The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C. is considered by many business experts to be the epitome of customer service excellence. In fact, the Ritz-Carlton Creed is well known and taught in many customer service seminars: “The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience.
The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.” Totally cool. Better yet – totally classy.
How The Ritz Carlton Ensures Service Excellence
Every executive, manager, and employee lives and breathes the Ritz-Carlton Creed. Employees are instructed to leave a lasting impression on guests and to provide a flawless customer experience.
Stay at a Ritz-Carlton and employees will greet you warmly and call you by name. You’ll also receive a fond farewell. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again,” or, “I can’t wait to do another event with you in the future.”
The Ritz-Carlton has practices every business should have. They make every effort to ensure customers’ needs are anticipated and expectations are exceeded. They “empower” hotel managers with a yearly budget to use at their discretion to make any dissatisfied customer happy. When hiring new employees, they hire only the best people who will think and act as “brand ambassadors.
When an employee spots a service flaw in the system, he or she fills out an “Incident Defect Form.” The report is sent to management immediately.
One of the keys to their success is that they focus on educating and motivating employees. One practice is that they hold 15 minute meeting called “line-ups” where employees line up to tell stories of how they provided exceptional customer service to a guest. The applause provides recognition and helps to keep employees motivated and focused on their values. Managers of each department reminds staff about individuals and meetings being held at the hotel. Knowing a little about a guest or meeting can help employees provide a more personalized experience. Smart practices. Smart company. That’s why so many other hotels try to mimic them.
You may not have a budget comparable to a major hotel. But you can do some “Ritzy” things in your place of business to ensure customer service excellence. You’ll be glad you did. And so will your customers. Oh! You’re a Red Roof Inn? Ensure service excellence by training your employees to ACT like you are the Ritz!
About Christine Corelli
