Captain Quality Essay Example

motivated when taking on new challenges. While stretching their skills is important, if the challenge is too difficult, frustration may occur and if the challenge is too easy, boredom may set in. Therefore, management must strive to strike the right balance. While trendy design is often given credit for the success of boutique hotels, it is not the only factor in achieving differentiation and market penetration. A comprehensive environmental approach is necessary, which includes addressing customer needs and preferences from the booking process to post-stay communication.

Hotels are realizing that customer satisfaction and value enhancement go beyond efficient check-ins and discounted rates. Quality of life has become the new focus, with many applying basic creativity principles to reap the benefits. In Carefree, Arizona USA, the Boulders, a luxury property, has a vision statement to "seek opportunities to create memories." To fulfill this vision and provide excellent guest service, the resort's owners and managers created ten cornerstones that apply to both external guests and "internal guests" (i).

Both Four Seasons and Regent Hotels maintain a high ratio of employees to guests, ensuring a personalized experience. Newly hired staff undergo a comprehensive 12-week training program that includes immersion in the hotel's philosophy and culture, culminating in an overnight stay.

A committee of senior managers conducts quarterly reviews of operating standards using feedback from focus groups, guests, and general managers. The general manager at the Cincinnati Marriott Northeast in Ohio, USA has implemented a 12-point service program to encourage staff to treat every guest as a beloved family member visiting their home. Staff carry pledge cards, and daily meetings start with emphasizing the importance of satisfying guests. Every Friday afternoon,

employees and interested guests gather on the lobby terrace for a pep rally while reading guest letters and cards. Special staff recognition programs for exceptional guest service have been instituted, including rewards for back-of-house employees. The sophisticated approach to achieving high levels of guest service at Ritz-Carlton is based on their credo: “Ladies and Gentlemen Serving Ladies and Gentlemen."

By using a structured interview process with empirical scoring, the company ensures that employees who share their values are hired. Additionally, interviewees participate in receptions where their conduct and personality are observed and evaluated. Leading hotel chains showcase creativity in the industry, particularly when it comes to empowering service employees. Many of these companies rely on employees to deliver enhanced guest services and therefore provide training and empowerment to enable employees to act in the best interest of satisfying the customer.

One notable instance of this concept being implemented is through the practices at Ritz Carlton Hotels, where employees are authorized to spend up to $2000 in order to resolve any guest issues that may arise. The Inn at Essex, on the other hand, does not rely on extensive operating manuals; instead, they have a single page policy outlining principles such as always finding a way to say yes and making decisions in favor of the guests, with management fully supporting such choices. Ashley House Hotels, meanwhile, has established the “Captain Quality” program under the guidance of their general manager.

The hotel staff takes turns as Captain Quality, which starts with a one-night stay at the hotel, including dinner for two. The employee then spends a week observing every department and submits a list of six areas needing

improvement. This process repeats each week with a new Captain Quality selected. In the hospitality industry, leaders recognize the significance of listening to customer feedback and promptly responding. At Waldorf-Astoria, they distribute a quality quiz to guests at every point of contact with the service.

Every day, they can gather up to 100 responses from quizzes. A coding system monitors the quiz outcomes and flags any necessary actions to enhance operations. At the end of each month, summaries of the results are issued to employees and departments, color-coded as red, yellow, or green. The color green signifies "good", yellow means "progress is being made, but there is still work to be done", and red indicates a performance level that's far below expectations.

Witnessing a team's response to their red zone performance is awe-inspiring. The utilization of this colored coding system has a significant impact on the team, enhancing the effect if the information were presented on plain paper. The hotel has creatively expanded this approach to other communication areas within the property.

Doubletree's Club hotels have set up two CARE Committees - one for Guest Relations and the other for Employee Relations. The Guest Relations Committee oversees guest-comment cards, provides recommendations for progress, and chooses a mystery guest each month, who evaluates the hotel's performance by experiencing all of the amenities available. The mystery guest is compensated with complimentary breakfast and a reduced room rate.

Some hotel companies have implemented satisfaction guarantees for guests that offer refunds or free services in the event of dissatisfaction. Market leaders in this area include Promus Hotels and Carlson Hospitality, both of whom offer 100% customer satisfaction guarantees. At any Promus

Hotel, guests can stay free of charge if they are not completely satisfied for any reason, and the hotel does not question the validity of guest complaints. Employees are trained to provide immediate satisfaction in these cases, and Promus promotes its guarantee scheme through various print and broadcast media channels.

Carlson Hotels has a 100% satisfaction guarantee that is triggered by three conditions related to the guest's complaint: (1) the guest perceives a high severity problem, (2) the guest thinks the fault lies with the hotel, and (3) the hotel cannot fix the problem in a way that would satisfy the guest. As market leaders, Carlson Hotels goes above and beyond to maintain their competitive edge. However, generally speaking, hotels in the industry have not adopted similar guarantee policies or other marketing creativity. Despite this, many hotels still consider these methods valuable for attracting and keeping guests, even though they may not be as creative as others in the marketplace.