Page 188 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 4: DELIVER WOW!
in which those elements are consistently present draw the atten-
tion and delight of the recipient. Additionally, these little things
can be the difference between a positively or an unpleasantly
memorable guest experience. For example, a guest who checked
into a Ritz-Carlton hotel during a very busy event noted, “Our
visit to the Ritz-Carlton was at best, horrible. After speaking to
the front desk prior to my arrival both the day before and the
morning of our expected check-in, one would think our arrival
experience would be smooth as silk. It was the furthest thing
from it, even though we were booked in a Club Level room.
When we arrived, a line was formed through the lobby with only
one person attending the desk. Much to our surprise we were
greeted in a welcoming way and were told we could not check
into our room (it was 4:45 p.m.) for another hour or so because
the hotel was having computer problems. We were offered to go
up to the Club Level and wait until our room was ready. When
we got to the Club Lounge, without our keys, the place was
mobbed with other guests in the same situation, not even stay-
ing on that floor. It was completely absurd, and we had to be at
a concert within an hour and a half and hadn’t had dinner or
showered. After begging the concierge, Emily, she was able to
get our keys.”
While unforgettable customer experiences come in all vari-
eties, the initial impression formed by the customer, be that of
delight or disappointment, sets the stage for trust or distrust that
will color the remainder of the business relationship.

C Taking It to the Memorable D

By sharing information about guests at lineup (including pic-
tures of the guests that are kept in the Mystique system or found
on Google) and by utilizing shared communication such as ear-
piece radios, staff at Ritz-Carlton can typically use the names of
guests they have never personally met. Imagine having a limou-

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