1851

Does your franchise insist employees refer to customers as guests? Don&#8217;t tell The Gray Lady. The New York Times&#8217; Hilary Stout recently <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/business/be-your-guest-how-about-i-just-pay-and-leave.html?_r=0&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=new-york-times-is-guest-the-way-to-go-for-franchises-1433" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">took the term to task</a>, describing it as &#8220;one of those head-scratchers of daily life that no one can explain.&#8221; Stout made her case using the &#8220;Oxford English Dictionary,&#8221; which differentiates a guest &#8211; someone being entertained at a house or table &#8211; with a customer &#8211; someone purchasing goods or services from a retailer. It only makes sense that perhaps the world&#8217;s largest proponent of using &#8220;guest&#8221; over &#8220;customer&#8221; is Disney (this is the company that almost won an Academy Award for a song titled &#8220;Be Our Guest,&#8221; after all). The New York Times quoted an excerpt from a book published by Disney of the same name, this one intended to explain why referring to customers as guests matters: &#8220;At first glance, Disney&#8217;s language may seem contrived or inconsequential,&#8221; the book stated. &#8220;But words create images and corresponding assumptions in people&#8217;s minds. Take the word guest. An unhappy guest and an unhappy consumer create two very different images in an employee&#8217;s mind. Guests are welcome visitors, whom you host; consumers are statistics. If someone is your guest, don&#8217;t you feel a greater obligation to ensure his or her happiness?&#8221; This is a sentiment shared by Michael Mabry, CEO of <a href="http://www.mooyahfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=new-york-times-is-guest-the-way-to-go-for-franchises-1433" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MOOYAH Burgers, Fries &amp; Shakes</a>. In fact, Mabry told the Times his company goes beyond using the word &#8220;guest.&#8221; &#8220;We take it a step further &#8212; we capitalize the &#8216;G&#8217; in guest,&#8221;he said. &#8220;If you have the opportunity to read any document or letter to our franchisees, it&#8217;s always with a capital &#8216;G.&#8217;&#8221; The overarching point of Stout&#8217;s article seems to be that some people find usage of the word &#8220;guest&#8221; in place of &#8220;customer&#8221; annoying, whether because it&#8217;s technically improper syntax or because it feels too familiar on the part of retailers. However, brands like Disney and MOOYAH continue to enjoy increasing profits and public goodwill. Who&#8217;s to say going the extra mile by turning standard customers into valued guests isn&#8217;t part of the reason why?

1851 Franchise

Paper of record takes issue with calling customers guests.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

New York Times: Is Guest the Way to Go for Franchises? 

new-york-times-is-guest-the-way-to-go-for-franchises

Express Employment Professionals

Shaping the Future of Work: Melissa Davis Leads the Charge in Express Employment Franchising

shaping-the-future-of-work-melissa-davis-leads-the-charge-in-express-employment-franchising

Caring Transitions

The Benefits of Buying an Existing Caring Transitions Territory vs. Starting From Scratch

the-benefits-of-buying-an-existing-caring-transitions-territory-vs-starting-from-scratch

petbar

petbar Franchise - Marc Hildebrand - Nicole Baptiste - San Antonio - 1851 Franchise

Spreading Bark-Side Joy: How Nicole and Marc Bring Trust and Canine Bliss to San Antonio

petbar-franchise-alamo-heights-san-antonio-nicole-baptiste-marc-hildebrand

Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company

How Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. Built a 23-Year Brand That Empowers Veterans Through Franchising

wild-bills-craft-beverage-co-veteran-franchise-opportunity

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers Franchise - St. Louis Expansion - 1851 Franchise

Why St. Louis Is the Next Major Growth Opportunity for Comfort Keepers®

comfort-keepers-st-louis-franchise-opportunities

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

McDonald’s Is the Latest Franchise To Bet Big on Beverages with 500-Store Premium Drink Test

mcdonalds-is-the-latest-franchise-to-bet-big-on-beverages-with-500-store-premium-drink-test

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

New York Times: Is Guest the Way to Go for Franchises?

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS