Page 64 - The New Gold Standard

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Be Relevant

We must always change,
renew, rejuvenate ourselves;
otherwise we harden.
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOËTHE

“I expect elegant. But I also expect that I have
to enter into their world instead of their com-
|ing into mine.” Such was the reaction shared
by a modern luxury customer during a focus group
discussion concerning Ritz-Carlton. Similar guest com-
ments reflected the perception—and consumer percep-
tions are reality—that Ritz-Carlton needed to refine its
approach to product and service offerings in accord
with a changing customer base. As important as it is to
establish a framework of values to guide an organiza-
tion’s culture, it’s equally crucial to reevaluate mission
statements to ensure they are relevant to the evolving
needs of customers.
Laurie Wooden, vice president of new business de-
velopment and corporate strategy, reflects on observa-
tions she made when joining the company five years
ago. “I was struck by the fact that our Credo proclaimed
we were to provide for the genuine care and comfort of
our guests, but when I went to our hotels, I saw that we
were doing a lot of things that were not comfortable for

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