Page 204 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 4: DELIVER WOW!

STRIKING GOLD

D Does your training communicate the importance of paying
attention to the customer’s practical needs, empathizing with
the guest’s emotional perspective, and utilizing all sensory
data to pick up on guest preferences?
D Can staff members distinguish between the purpose and
function of their job?
D How readily do you and your staff wow customers through
immediate service recovery?

C Wowing with a Broad Stroke to D
Leave an Impression That Lasts

Obviously, the easiest and most cost-effective Wow experiences
emerge when staff members find customer needs that routinely
go unserved at competing businesses. For example, many hotel
guests prefer outdoor exercise to using gym facilities on the
property. While many other hotels don’t anticipate the needs of
this group of exercisers, Ritz-Carlton typically provides cold bot-
tled water at the entrance of the hotel for guests returning from
a run. Although such considerations are not a personalized of-
fering, they do reflect a thoughtfulness that gets the attention of
guests. For example, a customer at The Ritz-Carlton, San Fran-
cisco, recalls, “Upon departure, we were given water for the car
ride. They knew we were driving to Pebble Beach so they wanted
us to be comfortable. Oh, yeah . . . for all you joggers: when you
go out running in the morning and come back sweaty, they have
towels and vitamin water for you. How nice is that? I bet if you
asked, they would run for you too!”
While there are no reports of Ritz-Carlton staff exercising
on behalf of guests, leadership has clearly communicated the im-
portance of creating Wow experiences during the guest’s stay.
Additionally, leadership stresses the value of seizing the oppor-

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