My Week as a Room-Service

Waiter at the Ritz

by Paul Hemp

Reprint r0206b
 June 2002

HBR Case Study r0206a

The Skeleton in the Corporate Closet
Julia Kirby

HBR at Large r0206b

My Week as a Room-Service
Waiter at the Ritz
Paul Hemp

Managing Yourself r0206c

A Survival Guide for Leaders
Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky

Charting Your Companys Future r0206d

W. Chan Kim and Rene Mauborgne

The Very Real Dangers r0206e

of Executive Coaching
Steven Berglas

Value Acceleration: Lessons r0206f

from Private-Equity Masters
Paul Rogers, Tom Holland, and Dan Haas

The People Who Make r0206g

Organizations Go or Stop
Rob Cross and Laurence Prusak

Best Practice r0206h

Spinning Out a Star
Michael D. Lord, Stanley W. Mandel,
and Jeffrey D. Wager

Frontiers r0206j
Have Your Objects Call My Objects
Glover T. Ferguson
H B R at La rg e

My Week
as a Room-Service Waiter
at the Ritz

by Paul Hemp

T
his was to be my first real the jiggling and tinkling cart over the
test. After completing a two-day threshold nearly tipping over the bot-
orientation program and spend- tle of San Pellegrino in the process. When
ing the same number of days shadowing the woman, who was watching a game
Stephen Posner, a veteran Ritz-Carlton show on television with her husband,
Managers love to talk room-service waiter, I was going to take learned from Steve that I was in train-
the lead on delivering a dinner order. ing, she tried to put me at ease with
about delighting their As we headed up the service elevator some conversation about the program.
with a light meal for two a cheese- But I didnt have the excess mental ca-
customers. But how does burger, a salad, a beer, and a bottle of pacity required for casual banter. I was
mineral water I again went over in my focused on my task.
it feel to be one of the head Steves instructions on what to say Would you like me to open the water
and do. He noticed my furrowed brow. for you? I asked.
people who actually have Dont be so serious, he said, as I awk- Oh, sure, if youd like to, said the
wardly maneuvered the room-service woman.
to deliver the goods? cart down the hall. Feel out the guests Then I stood there, slightly slack
and try to match their mood. jawed, hands behind my back, survey-
I knocked on the door of Room 1036 ing the cart and trying to recall what
and swallowed:Good evening. In-room my checklist said to do next. The woman
dining. A cheerful woman opened the stood there looking at me expectantly.
door and I pushed, rather than pulled, Steve stood there looking at me quizzi-

4 Copyright 2002 by Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
 M y W e e k at t h e R i tz H B R AT L A R G E

cally. Ah, I know! Explain what Ive Clearly, a week wasnt enough time replace, where other hotel trainees
brought for them. You have a Caesar to fully experience the job I had signed a security ofcer, a front-desk clerk, a
salad and a grilled beef burger with on to do. In that short period, I never en- housekeeperare chatting. The men and
cheese, medium rare, I said, lifting up countered a rude or an unusually de- women are dressed in suits, making me
the warming cover.And I brought some manding guest. But participating in the feel somewhat shabby in my business-
extra mustard and ketchup, in case you companys orientation program did give casual attire. I feel more at ease when
need it. Steve, having nally despaired me a chance to see how Ritz-Carlton we are led upstairs to a banquet room
of my ever opening the San Pellegrino, inculcates its service philosophy in new where Tim Kirkpatrick, the hotels down-
deftly stepped forward and did it him- employees. And my four days of full- to-earth director of training and devel-
self. Please dont hesitate to call us if time work gave me, however briey, a opment, warmly greets us. You are a
you need anything else, I said, as we sense of the challenges that even a mo- gift, he says to the group. Were lucky
prepared to leave. The woman smiled. tivated employee faces in trying to de- to have you here.
I forgot to offer to open the Heineken. liver rst-rate customer service. Tim, who started with Ritz-Carlton
As Steve and I stepped into the hallway, The Ritz-Carlton where I worked sits 13 years ago as a waiter in the original
he closed the door behind us and said: directly across the Boston Common and Boston hotels lounge, leads the dozen
We have a few things to talk about on the Public Garden from the original or so new employees in a round of in-
the way downstairs. Boston Ritz-Carlton, the chains agship troductions. As they speak, it is appar-
property. So the new hotel has posi- ent this group has been selected with
Its easy for senior executives to hold tioned itself as an edgier, hipper sort of certain qualities in mind. Erin Garrity,
forth about the importance of getting place. This attempt at differentiation, the front-desk clerk, says her goal is to
close to customers, anticipating their however, risks alienating guests used to be invited back to her alma mater,
needs, exceeding their expectations. But the Old World elegance of the original Johnson & Wales University, as a dis-
how many of them have ever been out hotelwhich closed for lengthy renova- tinguished visiting professor from the
there on the front lines, experiencing tions as soon as the new one opened. hospitality industry. Damien Simpson,
rsthand what this actually feels like? The new hotel faces other challenges. the security ofcer, describes himself as
What might they discover if they tried For example, whereas the original Ritz someone with a knack for serving peo-
to nd out particularly at a company looks out over the Public Garden from ple, adding that he likes working for
known for its obsessive commitment to Bostons fashionable Back Bay neigh- the best because it makes me feel like
customer service? Certainly, they would borhood, the new one backs up against Im the best. Zheng Chen, an assistant
learn a lot from observing the opera- the citys Combat Zone, once full of nance director, who goes by Chris,
tion at close range. But they would also prostitutes and strip clubs and still the hopes someday to hold a world-class
glean useful insights from being part of home to a number of ophouses and leadership position in nance. These
the operation, from standing in the seedy bars. people certainly seem to welcome the
shoes and getting inside the heads of That drawback has only made it more prospect of serving others; they also are
employees trying to satisfy demanding imperative that the hotel deliver the unusually upbeat and ambitious.
customers. awless service Ritz-Carlton is famous The orientation includes presenta-
I recently spent seven days at the new for. And, with a few exceptions, the tions by various hotel executives, and
Ritz-Carlton /Boston Common hotel room-service staff did seem to provide the rst one focuses on the rich tradition
getting trained and then working as a guests exactly what they might expect of the Ritz-Carlton chain. Leslie Oliver,
room-service waiter. I chose the hotel from a stay at the Ritz. Viewing this pro- a sales manager, asks us what comes to
chain not only because of its reputation cess from the inside allowed me to dis- mind when we think of Ritz-Carlton.
for customer service but also because till a number of lessons that managers High class, someone says. Luxury,
it takes training seriously: Indeed, Ritz- in any service business indeed, in any says another.Puttin on the Ritz,says a
Carltons Learning Institute offers em- business might use to improve em- third.Ritzy,another trainee chimes in.
ployee-training seminars to companies ployee-customer interactions. It also So, Leslie asks,who put the Ritz in
in a variety of industries. Ritz-Carlton taught me some life lessons: For exam- ritzy? She then recounts the legend-
set no restrictions in granting me per- ple, the nest bottle of wineor mineral ary story of Cesar Ritz, a Swiss sheep-
mission to train and work at the hotel. water offers little refreshment if it re- herders son who had been red from
Naturally, I wasnt paid, and my tips mains unopened. four jobs before he opened a hotel
went to fellow waiters. (This was the under his name in Paris in 1898. Ritz
source of considerable amusement Day 1 who by some accounts coined the
among my colleagues, as I enjoyed some Putting the Ritz in Ritzy phrase the customer is never wrong
beginners luck in the gratuity depart- When I arrive at the hotel for my rst formed a management company that
ment something I attribute solely to day of orientation, a tall concierge with grew to include the Carlton in London
guest pity.) a sonorous voice ushers me to the lobby and other hotels throughout Europe

