Page 179 - The New Gold Standard

Support Frontline Empathy
you have a cold bottle of water in hand for a guest who is return-
ing from a run, or noticing that guests are asking for an unusual
wake-up call and may need something to take with them for
breakfast. We’re constantly observing. For instance, we might
have a group of three hundred people staying for three nights,
and that first morning we have two hundred wake-up calls be-
tween 7:00 and 7:15. If we believe we can complete those calls
faster, we will proactively change our staffing for the next morn-
ing, having observed an opportunity to meet the group’s needs
better, and turning that observation into action.”
Betty Lewis, lobby attendant at Ritz-Carlton, knows the
power of keeping your eyes open and observing needs that go
well beyond what a guest verbally acknowledges. “I saw a guest
who looked pale and was trying to find some cold medicine in
the gift shop. As she left the shop empty-handed, I asked if I
could be of some service. ‘Is there anything I can get for you?’
She responded no thanks, but I could tell that she didn’t want
to be a bother. She then went up to her room. Given that she
just didn’t look well and had a cold, I thought she would benefit
from a cup of my special hot tea. So I made her a cup of tea and
took it to her along with a rose, some cold tablets, and a small
bottle of water. I put them on a silver tray and knocked on her
door. She said, ‘Yes?’ and I answered, ‘I’m Betty, the Lady you
met near the gift shop. You look like the cold is about to get you
down.’ She said, ‘I’m so sick.’ I handed her the tray and once
again asked if there was anything else she needed. As she was ly-
ing on the bed, I fluffed up her pillows. She needed that because
she was coughing. I said, ‘I have some honey and lemon in the
tea, and I made sure the water is extra hot. I guarantee you’ll feel
better within the hour.’ The next day the guest, who I later
found out was the chief executive officer of her company, wrote
a nice letter. What I liked most about the letter was that she said
she never thought she could get this kind of care away from
home. ‘It was a mother’s care,’ and she said she appreciated it
very much.”

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