Page 208 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 4: DELIVER WOW!
sharing of Wow stories. Katerina Panayiotou, manager of inter-
nal communication at Ritz-Carlton, is responsible for collecting
Wow stories submitted from hotels in all locales and incorporat-
ing them into the company’s Commitment to Quality (the guide
sheet used to ensure consistent presentation of information dur-
ing the lineup process). The Commitment to Quality focuses on
key corporate themes, such as the Service Values and the Credo
or even upgrades to the Mystique database or guest recognition
program.
Wow stories are constants inThe Commitment to Quality and
as such are presented at every Monday and Friday lineup. Given
the sizable language diversity across the staff at Ritz-Carlton
properties, these lessons are translated into 12 languages, includ-
ing Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish. For the Ladies
and Gentlemen of Ritz-Carlton, these stories, explains Katerina,
are “not about the staff members just doing their jobs; it’s what
they can do to enliven our success factors or to enliven one of
our Gold Standards.”
Katerina reports that she is inundated with Wow stories, “so
much so, that I feel pressure to make sure all the properties have
some of their stories featured. We’ve even developed a database
with online links to help streamline the submission and track-
ing process.” If an employee’s actions result in a Wow story that
appears in The Commitment to Quality, the Lady or Gentleman
receives $100. While this financial acknowledgment is valued,
Katerina reports, “it’s more about the recognition and just hav-
ing done a great job. Our Ladies and Gentlemen take pride in
what they do. It’s about the joy in being able to serve.” In addi-
tion to the specific stories selected and presented through the
corporatewide daily lineup at each location, there is also a por-
tion reserved for appreciation and recognition of staff at that
hotel who have delivered both large and small Wow service mo-
ments to guests.
In addition, shares Katerina, keeping track of the stories
“helps the hotels provide examples of customer service excel-

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