Page 74 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 1: DEFINE AND REFINE
it down into service standards, product standards, and process
standards. What we’ve done with each of these three disciplines
is clearly define what the customer is looking for and
exactly what this service, process, or product should be at a cer-
tain level. We’ve identified that our customer wants the highest-
quality products. Let’s say fresh flowers must be in all of our
hotels; now, if you’re in a tropical setting, you want to use local
tropical flowers, and if you are in New York City, you might
want to use long-stemmed red roses or orchids. It just depends
on the market and the customer.”
Brian adds, “It comes down to defining the level of service,
and sometimes down to the specifications of the product. Some
items, such as the linens or textiles we use, are standard world-
wide. For other items, we allow for regional differences; for ex-
ample, we might have a North American standard and an Asian
standard for the type of tea served, because of applicability to
those markets. It’s a matter of having standards and exploring
when to vary them in a sensible manner. Similarly, when it comes
to service standards, we have companywide expectations of Club-
level service, but some of the specifics of service are adjusted by
property. For example, a business hotel like The Portman Ritz-
Carlton, Shanghai, might have the Club Lounge open 24 hours
a day since many guests arrive on late-night international flights,
while The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes, may serve
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the Club Lounge—given
the number of guests who are traveling with kids.”
Global brand specialist Cindy Dyer, senior manager of con-
sumer strategy and insight at Frito-Lay, Inc., and former mar-
keter for Pizza Hut, Inc., comments, “Most big companies tend
to keep their brands the same all over the world . . . . [They
think] if it’s Pizza Hut here, it’s Pizza Hut everywhere.” Cindy
notes, however, that great businesses tailor their offerings to the
local needs of the customer. “If you are Pizza Hut, it has to be
pizza for each market. But you can’t just export it and have it
be that everywhere you go.”

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