The one with the Hilton light and warmth of hospitality - Mike Gathright SVP Customer Experience Hilton E100

🎤Celebrate CX Passport’s 100th episode with the brilliant Mike Gathright Senior Vice President, Head of Customer Experience at Hilton in “The one with the Hilton light and warmth of hospitality”🎧What’s in the episode?...

💡Protecting the contact center as a customer insight center created REAL product innovation results

📈Recession solve? - Lean INTO the contact center don't lean away

🎸WAY ahead of the trend for Work From Home

🤗Being WFH doesn't mean employees don't want human interaction. An idea revealed…

🧑‍🍳Choosing to merge digital and human experience…organizationally and functionally

🙌Shout out to Kristiina Laur...for her light and warmth hospitality for Ukrainian refugees

🔮What does 2023 look like for the Hilton Guest Experience?

Hosted by Rick Denton “I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport”

💭“If as a company you're not having a conversation about the data and the insights that come from your contact center, and how they can be a power and a force for your organization…you've got to start there. Because if you're trying to start from a position of, “We're just answering calls” then you're going to be on your heels from the get go.” - Mike

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Episode resources:

Hilton: www.hilton.com

Instagram: @hiltonnewsroom

TikTok: @hilton

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikegathright

Transcript

Rick Denton: 0:05

You're listening to CX Passport, the show about creating great customer experiences with a dash of travel talk. Each episode we’ll talk with our guests about great CX, travel...and just like the best journeys, explore new directions we never anticipated. I'm your host Rick Denton. I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport. Let's get going. 100 episodes 100. Even as a host, I'm a bit stunned. When episodes one, two and three released that first weekend and April 2021. I had no idea where this podcast would go. Its existence is only due to you the wonderful group of CX passport listeners, and the kindness and willingness of so many great guests to be on the show. And thankful to all past guests for allowing CX passport to get to this point, with listeners and guests coming from all continents except for Antarctica, but I still have hope. I have learned so much I heard some great stories had some really hearty laughs as well and I hope you the listener have to. So what to do for the 100th episode, listeners you deserve to get something special to celebrate. That's why my mind went right to asking today's guest if he'd be willing to join the show you are in for a treat today is Mike Gathright, Senior Vice President, Head of Customer experience at Hilton shares a conversation with me today on CX passport. So often when we're looking for models of what great customer experience looks like we turn to the hospitality world. What does that mean, though? Why do we think that? What does that mean for an industry that has been whipsawed perhaps more than any other by the COVID pandemic had the opportunity to work alongside Mike when I did some consulting work for Hilton several years ago. Right off the bat I saw three key things in his leadership style and his organization one of focus on employee experience to a recognition that human and digital worlds of customer experience must come together to create an overall great customer experience. And three phrases like spreading the light and warmth of hospitality weren't just corporate purposes. They were personal ones. Mike embodies these three and I can't wait to get into these topics with him. To amplify point one music lovers will appreciate this. You know, when you discover a band before everyone else does, maybe you're given a demo tape and I know that dates me with that that reference. Or maybe you randomly saw him in a club with 100 and maybe just a couple dozen other people. When that band then gets big you proudly wear your maybe worn out T shirt from that first concert showing everyone you were cool before everyone else discovered them. While COVID is the stadium tour of work from home Mike has the t shirt from the garage band club days. Well before the pandemic and extremely high percentage of the contact center team was worked from home employee experience matter to the team then continue to do so through the pandemic. And then especially as we emerge from it, it'd be good to get Mike's perspective on that extended journey. And as you'd expect from someone with that fantastic Hilton employee right Mike has plenty of stamps in his travel passport. I hope to dive into those stamps as well today. This is going to be a fun ride with my fasten your seat belts put those tray tables up as we are ready to take off. Mike, Welcome to CX passport.

Mike Gathright: 3:23

Thanks, Rick. It's great to be here with you today. And congratulation on congratulations on 100 episodes as well.

