At Lumley Castle Hotel, one of the fun yet effective training techniques we use with the team is something we call The Lumley Walk.
Why? Because maintaining eye contact is one of the simplest but most powerful tools in hospitality. It shows presence. It reassures guests they are not only seen, but also genuinely cared for.
From a service point of view, consistent eye contact helps the team anticipate needs, respond more effectively, plan actions, and take control of the guest experience. In many ways, eye contact is what puts us in charge of service.
And yet, across the industry, many frontof-house teams avoid it-even though they know it matters.
That’s where The Lumley Walk comes in. It’s our light-hearted, practical way to embed the habit. Just like a fashion model walks the catwalk (avoiding connection), our team flips the idea on its head. On The Lumley Walk, eye contact is everything confident, consistent, and connecting.
The contrast makes the lesson stick. Once the team see the difference between the fashion walk and The Lumley Walk, they can’t unsee it. And once they’ve practised it, eye contact becomes second nature.
It’s simple. It’s memorable. And it works.
Eye contact: ticked.
www.lumleycastle.com