#4 Takeaway from BDX Summit

#4 Takeaway from BDX Summit

Guest enjoying their meeting.

John Quintoni of The Ritz-Carlton billed his company as the leading hospitality company in the world. Surprisingly, this company with its exalted, traditional customer service values is only 34 years old.

He bragged that they are the only brand who’s not afraid to say “We love our guests!” The company’s goal is to make raving fans, even if at head-spinning room rates.

Great service starts with their definition – as a Hospitality business, not a hotel. That would be like builders saying “We’re not in the homebuilding business, we’re in providing “good living.”

Experience is their product. They want customers to walk away thinking “I will not forget how you made me feel.” They strive for guests to FEEL VALUED. Where does this start?

Quintoni said high-gear employee engagement begets extraordinary customer service. Each Ritz-Carlton holds daily kickoff meetings each shift to discuss guest needs/issues from shift to shift, review the why behind the what, etc. This focuses employees on their Purpose, not just Functions.

How to build Employee Purpose and Raving Fans?

  • Employee empowerment – Can they be given the power to make things right instantly so the experience with your firm stays positive?
  • Employee training – Do you give them at least a weekly dose of their big-picture purpose and how they contribute to profitability—or not? Or do you just cover the end results?
  • Employee fluidity – Are your employees ready for change, so if their jobs change for a day, or forever, they adapt easily because they can understand how the change fits into the big-picture?
Sales follow from great service! Humbly offering to help and providing customer-needed info (floor plans, new models to tour, price reductions) builds favorable FEELINGS toward your company. Allowing them to tour your locked spec homes instantly, on their timetable, at their pace with NterNow shows you understand that during their research phase of homebuying, they want to experience/tour your specs independently, without any sales pressure. (After all, we all car shop on Sundays for that reason!)