! 

When asked the question: Who is the most important person in your business. The answer is of course the customer. In most cases you are relaying on the continuous support of the customer and the reference they may provide for your business. The easy part of building a successful business is to get the customer to enter your establishment the first time. The hardest part is to get them to return. If you are like the average company, up to 40% of your customers walk out the door and never come back. What's worse, the "average" business is totally oblivious to their actual churn rate—so they do nothing to correct the problem 

The number one reason people fail to return to a business is related to attitude. The attitude of indifference from the individual(s) who they encounter. To repeat that the number one reason for lost customers is the attitude. A poor attitude, poor service, disinterest service is the number one reason a customer does not return. When someone is happy with the services provide by a company the chances of them telling someone are less than 10% if they are unhappy the chances of them telling someone are over 80% the changes of them telling multiple people over 65% 

So if you ask your employees who the most important person in the company is; the answer is me. Me referring to each individual employee. Me because it is each personal individual attitude that determines the success of the business. 

Since I spent over 25 years in the hospitality business including writing a super host training program and at one time owned two restaurants I am very critical of the standards of service I receive in any business. I have had a few bad experiences as a customer dealing with improperly trained employees and management people. I'll never eat again at Boston Pizza.

There are other ways besides direct contact with a poor attitude that can also result in a business losing customers. Included here; not respond to inquiries either by phone, email or letters,or keep customers, investors, media and stakeholders updated. Today your online presence is also a key factor. Respect those who support your business.

The Wineries:

It is not often that I experience a bad or unsatisfying visit to a winery. But it does happen.

I can recall waiting twenty minutes for the winery to open after the stated time on the door.

Ive been told I can't offer you more than four tasting because its against the law. It is not.

(I spit sometimes). Ive been told a wine listed on their tasting menu will not be tasted because we don't want to open a new bottle. Ive even been subjected to a lecture on how good German wines are. What your working for a BC winery not Germany. O yes we have been ignored too and on a couple of occasions found the winery door open but no one around. 

Perhaps what irritates me the most is when your tasting room host is paying attention to you until some else comes in, be it a regular or a friends and suddenly your forgotten about. The host must have the ability to include everyone. 

At one respected winery restaurant our waitress seemed to disappear after the main meal was served. When she finally returned she said "Oh I forgot about you" 

I do not request any special treatment when visiting a winery. In fact I prefer just to walk in and see how good or indifferent their hospitality is on a first time visit. 

Where I have more of a concern for lack of hospitality and a poor attitude is at major wine tasting events. Here you often find bored sales agents and hired day staff. Often these people know little about the wines and wineries they are representing and far too often their cell phone rates ahead of you. You been the person the winery wants at their table and should be impressing; why else is the winery there! 

I think its import that the winery selects the right people to be representing them, skilled at greeting and acknowledging people. Skilled at pouring wines, skilled at communications and have a knowledge of the wines and winery they are representing. Do not leave it up to the hotel, the event organizers or your marketing company. It up to you to protect the interest of your business.

Robert's Report 

 

Cucumber and Wine

The cucumber is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Other members of the family include squash and different kinds of melon, including bitter melon. Cucumbers provide various nutrients but are low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

People in India have grown cucumbers a Trusted Source for food and medicinal purposes since ancient times, and they have long been part of the Mediterranean diet. They also contain a plethora of health benefits. You can achieve a balanced and well-rounded diet by consuming a cucumber, and they have nutritional benefits that can improve your health. You may not have known that cucumbers are in fact fruit. They contain almost no calories. Cucumbers have all possible advantages and virtually no downsides.

Cucumbers have been shown to be able to aid the liver in cleaning up the blood, helping with detoxification of the system. Cucumbers also have a high-water content, which further aids the liver and encourages urination. Cucumber-based beverages are a popular way to make the most of its detoxifying properties.

Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

Cucumbers contain high levels of bitter-tasting nutrients known as cucurbitacin. According to in the International Journal of Health Services, cucurbitacins may help prevent cancer by stopping cancer cells from reproducing.

The American Heart Association (AHA) note that fiber can help manage cholesterol and prevent related cardiovascular problems.

Diverticular disease is a painful inflammation of the colon that sometimes requires hospitalization. Studies have shown mixed results on the benefits of fiber to prevent flare-ups (called diverticulitis)However, research does support the intake of fiber from fruits and vegetables, like cucumbers, to lower the likelihood of diverticulitis-related hospitalizations. Specifically, getting an additional 8.5 grams per day of fiber from fruits and vegetables was associated with a 30% risk reduction. 

Cucumbers are a non-starchy vegetable, which is one of the best categories of food for managing diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends three to five servings of non-starchy vegetables per day,8 but that's just a minimum. Well, it has been stated by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) that moderate consumption of wine by diabetics is safe. Furthermore, it has been studied and confirmed that a limited intake of wine is healthy and can even benefit diabetes patients.

When hunger strikes, having more non-starchy vegetables can help satisfy appetite without raising blood sugar levels. The fiber and water content of fresh cucumbers makes them an ideal choice for glycemic control.

Cucumbers are neutral in flavor with an almost delicate melon character with a hint of bitterness. They work with most wines since they do not compete with flavor. 

The Best Wines with Cucumber:

Pinot Gris

Pinot Grigo

Riesling

Albarino

Alvarinho 

These wines go best with a natural Cucumber. Adding vinagar or salad dressing will change the wines. In the Cucumber Salad recipe, the strongest flavors are the jalapeno, onion, and lime juice. A wine with a hint of sweetness and good acidity would work best. Gewurztraminer and Riesling are good pairings.

Hummus and Cucumbers try a medium bodies rosé wine or an aromatic, fresh white like Albariño or Assyrtiko. prefer reds Pair with herbaceous reds like Sangiovese or Barbera

You can of course make numerous cocktails with Cucumbers

Cucumber is one of the most hydrating foods

The Amazing Cucumber*

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Rub a cucumber slice along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

©2025 Robert A Bell