Rick Denton: 3:29

Well, thanks, Mike, I'm really, really pleased that you get to be a part of the 100th episode. This means something to me. And I hope it means something to you. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Let's just start off because I know you but not everyone does. So just a bit of an overview would you share with listeners a little bit about your role and organization?

Mike Gathright: 3:47

Sure, Rick. So I lead the customer experience organization for Hilton. And our CX org is made up of not just our contact center teams, you referenced that in the opening, but also our digital teams. And we've got product managers and program managers or experienced design teams all focused on an integrated customer experience across various channels at Hilton and the various touch points that our customers experience with us.

Rick Denton: 4:13

I think that unification is something I really want to talk about later. I love that brief overview. But I want to dive deeper into that, because that was something that I mentioned in the intro that I found so just right, it just felt right. But I want to I want to start with something else actually kind of outside of the Hilton world. They've you've had experience at other brands that are known for focusing on customer experience. So thinking about those experiences, I know they influenced who you are and what you do at Hilton today. But what's unique about that Hilton purpose that drew you to join Hilton, and stay at Hilton.

Mike Gathright: 4:49

Yeah, well, Rick, you mentioned a big part of that in your opening. You mentioned the light and warmth of hospitality. We're lucky to be 100 year old company, but one that still has the view Isn't from our founder Conrad Hilton that he said from the beginning, which was to spread, though, to fill the earth with a light and warmth of hospitality. And so for me, when I first, you know, began to explore joining Hilton, that was a really important point, for me, it was important for me to have a connection, you know, personally to the, to the purpose, the vision of the company. And as I begin to explore and understand that more, really saw how that that permeated throughout the organization, and then to be here, and, you know, mentioned staying here, it's really, you know, that ability to connect to that purpose to everything we do. You know, for those of us in the CX industry, it's sort of your dream, right, so many times you have companies that somewhere along the way decide that their vision is to do that. But when you can sit here 100 years later, with a founder, who started the company based on this vision, and to still be part of, you know, bringing that to life every day, and in ways that he could have never dreamed about, you know, you know, 100 years ago. It just is fun, and exciting and, and, you know, keeps me motivated and energized every day.

Rick Denton: 6:10

I think what I want to ask you about there, and one that's just great, right? It's just, it's so right how you talked about from the beginning, heck, it's an audio only podcast, and so people can't see the books that are behind me. But back there is Conrad Hilton's book. It's a little dog eared yellowed paperback. And it was interesting to see how that truly was a part of the story, the origin story from the absolute beginning. But what does it mean? So it's a phrase, but it's embodied and who you are and what the company is, what does it mean to you, when we talk about the light and warmth of hospitality?

Mike Gathright: 6:42

That's a great question, Rick. And I think, you know, for, for me, we've seen, we have, there's a recent example that sort of comes to mind we every year, or we have a CEO light and warmth of hospitality award, that goes to some of the top individuals across the company, and, and we had a lady Kristiina Laur within our organization this year, and I think you've worked with Kristiina ,

Rick Denton: 7:08

I did, she's awesome.

Mike Gathright: 7:09

One, she is fantastic. And, you know, I said this in an in an internal call, you know, that she personifies what we mean by light and warmth of hospitality. And, you know, in in that, you know, with Kristiina , it's not just the way she leads her teams, but it's the way that she engages with her community. She, she lives in a Estonia, with the Ukraine war and the refugee crisis. You know, she found many Ukrainians showing up in in her hometown. And so she opened up her home, she picked up additional apartments to put families in. And you know, when you think about the core of light, and warmth of hospitality, and what happens so often in travel, right, is all of these barriers that you have start to get broken down. And it really creates an opportunity to do something unique. And, you know, and Kristiina personify that in the work that she does every day with our teams, but also within our community. And I think for us, you know, within Hilton, as we think about travel, you think about everything that's gone on over the last couple of years, and in our environment, people getting back together, you know, breaking down barriers of cultures and communities. And so what are the things that we can do from a CX perspective, that continue to make that easier to make that simpler, you know, to reduce friction in that but ultimately at the core of we you know, end up being an A people serving people business. And so how do we do things and enable that to come to life in unique and different ways?

