Page 46 - The New Gold Standard
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PRINCIPLE 1: DEFINE AND REFINE
           needs and desires.” These outcomes can clearly be validated by
           guest comments such as, “I walked to the elevators and was
           charmed by the marble floors, tall mirrors, and beautiful artwork
           in the elevator lobby. Throughout the lobby and public areas of
           the hotel was an understated atmosphere of luxury and comfort.
           I entered my room with aching muscles and a tired mind. The
           lights were already on, but they were softly lit, casting a dim glow
           throughout the room. The radio was playing classical music, my
           bed had been turned down and an oversized terrycloth robe lay
           on the bed.” Or from observations such as, “My stress melted
           away as I drew myself a bubble bath in the huge marble-filled
           bathroom. The towels in the room were not the small, rough
           pieces of linen that are so common in hotels. No, these were
           large, soft, terrycloth towels.” When leadership defines a pow-
           erful vision and clearly communicates that vision to all staff, em-
           ployees can turn that vision (for example, “create an experience
           that enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the
           unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests”) into reality.



                                 The Motto
           At first glance,The Motto of the Ritz-Carlton,“Ladies and Gentle-
           men serving Ladies and Gentlemen” may appear overly staid and
           outdated, lacking refinements to make it relevant to a modern
           workforce. Yet packed into its formal language is a clear under-
           standing of the relationship between, and implicit respect for,
           both the employee and guest.
              Horst Schulze, cofounder and past president of The Ritz-
           Carlton Hotel Company, shares the origin of the Motto: “I
           started in the hotel business when I was 14 years old as a busboy.
           When my mother took me to the hotel to work for the first
           time, she said, ‘We could never go to this hotel. This is only for
           important people. For important, fine people. So you’re lucky.
           Behave yourself. Wash your hands.’ She was a typical mother. I
           went to the hotel and the general manager talked to my mother


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