Question:
Our restaurant is about a 10-minute walk from the main city center (hotels and convention center) in an area that is a little transitional/gentrifying. I’m sometimes asked whether it is safe to walk (I walk or bike all the time, and it mostly is), but is it OK to say that? Would I be responsible if something happened?
– Host, fine dining, Philadelphia
Answer:
Your question raises an interesting guest services and marketing dilemma: If you say, “Oh, it’s a little sketchy, you should take a cab or ride share,” you are drawing attention to a lack of safety in the neighborhood. On the other hand, if you say, “Oh it’s no problem—totally safe!” the guest may feel misled, even if nothing bad happens. One of the challenges with safety is it’s very much a perception, and different people have different thresholds for what makes them feel safe and secure. Some may feel skittish just looking at some urban decay and litter, while others would walk on by and be perfectly fine. The context also matters—walking with a group of friends may help the guest perceive more security than walking alone in an unfamiliar city.
I asked a few managers, hosts and desk agents how they handle this question, and there is one clear, honest answer. My advice is to say, “I walk around the neighborhood all the time and feel safe, but I’d be happy to recommend a cab service if you prefer.” (Of course, most guests would just use a ride-hailing app these days.) With a statement like that, you are not making a recommendation either way to the guest. They know that you feel safe walking around your restaurant’s neighborhood, which helps communicate hospitality, but they also have a nice comfortable way out if their threshold for what feels safe is a little lower.
Much has been written about guest safety inside the restaurant—food safety, slips and falls, and so on. But the operator’s obligation to provide hospitality extends beyond the doors of the restaurant as well.