HOW CAN I MAKE IT BETTER? CARE CREATES CONNECTION
- By: Anthony del Monte
- March 23, 2026
Years ago, when my kids were young, we were at Universal Studios. It was the middle of the day, hot, crowded, overstimulating, and we needed a break. We found one of those fast-casual places, Hard Rock Café, where I ordered a burger, fries, and a cold beer.
The food arrived, everything was great, and then the server stopped by. But instead of the usual “Is everything okay?” he asked: "How can I make it better?"
I paused. I looked at him and said, “You just did.”
I couldn't remember the last time someone had asked me that, and my reaction to this level of hospitality surprised me. He wasn't checking on the burger. He was asking about my experience and happiness level. And that small shift made all the difference. In a world where most interactions seem transactional, this felt genuine.
When people hear the word hospitality, they tend to think about luxury, high thread-count sheets, chocolate on the pillow, or fancy bottled water. But hospitality has nothing to do with amenities.
It's empathy.
Think about the most comfortable environments you've ever walked into. They probably weren't memorable because of the furniture or the design. They felt special because of the warmth, because someone made you feel safe and welcome.
Great brands do the same thing.
They don't just ask, “What do you need?”
They ask, “What would make this better?”
It's imperative to honor your customers' patronage by providing them with an experience that supports their choice. Without that connection, most goods or services are commodities.
Asking costs nothing, it's easy to say, and it has the power to transform an entire experience. And that doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you care enough to ask the right question.
We're all customers, we're all guests, and we all remember how it feels to be treated with care. So whatever role you play…manager, host, designer, doctor, teacher, or parent…. Ask what could be better.
Because people may forget the transaction…
but they will remember how you made them feel.