Keeping Service Standards High in Luxury Travel

By Scott Anderson

Creating and maintaining a high quality service culture within an organization is both difficult and rewarding. Doing so in a Destination Club is even more challenging. Imagine running a five-star resort whose rooms are scattered all over the world. While we are constantly striving to improve, our members have told us we are providing service beyond their expectations. We do not have all the answers, however, here are some thoughts and ideas that may assist you as your organization strives for service excellence.

Excellent Customer Service Starts with Excellent Employee Practices

Do as I say not as I do may work for some parents (although I don’t recommend it), but it certainly does not work in any organization where the goal is to establish a strong customer service culture. Prospective employees of your organization will know fairly quickly if the organization actually values service or is just providing lip service to the concept.

Indications that service is high in the value matrix of the organization include:

• The quality of the welcome to the HR department
• Making sure appointment times are kept
• Getting back to every applicant in a timely manner
• Doing what you say you will do

Once an employee is hired, investing in training regardless of the employee’s responsibilities is critical. Ask the questions: What do I have to do? Why am I doing it? How do I do it? and, What happens if I do or what happens if I don’t? The answers to these questions will help assure every employee understands their job and how it fits into the overall service culture. Someone once said this about the service business: “If you are not in the business of serving a customer, you’d better be in the business of serving someone who does.” Make sure every employee knows who they are serving and how that internal or external service relates to the overall organizational plan.

I Am Sorry it is Not Our Policy / Can’t Be Your Policy

We must be in the yes business. Unfortunately as organizations get larger they tend to institutionalize and document every service policy. However, not every guest or member fits a policy manual. When a guest confronts an employee with a request, remember they also have a policy manual and their manual says they get what they want when they want it. Empowering the line staff to make exceptions to the established policies is the first step toward achieving service excellence, but there is another step you must take.

Once an employee makes an exception, you must celebrate their action if you agree they made the right decision. More importantly, you must celebrate their action even if they made the wrong decision. Telling an employee they are empowered, then disciplining them for a wrong action, is worse than not allowing them to make the decision in the first place. Clearly, when an employee makes a poor service decision, they must be counseled on why an alternative would have been a better option. How you handle the counseling means everything in the long run.

Be Careful What You Ask For, You Might Get It

Most companies have some form of customer feedback: a card in the guest room asking what they thought of the service they received or an e-mail post-stay asking for feedback. Regrettably, most companies do not listen to what the customer is telling them on these cards or e-mails. At Dream Catcher, our members receive a call from the corporate office, as well as their membership director, after every visit to one of our homes. Many of the service enhancements we have implemented have come from our members. When you are talking to a customer you need to LISTEN! Concentrate on what they are really saying, ask questions, listen to their tone of voice, and don’t make assumptions thinking you already know what they are saying.

Inspect, Inspect, Inspect

Management, by walking around, is still the best customer service tool you have. Everyone is busy. We can spend all day, every day sitting at our desk looking at numbers, answering e-mails and avoiding the most important part of our job. Get out on the floor and talk to customers. Do you spend time in the lobby of your hotel watching the interaction between guests and employees? How many rooms do you inspect every day? You are the boss, so your staff is going to treat you nicely. Hire a mystery shopping service to tell you what is really going on.

Our VP of Operations travels 18 days a month visiting our homes, conducting both announced and unannounced visits. The walk-through of the homes is thorough and documented, so our Destination Hosts know exactly what is expected. You should set high standards and inspect them daily. Additionally, praise your employees when your standards are implemented properly and correct them when they fall short.

It is the Little Things That Matter, Spend Time on Them

It has been said that a guest determines if they like a room in the first 10 seconds after they open the door. They do this by what they see, what they hear and what they smell. How do your guest rooms stack up? At Dream Catcher, we spend hours talking about the first 10 seconds after our member’s arrival. For example, in Telluride, CO, when a member arrives and opens the door, the first thing they see is a wonderful view. They also hear soothing music on the surround sound system, the fireplace is lit, and there are chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. We try to create an environment that says to our guest “I am home.” How are you doing on the little things in your dining facility or guest room?

Service excellence is a full-time job, as well as a philosophy. Only the leaders in the organization can create a service culture that translates to the guests. Try some of our suggestions; it might just jump your service scores to a whole new level. Good Luck!

Scott W. Anderson is Executive Vice President-Real Estate, Quintess-Leading Residences of the World, the third-largest player in the destination club industry.