Rick Denton: 8:44

I'm so glad that Kristiina story made it into the episode because she is an amazing person. I actually didn't know that about what she is supporting Ukrainian population that is coming across a. And so to see someone like Kristiina taking care of folks and applying not just what she does in her work life, but taking it into her non work life. This is your captain speaking.

Your CX Passport Captain: 9:07

This is your captain speaking. I want to thank you for listening to CX Passport today. We’ve now reached our cruising altitude so I’ll turn that seatbelt sign off. <ding> While you’re getting comfortable, hit that Follow or Subscribe button in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. I’d love it if you’d tell a friend about CX Passport and leave a review so that others can discover the show as well. Now, sit back and enjoy the rest of the episode.

Rick Denton: 9:31

You talked about creating great customer experience and at a realize right now I would want to actually just spend the entire episode talking about warmth and light and all of that. But I've got some other things that I wanted to ask you creating that great customer experience. One of the things and I've alluded to it in the introduction I mentioned a couple times that I found really fascinating is not just kind of conceptually but organizationally the human that context Center and the digital side of the experience. are woven together in the Hilton world specifically with your organization, why was it important for you to be a part of unifying that human and digital experience? And what benefits does that bring to the ultimate Hilton guest community in their guest experience?

Mike Gathright: 10:15

Sure. Well, I mentioned a while ago, you know, we're, we're a people serving people business, at the end of the day people are traveling, traveling, physically traveling, showing up in hotels, you know, experiencing our product, if you will, through through that, this trip occasions. And yet, at the same time, we know people are digitally savvy. And again, in the last two years, you've only seen that accelerate, right? Do the pandemic, the digital acceleration from us, you know, ordering groceries and food from our homes, you know, really, really caused a huge adoption there. And so we've spent some time over the last year or two, where I think a lot of times you sit down and you go, Okay, what's the human experience? And how do I digitize it? And I think just one of the foundation of life, warmth of hospitality, we're constantly looking at and saying, like, how do I invert that? And go, what can I do to humanize the digital experience? And, and, you know, the contact center, for those that are in that space? No, it is a abundant source of super valuable information, of what you're both doing, right, as an organization. And so many of us in the contact center, and I've heard this on multiple of your previous podcasts, we tend to focus on the defects, you know, what are the things that aren't going right, so that we can solve them and find the right problems. And, you know, that's, you know, I think we're all kind of wired that way. But but, you know, there's a lot of really valuable information and, and our ability to sort of think about those channel channels in an integrated, you know, fashion, that a customer, they don't just sort of wake up one day, and well, I'm going to be analog today, and I'm going to call the contact center, and tomorrow, I'm going to be digital, and I'm may use my phone to do something, those things are very integrated, and we sort of weave back and forth in those experiences. And so again, for us, it was important to think about that journey in integrated fashion. Think about how customers experiences, think about our core vision at the end and our purpose as a company, and deliver great customer experiences. And and and how we can enable that, you know, and allow customers not to experience our silos are organizational structures that can often happen by accident.

Rick Denton: 12:28

Yeah. And that that right, there is one of the things that I thought was so fascinating about having it inside of one organization, is at least you've gotten rid of one element of silo, there may still be a technology reason why that this side doesn't understand that side when it comes to the experience or something like that. But at least organizationally, folks are and I mean this both physically and virtually sitting in the same room solving the same challenge. Whether it is how can I create a great warm and empathetic conversation with a guest who was driving on i 95, and just wants to know where the next Hampton Inn is, so that they can turn in at two o'clock with their crying toddler in the back, create that empathetic experience? Along with how can I make sure that the speedy traveler going to the airport has the ability to do what they want to with one thumb is there in gauging with the app?

