Page 125 - The New Gold Standard

It’s a Matter of Trust
here to just about any company. However, I feel so supported and
valuable that it would be difficult imagining being anywhere else.”
It is even a better testament to the impact of trust when
guests recognize the confidence that frontline workers have in
their leadership. A recent guest at the Singapore location ex-
plains this best: “I have stayed in a lot of hotels throughout the
Pacific Rim, and often it seems that staff members are fearful of
management and that they are ill-at-ease. I enjoy the emotional
tone of a Ritz-Carlton where staff members seem to be perform-
ing in a natural and relaxed way.”

C Staff Engagement: D
A Step beyond Satisfaction

In addition to anecdotal reports from guests and employees,
Ritz-Carlton systematically analyzes the trust and engagement
of their employees through formal surveys conducted by third
parties such as Gallup (see Chapter 6 for a more detailed review
of this assessment process). Additionally, leadership assesses
turnover data, information derived from exit interviews, and
monthly surveys conducted with guests.
Across all qualitative and quantitative methods used to as-
sess the engagement levels of their staff, it is clear that respectful
and genuine treatment of employees at Ritz-Carlton engenders
a trust for leadership that is essential to move their business for-
ward. Unless employees know that they are truly valued, they
often don’t invest the extra effort needed to exceed customer ex-
pectations and arrive at innovative service solutions.
Erwin Schinnerl, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton,
Boston Common, emphasizes the importance of authentic and
honest interactions with staff. “The Ladies and Gentlemen rep-
resent the foundation of everything we do within our brand.
It all starts with, ‘Do I trust you? Do I trust you to create an en-
vironment and a workplace that make me feel that I belong
and that I make a difference? Do I trust you to tell the truth and

105