Page 190 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 4: DELIVER WOW!
inconsequential or trivial, developing strategies to help staff re-
member a customer’s name and needs makes a business memo-
rable to that customer.

C Creating Belonging D

While acknowledging people by name or offering them a warm
greeting sets the stage for a memorable experience, it frequently
can be overshadowed by service breakdowns that follow. Al-
though customers may initially feel welcomed by a business or
that their needs matter, they can quickly begin to feel that the
welcome wears off or that they would be better suited working
with a different business. In essence, customers not only ask
themselves “Did the staff warmly and authentically welcome me
into an experience with this business?” but also “Do I belong here?”
A guest who stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, in town
for an NCAA basketball game, was wowed at how she and her
husband were made to feel they “belonged” at that particular ho-
tel. “I had always stayed at the other Ritz-Carlton hotels in the
area, and I was wondering if this location would be as grand.
From the minute I walked in the door, I was greeted by at least
five hotel staff members. The desk clerks went above and beyond
the call of duty to make sure I was taken care of—and royally.
Keep in mind that I was an average person traveling among a
humongous crowd during this special event, and yet I felt like I
received special attention amidst the throngs.”
A guest at the San Francisco property similarly shares how
personal service helped him not only stand out from the crowd
but also offered him an extended sense of belonging and com-
fort. “I travel for business and have stayed all over the world.
When I was sent to San Francisco for a work assignment, I was
happy but not excited to be away from the East Coast for 30
days. In essence, the Ritz-Carlton was going to be my home for
a month. I had a car pick me up at the airport, and when I

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