Mike Gathright: 13:15

That's right. I mean, I'll give you an example of how that came to life and something that you may have even seen or experienced yourself. We there was a long problem that's existed in the hotel industry around connecting rooms, right? Crying toddler toddler, you may not want the toddler to be in a room by themselves. But if you've got no, you know, exactly. And so again, something that we heard over and over again, in our contact centers, was customers calling and saying, I booked two rooms, I want to make sure that they're next door to each other, or in a better case, I want to make sure that they're connecting. And we really started to think about that problem, integrated fashion listening to that, and realize that through some technical work, we can enable the ability to confirm that at the time of booking and so we've now you know, over this last year launched confirm connecting rooms by Hilton and still the only hotel chain that could do that. And, and that's just again, an example of where sort of listening to our customers listening to what their needs, were understanding them from a human perspective, like, why that's so important. And all of us with kids have sort of been there before. And then really going, okay, how can we bring this to life in a way that actually, you know, creates a better experience, you know, for the guests. And by the way, it creates a better experience for the hotel because nothing's more frustrating than to think you've got in a room side by side and to arrive at the hotel and you're on opposite sides of the hotel. They're on different floors with young kids. And if you're a hotel and it's full, there's nothing you can do there also as a as a team member at the at the front desk, feeling really upset that they can't meet the needs of the customer. So it's just one of those that that creates satisfaction across the board.

Rick Denton: 15:00

In it, we may talk, we're going to talk about employee experience from a remote work from home perspective. But in addition to both the customer being happier, but then you've just described the employee experience got better because the they've been equipped with the tools through this digital, which was inspired by the learning from the employee, I can absolutely attest it. Now I've got children who are at the time of this recording, 20 and 17. So I don't care where their room is, in fact, I prefer to be somewhere else. We booked properties for Hilton properties for upcoming trip and Japan and we did not select the connecting room option. But I thought the first time I saw that come out, I thought that is brilliant. I love the ad campaign to where the parents are waving across the courtyard in the sketchy hotel. I love that whole journey from insights from the contact center into the product development into the ultimate employee experience it is I absolutely love that it true it shows the humanization of the digital options that can exist.

Mike Gathright: 15:55

You've just given me a new product idea. The next thing will launch is confirmed you're nowhere near your kids. That'll be the next step the next product.

Rick Denton: 16:03

Can I get some sort of Easter egg in that product that somehow there yo there's like a if the Denton product or something like Easter egg, just that we know. Oh, that's brilliant. Mike, I love that idea. Actually, let me take us down a little turn here because I love travel, you love travel, you have access to phenomenal travel through Hilton. And I know just kind of a part of who you are, even if you weren't a part of Hilton. So they're great Hilton properties all over that feels like an ad for Hilton right now. But I do I love the brand. I enjoy it. But I imagine that we could spend an entire podcast talking about your travels. So limit us here. But what are some of your most memorable experiences with travel inside of the Hilton brand?

Mike Gathright: 16:46

Yeah, that's, you know, it's a little bit of a dangerous question, because it's sort of like asked, Which one is my favorite child? Ever? Everybody knows it's Abby. But don't don't tell Austin that that's the case. Now I'm just, I'm just kidding. Sorry. Exactly, no, it's all good. I think I'm gonna I'm gonna go with a recent sort of memorable experience in that way I can, you know, play safe. I'm not picking a favorite but the most recent, we, we recently opened Resorts World Las Vegas, which was a tri branded hotel, it's got our Hilton product, our Conrad product and our LSR crockfords product that's, that's there. And we just a month ago hosted 2000 of our owners at this property, it's a 3500 room. It's just a really, really amazing property. But, you know, in showcase, there was a little bit of everything that you know, sort of you want to come to life amazing entertainment, in a really great intersection of really amazing hospitable team members, and some great technology. And so anytime you try to put an event on that's got, you know, a couple of 1000 people, yeah, that's always challenged, when you put an event on that has a couple of 1000 hotel owners, experts in the space. That is a an added challenge. It adds a little pressure there. All right, all experts in yourself and in the hotel did an amazing job of showcasing and highlighting everything that has made them at new great Hilton property. And so that was an experience that you know, just recently again, seeing the hospitality seeing the integration of you know, phygital where that physical and digital comes together, being able to celebrate with 2000 plus of our owners was that was a really memorable experience

