Elevating Patient Experiences: Applying Unreasonable Hospitality in Healthcare
Apr 22, 2025"What is so cool about being in alternative healthcare and being in these small businesses is that we actually have the opportunity to build cultures that are super special and different and unique and lovely, which is harder to do on a larger scale." — Kendall Hagensen
In this captivating episode of the Wellness Center Creators Podcast, hosts Anna Rudel and Kendall Hagensen delve deep into the concept of "Unreasonable Hospitality" and its transformative application to healthcare settings, particularly for alternative and holistic providers.
Kendall enthusiastically shares insights from Will Guidera's book "Unreasonable Hospitality," drawing compelling parallels between fine dining customer experiences and patient care in wellness practices. The core philosophy—giving people more than they expect in every interaction—resonates powerfully within healthcare environments where trust and patient experience are paramount.
"The basic idea of the book is how do we give people more than they expect every time they interact with our company," Kendall explains. "And I would say that most alternative healthcare providers and holistic providers generally have this approach anyway, and this general mindset of like, well, we're going to spend more time with our clients, we're going to listen to them, we're going to think of them as whole people."
Through engaging stories from the book—like restaurant staff feeding parking meters for guests or organizing impromptu sledding adventures during a snowstorm—the hosts illustrate how small, thoughtful gestures can dramatically elevate client experiences. These examples inspire healthcare providers to consider every touchpoint in the patient journey, from scheduling to follow-up care.
The conversation organically expands beyond patient interactions to explore how these principles shape team culture and leadership within small healthcare businesses. Kendall shares her approach to leadership training at Vancouver Wellness Studio, emphasizing collaboration, walking the wellness walk, and person-centered approaches.
"We always celebrate diversity on our team. We walk the Wellness walk," Kendall notes when describing their leadership philosophy. "If you're going to tell the person that you're leading that they need to take better care of themselves because they're burning out and they're not taking a lunch break, but then they're looking at your schedule and you're not taking a lunch break... that's not what we do. We model first."
A powerful example emerges when Kendall describes how their team rallied to support a massage therapist who broke their hand, with the massage team lead stepping up to coordinate meal deliveries on her day off—a perfect illustration of how trauma-informed leadership cultivates a culture of care that extends from staff to patients.
The hosts also highlight the crucial role of technology in enabling these elevated experiences. As Kendall points out, "Software and technology actually has a huge place in creating this elevated hospitality experience in our business." She emphasizes how tools like Trust Driven Care and Jane allow practitioners to implement process-oriented approaches that enhance communication while respecting human capacity limitations.
Anna adds a profound insight about the mindset shift that comes with these tools: "What I'm learning is I would have thought about things differently. It's a real switch in mindset, and you become a lot more process oriented in a way. Think about these different touch points in every interaction."
This episode offers valuable guidance for healthcare providers looking to differentiate their practices through exceptional patient experiences. By embracing "unreasonable hospitality," practitioners can build deeper trust, create memorable moments, and foster a culture where both team members and patients feel genuinely valued and cared for. The result is not just satisfied patients, but true client delight that transforms the healthcare experience from transactional to truly healing.
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About Anna Rudel
Anna Rudel, L. Ac is the owner and founder of Lokahi Acupuncture Clinic in San Jose California, founded in 2003. Anna is a master organizer and clinician, and as a Coach she specializes in working with Clinic Owners in the state of California, and Acupuncturists and Acupuncture Clinic Owners, or groups wanting to add Acupuncture worldwide, as well as teams that need support with employee retention and satisfaction. Born in the UK, Anna has traveled extensively in Asia and now has a thriving multi-practitioner clinic in the US!
Anna's Website and Links
- Website: https://lokahiacupuncture.com/
- Learn Group Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/group-coaching
- For info about Individual Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/individual-coaching
About Kendall Hagensen
Kendall is a Somatic Mental Health Therapist, Multidisciplinary Clinic Owner and Business Coach. She specializes in, and is passionate about, working with healthcare professionals to create the businesses of their dreams. Big goals always have a psychological component beneath the surface, so Kendall uses her background in Somatic Psychotherapy and EMDR Therapy mixed with Business Coaching tools to help clients develop a healthy relationship with their business and their strength as a leader.
As someone who lives with a chronic illness herself, Kendall feels that health happens best within community, which is why she takes a holistic, integrative, and collaborative wellness approach to her personal and professional life.
Kendall’s Web/Social Links