I recently heard a distinction that stopped me in my tracks: the difference between customer service and hospitality. Service is the baseline, the things you must do to keep a customer satisfied. Hospitality is the relationship you build while doing those things. Service keeps you in business. Hospitality creates loyalty that no competitor can easily steal.
Service Is the Transaction
Customer service is about meeting expectations. Delivering what was promised, on time, at the agreed upon price. Getting the order correct. Fixing what’s broken. You don’t get extra credit for those things. People simply expect them.
Think about an airline. Service is getting you to your destination safely, on time, with your luggage intact. Or consider an online order. Service is having the package arrive when the tracking system said it would, with the right item inside. Nobody praises you for doing this right, but they’ll notice immediately if you don’t.
Hospitality Is the Relationship
Hospitality goes further. It is about making people feel welcome, respected, and known. It is the extra step that turns an ordinary interaction into a memorable experience. The key is knowing the difference, being creative in how you deliver it, and training your people until hospitality becomes the norm for every customer.
I am staying at the Ritz-Carlton right now while working with a client. Every detail reflects this mindset. When I checked in at the gate, they noted my name and the car I was driving. They radioed ahead so that when I arrived at the lobby, the staff greeted me personally. From that moment on, every employee either called me by name or introduced themselves warmly.
When the bellman escorted me to the front desk, he didn’t just hand me off. He said, “Mr. Spence, this is Jacob, he will be assisting you. Jacob, this is Mr. Spence, he just drove in from Gainesville.”
The reason I’m at the Ritz-Carlton this week is because my client chose it as the setting for a meeting with his senior team. It’s both a reward for their performance and a way for them to experience world-class hospitality firsthand. He wants them to bring back ideas they can apply in their custom home building business, so their customers feel the same level of care and attention that the Ritz delivers every day.
An Unlikely Place for Hospitality
Most of us don’t expect hospitality when we take our car in for service. Service is assumed: fix the issue correctly, on time, for the price quoted. That’s the minimum.
But what if hospitality entered the equation? Imagine being greeted by name when you arrive. The service advisor introduces you to the technician who will work on your car. You receive a short video update explaining the diagnosis so you understand exactly what’s being done. The shop offers you a ride, a quiet workspace, or a coffee while you wait.
When you pick up your car, the mats have been vacuumed, the radio is set to your station, and you get a text the next day asking if everything is running smoothly.
None of those gestures are required to complete the repair. All of them shift the experience from “acceptable” to “remarkable.” That is hospitality in a place where people don’t expect it.
Everyday Hospitality in Action
Publix is a grocery chain in the Southeastern U.S., known not just for its products but for its service. It has been ranked No. 1 in America for supermarket customer service by Newsweek for six consecutive years (2019–2024).
Even though I could shop anywhere, what keeps me loyal is the way they treat me. When I enter, staff often greet me by name. The manager says hello in passing. Because I shop daily for fresh items tied to a particular recipe I am going to make, the cashier often ask what I plan to cook with the items in my basket. And when they carry bags to my car, they stop to say hello to my dogs—by name.
That is not just service. It is hospitality. Publix doesn’t just sell me groceries. They make me feel welcome. They turn routine shopping into a personal experience. That is why I return.
Why This Matters
Hospitality may sound like a soft idea, but it is one of the strongest competitive differentiators you can create. People expect service. They remember hospitality. People forgive mistakes when they feel valued. They walk away when they feel like a transaction.
For leaders, this means asking hard questions: Are we satisfied with delivering only what people expect? Or are we willing to create the systems, training, and culture that make hospitality possible? Ritz-Carlton doesn’t leave it to chance. Neither does Publix. Neither should you.
If you want to build lasting loyalty:
Make sure the basics of service are flawless. That is the foundation.
Then look for moments to add hospitality: call people by name, connect person-to-person, show small acts of care.
Systematize it. Hospitality is not random kindness, it is consistent practice.
Service alone will never set you apart. Hospitality will. The organizations that choose to create genuine human connection are the ones people return to again and again. They are also the ones customers talk about, recommend, and remember. That is the power of hospitality.
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