Rick Denton: 18:44

now, Mike, that property sounds incredibly fantastic. But sometimes travel isn't fantastic. Sometimes it can be a little bit a bit rough. And so especially in it let's talk about maybe the airline it's not the hotel but it's the airline that causes a little bit challenge for you right so let's take a little break in the first class lounge. Let's just enjoy that for a moment. And we're going to move quickly here and hopefully have a little bit of fun what is a dream travel location from your past

Mike Gathright: 19:12

dream travel location that I actually want to return to is Croatia. I had an opportunity to visit Croatia back in 2009 It's hard to believe it's been that long again a relatively short trip and it has been on my list to give back to and experience I found that the culture the food was just was just amazing and I want to spend more time and explore more of Croatia so it's an area that I that a lot of but also want to get back to.

Rick Denton: 19:42

Then Croatia does it several guests have mentioned Croatia sometimes it's just hoping to get there but it does sound just absolutely fantastic. I I hope to get there someday myself speaking of hoping to get somewhere what is a dream travel location you've not been to yet

Mike Gathright: 19:59

I'm Maldives and this is both a dream Hilton amazing properties there as well as just dream location. So I, I've got a immunise 25th wedding anniversary coming up next year so maybe that's maybe that's the time to try to pull the trigger on that trip.

Rick Denton: 20:19

Now I don't know if you need to tell me later I need to edit that part out if it's going to be a surprise but if Amy's listening then she'll do that. The Maldives are on the list for the 25th anniversary. Yeah, it's all good. Don't take her anywhere short of that now it sounds like so. That's right. What is a favorite thing to eat?

Mike Gathright: 20:38

My favorite thing to eat? Especially living in Texas is probably Tex Mex. So just always hearty filling. You know, good, good. Good good eating.

Rick Denton: 20:51

Now Mike, I'm curious. Do you have a favorite Tex Mex restaurant in the area?

Mike Gathright: 20:55

I do and if you know for those in the Dallas or especially the Frisco area La Hacienda is is our is our family go to you can find us there many Friday nights and and also in the takeout line. Many weekends. Sunday night just pulling it you know bringing it home

Rick Denton: 21:17

place good place. Well if you're if listeners if you're ever in Frisco, Texas, USA head over to La Hacienda Mike's recommendation. It is a good place I can second that. was on the other side. That was a thing your parents forced you to eat but you hated as a kid

Mike Gathright: 21:29

Black Eyed Peas.

Rick Denton: 21:31

Really? Okay.

Mike Gathright: 21:33

I don't know why. And I still can't eat them to this day. They taste like dirt to me. Yeah, Black Eyed Peas. And you know, again, I grew up in the south where That's right. It's very common to grow vegetables and shelling peas and beans. And, and I actually just didn't really like many vegetables at all. When I was Black Eyed Peas, I can specifically remember, my my mom and dad would force me to eat them. And I would just gag through the whole through the whole setting.

Rick Denton: 22:02

I love this question. I love the reactions of people. Now what's interesting to me is I loved black eyed peas as a kid, I loved them today. And for those that aren't familiar with some of the US and kind of really southern traditions, Black Eyed Peas are something you eat on New Year's Day for good luck. So I imagine that was a bit of torture for you every Jan what it is,

Mike Gathright: 22:19

and it continues to be and I you know, I usually find myself, you know, getting one pea down and check the box, and I'm gonna have good luck for the years. Maybe a few more here and there. But yeah.

Rick Denton: 22:30

That's fantastic. Mike. Now, with all your travels, what is one travel item not including your phone that you will not leave home without,

Mike Gathright: 22:38

I always have my eyemask with me, you know, a lot of international flights, I'm actually lucky that I can sleep pretty much anywhere, manage that really by light and dark. And so if I'm in a place that I need to sleep and and it's light up outside, I can throw the mask on and be asleep pretty quickly.

Rick Denton: 23:04

Let's talk about the concert t shirt that I mentioned the Hilton team was way ahead of the trend when it came to work from home. So two questions have come to my mind when I think about that. Why was that approach important then? And by then I mean pre pandemic? How would you then describe the changes to employee experience and then by extension, customer experience as we've evolved into and through and hopefully out of the pandemic?

