“If you love what you do, then it doesn’t feel like work,” said Jeff Kinnie, executive host at New South Kitchen in the Omni Atlanta Hotel. Jeff has worked in hospitality for the past 25 years and each day, his goal is to win over the guests at “hello”.
“The guests are the keys that open doors in hospitality,” Jeff says. “You never know what they’re going through when they come to your door so you should always have an open door and let them know that they are important.”
Jeff’s commitment to customer service continues to pay off. He estimates that he has won Employee of the Year 10 times and Employee of the Month 50 times. To him, work never feels like work because he loves what he does.
Jeff credits his success in hospitality to being a people person. “You must be compassionate and empathetic and have a genuine heart of love,” he says. “I love hospitality because it’s who I am.”