Mike Gathright: 23:30

Yeah, you know, I've been involved with, especially in the contact center work at home for, you know, 10 plus years now, you know, long before pandemic and in the, you know, the beginning part of your question, really get into that trying to think about how to tap into different demographic, in the contact center. And, you know, the traditional, especially in the context in or in even hiring broadly tends to be geographic, you're in a geographic location, you're trying to tap into areas within those geographies, or groups within those geographies that you think match. But you're limited by what groups or or or people exist within that geography. And the recognition with work at home was you started to have you break down a lot of those barriers and there's some really interesting demographics that you can tap into that you may have not been before and some of the early ones that we begin to, you know, sort of recognize where, you know, groups like disabled, you know, communities that may or may not have been able to physically get into an office but, you know, great employees. Military Spouses was another really interesting demographic, where you think about military spouses that they may be, you know, moving with their spouse on deployment, constantly having to find a job. Here's a space where you can keep the same job and travel around with you. So we just really found that, you know that there was a really demographic benefit of enlarging your candidate pool, and some candidate pools that were, you know, maybe largely untapped before. And then we saw, you know, had great customer experiences, again, military spouses in travel and hospitality really meshed? Well, many of them were constantly having to, you know, travel, you know, be in hotels had experiences and, and it again, it was just a really great match for us.

Rick Denton: 25:32

Yeah, I could see how I hadn't even thought of the military spouse being we always talk about we want our, our employees, whatever it is, whether they're agents or anything to be understanding and empathetic the customer, it can be hard, if the customer is slightly different than you are, what that might be. But I hadn't thought of the fact that the military spouse definitely knows what the traveler is experiencing, and can be empathetic and sympathetic to what they are going through. What's that look like? That makes a ton of sense for me, right? As far as why do it then. And I think it's interesting that it was a talent pool thing, it wasn't necessarily an employee engagement thing, although that's certainly what played into it. But a talent pool and access to great talent, as you think about taking that work from home experience into the pandemic, where the rest of the world joins you on the concert tour. But the now that niggun We're not all the way up, but hopefully emerging from the pandemic. What does that look like from an employee experience?

Mike Gathright: 26:25

Yeah, there's something that I think we learned pre pandemic, and it's a great, you know, sort of question and something for a lot of your listeners to think about, we did recognize that just because your work at home, that that doesn't mean that people don't want to have human interaction. Yeah, that doesn't mean that they don't want to understand their peer group. And in pre pandemic, a lot of the, especially video technology wasn't as prevalent or easily adopted as it is, you know, post pandemic. And so, you know, at Hilton, for example, we created what we called Hilton hometown events. And we benefit by the fact that, you know, we have, you know, 7000 properties around the globe and 100 countries, so that's true, you know, even if you just focus that in, in the US, it's not hard to find a property near a collection of team members. And so we started, you know, bringing our teams together, you know, a couple times a year, so that they could, they could, one, interact with each other, learn from each other. But also to learn more about our brands and our hotels that they were that they were supporting. And so for me, that was a lesson that we had to sort of learn in the early days of this is that, that while work at home, you know, provides a tremendous benefit, that there is still some opportunities to bring people together. And I think, you know, as we went through the pandemic, that was something that we were benefited by already having a large team working at home, but then we're all sort of experiencing now, you know, we talked about it in terms of hybrid world, what does that mean, but I think it's an important aspect of it, that there's a lot of benefits of virtual, and there's a lot of aspects of that that are great from an employee engagement experience process, but do you have to really think about you know, every company may be a little bit different on what that engagement looks like make sure that your team members really can connect with each other in a way that's that's necessary for them.

Rick Denton: 28:35

I like that and I haven't been there I was familiar with the hometown events but love that recognition that just because I want to be at home and for some maybe I have to be at home doesn't mean that I don't want to be around people and want to have that touch and I like how you brought that into it. Let's stay in the contact center you you mentioned and we talked about this as far as the insight that came up with connecting rooms and that is you have one of the best customer listening posts possible that actual customer voice and in some cases the literal customer voice where they talk but then also how they chat they email and they just over interact overall interact with you in the human in the digital space. So how kind of systematically are you leveraging that total voice the customer program to then drive business results to be one thing? Okay, great. We got the VOC but what do you do to drive the business results? What's that journey been like?

Mike Gathright: 29:28

Yeah, it journey is the right word. It is definitely a journey. I think we you go back years in the contact center space. I think you mentioned that demo tapes at the beginning right the early days of call recordings which it was literally a tape recorder you know that you're recording calls on today what what is amazing with the technology available, we have an insane amount of say to help them but everybody that's you know, that's listening within their company of unstructured text. Yeah. have information that's out there of sentiment of the customers, what their likes and dislikes are, what's going well, what's not going well. And, you know, our journey is really how we tap into that more holistically. So we've got, you know, programs that today are allowing us to use some of that information, and to be able to share back with our business partners, share it back with product teams, share it back with our hotels, but we're on a journey to even improve on that, and how we really have just a discussion around today sort of the difference between sort of dashboarding that information and turning it into workflows? Like how do you really take that information and make it actionable for people that can do something with it. And so that's where we'll be spending a lot of time in the next year or two, taking that unstructured data today, and turning it into really actionable workflows for teams. I like that help improve the guest experience.

Rick Denton: 30:59

I like that that's the focus right? It clearly even if you are still on that journey, you're finding those successes already. We talked about the connecting rooms. But I liked what you said there of okay, dashboard is great. But then what do we do with it? It's that moving from survey and score to listen, an act and so you're actually doing something with it in a systematic way. And I think there's phenomenal value. Well, of course, I think there's been I'm quite biased that there's phenomenal value in that. But it's great to hear. And I think it's encouraging for folks, the listeners to hear that, you know, a brand like Hilton is on that journey as well. So wherever you are in that journey, be encouraged that it's okay, that where you are there's still growth to be had there. You know, Mike, I was thinking about one of the things that we're hearing right now, right is sometimes you hear the big R word, you hear recessions and I just a downturn or whatever, you know, it travels been so whipsawed, right, we just got up a pandemic, then there's revenge travel. And now there's the possibility of recession. And I'm not even to say speaking of Hilton, specifically, but just in general, sometimes the context center can be under threat in that environment, it can be viewed as a cost center, instead of a customer insights center. So how do you think I'll use this word? How do you ensure that it's protected? Or at least how do you ensure that the value of those customer insights are recognized as a company might go into an economic reality that involves a downturn?

Mike Gathright: 32:23

Yeah, it's I think it's a really, it's a really real risk that exists for contact centers and, and within organizations. And so I think it's one important that they're holistically understood. So we've been talking about, you know, the value of data and information, right, if, if contacts and senators are simply seen, as you know, I pick up the phone, I answer questions, and I rapidly get to the next question. And they're not seen as a source of insight back to the company as a whole. That's the first place to start. Because you've got to change the narrative. Yeah, you know, we're lucky and, you know, intentional at Hilton, to make sure that the conversation is broader. And so we're doing exactly what you, you know, sort of implied there, as we go into, you know, sort of recessionary time, we're leaning into this space, right? We know that more than ever, it's important that we understand our customers that we understand their needs. And once we understand the opportunities that are created by against the risks that you become less focused on customer so to us right now that the contact center is as important as it's ever been the data that's inside of that is as important it's as it's ever been. And we're really trying to lean into that. But ultimately, as you started with the question to drive significant ROI, right, so that experience that you can enhance at the at the hotel for us and ensures a guest will want to come back is that a product that you can create that is necessary for travelers, to me, the most important starting point is if as a company, you're not having a conversation about the data and the insights that come from your contact center, and how they can be a power and a force for your organization. You've got to start there. Because if you're trying to start from a position of we're just answering calls, then you're going to be sort of on your heels from the get go.

Rick Denton: 34:17

Oh, my gosh, I would almost want to end the podcast right there. Like that's, that's such a valuable, insightful nugget right there. And I love the way you said it. That idea of leaning into it, right? No, no, we're not backing away from our contact center or any other customer oriented focus. We're heavily leaning into because that's how we think we're going to win, regardless of what the macro economic indicators tell us is leaning in like that. Let's talk about the future. Let's close out with the future. Yeah, Mike. And I know that as a frequent Hilton guest I have valued the brand's innovation, right? It's not new now. But the digital key was new and it's so nice to know that my phone can manage the property if I left the key in the room or didn't even bother with the keys I went straight to the room. You know, I even thought the brand linkage with Lysol and the clean stay was brilliant to give guests confidence. So innovation can come from digital, it can come from human it can come from the physical, talked about 23. What's next on the horizon? For the guest? The Hilton guest experience? What am I about to get really excited about experiencing as a guest?

Mike Gathright: 35:23

Yeah, I think, you know, there's, there's a lot of things that are, that are easy to sort of get excited about. And, and, you know, for us, what we continue to do is try to look at what are those broader trends that are out there. And, you know, so areas like payments, is an area where I think we have a lot of runway ahead of us, you think about sort of the digital in nature of payments today, the ease of payments, and that that's a space that we're leaning into a lot right now. And I think as we go through in 23 and beyond, you'll start to really see transform across Hilton and in the hotel experience, that that whole digital space of, you know, sort of digital and physical meeting and in room entertainment is another area that we're continuing to really grow and accelerate. You know, messaging, as basic as that sounds, is an area that we we have an opportunity to make sure that it's, you know, that it's sort of everywhere. But it also becomes a really great listening base for real time information. And so you again, we talked about unstructured text, think about all the information that can exist within messaging. And the ability to connect that and to solve problems real time or in hopefully, in some cases before they even occur, is really powerful. So again, for us, it's really leaning into the things that customers are getting used to in their everyday life, making sure that they're just as easy and simple to do in their interactions with Hilton and in their hotel stay. And then ultimately making sure that, you know, when they're trying to decide where they want to stay at its Hilton for this day.

Rick Denton: 37:10

I like it, Mike, I like it, I'm going to be very excited about those in 23. I definitely love the idea of payments, but how you can solve all of that. And the messaging part's really intriguing to me. I love that I can message the staff at a hotel. But the idea of then discerning what's being message and understanding it real time and solving problems real time or if even if not real time understanding the underlying themes and solving that for the future though. Okay, I like that a lot. Mike, it's been a lot of fun as I expected, I definitely want to go see the the Resorts World now I'm excited about that. I really appreciated you helping start with the light in the warmth. And just walking through what customer experience means to Hilton, what it means to you and helping at least crystallized for me and certainly for our listeners, what it means to really merge those digital and those physical worlds in a way that is delightful for the customer experience and for the guest experience. Mike, it's been a wonderful show. Thank you so much for being on the show. folks wanted to learn a little bit more about you and the Hilton approach to customer experience. Where can they learn more?

Mike Gathright: 38:16

Yeah, so feel free to follow Hilton and all of our channels, your favorite social channels, encourage those of you that are on tick tock to follow Hilton there as well. But all of the other great social channels, and you can find me on LinkedIn. That's great,

Rick Denton: 38:32

Mike. Mike, again, thank you so much. I'll get all that in the show notes. was a wonderful conversation today. Thank you for being on the 100th episode. On to the next 100. Mike, it's going to be phenomenal. But thank you for being on the show today.

Mike Gathright: 38:45

That's right. Well, Rick, thanks for having me. It's been a pleasure spending time with you. And again, congratulations on 100 shows and look forward to 100 more.

Rick Denton: 38:56

Thanks for joining us this week on CX Passport. Make sure to visit our website cxpassport.com where you can hit subscribe so you'll never miss a show. While you're at it, you can check out the rest of the EX4CX website. If you're looking to get real about customer experience, EX4CX is available to help you increase revenue by starting to listen to your customers and create great experiences for every customer every time. Thanks for listening to CX Passport and be sure to tune in for our next episode. Until next time, I'm Rick Denton, and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.