june 2002 5
H B R AT L A R G E M y W e e k at t h e R i tz

and North America. Of the Ritz-Carlton answer, Tim says, lies in employees fol- gentlemen, people do not come to our
hotels in the United States, only the lowing no, bringing to life the Gold hotel to sleep in our guest rooms. They
Boston hotel, opened in 1927, survived Standards. want an experience. And it is our job to
the Great Depression. But that estab- At the core of these principles is the do everything in our power to deliver
lishment helped set the standard for three-paragraph Credo, which we go that experience!
hotel luxury in this country, with its el- through sentence by sentence, and we Yikes! Am I up for this?
egant dining room, private baths, and plumb its meaning with discussions
scrupulous attention to guest needs. of various hypothetical situations. The Day 2
The chains recent history is some- Credo states that the Ritz-Carltons Talking the Talk
what more prosaic. The Ritz-Carlton main mission is the genuine care and I walk into the hotel for my second day
Hotel Company was founded in 1983 comfort of guests.No one remembers of orientation, still feeling some trepi-
by William B. Johnson, the owner of an if you served a guest from the left or the dation from the previous afternoon.
Atlanta-based chain of wafe restau- right, says John Collins, the hotels But Im also psyched; this feels like its
rants, who bought the Boston hotel human resources director.But they do going to be exciting. The rst order of
and, with it, the U.S. rights to the Ritz- know and remember if the service is business is trying on our uniforms in
Carlton name. In 1998, Marriott Inter- genuine, if you actually enjoy being of my case, a double-breasted white jacket
national acquired the business, which service. They can tell if youre forcing with gold buttons, black trousers, a
manages but does not own the more a smile. The Credo also pledges that white shirt, and a gold tie with black
than 40 Ritz-Carlton hotels. (Millen- guests will experience a warm, relaxed stripes. Then we run through a mock
nium Partners owns the Ritz-Carlton/ yet rened ambience. Despite the for- lineup. At this daily gathering, em-
Boston Common.) Still, the Ritz mys- mality some might even say stuf- ployees in each department meet with
tique remains. What did your friends nessthat is a hallmark of the Ritz-Carl- their managers to discuss hotel goings-
and family say when you told them ton image, we are urged to seek a on, particular guests likes and dislikes,
where you were going to work? we are balance between renement and re- and any of their own concerns. It is also
asked at one point. laxed warmth. During training, we fre- a forum for reviewing the Gold Stan-
Most of them said, Ooh! replies quently hear the phrase, Elegance dards. Each day, all hotel employees
one of the new housekeepers. Or, without warmth is arrogance. around the world are supposed to dis-
Wow! As the day winds down, John Rolfs, cuss the same Ritz-Carlton basicone of
Much of the credit for retaining the the hotels general manager, stops in. 20 key principles employees must fol-
Ritzs vital tradition goes to Horst If the presentations so far have been low and then discuss the same one
Schulze, a German-born hotelier who somewhat touchy-feely in tone, the gen- again 20 days later. The aim of this ro-
ran the company for nearly 20 years eral managerstern and imposing in an tating tutorial is to keep the Ritz-Carl-
before retiring last year. His philoso- impeccably tailored, double-breasted ton philosophy front and center in em-
phy of customer service is embodied in suit snaps everyone to attention.The ployees minds.
the Gold Standards, a somewhat dizzy- owners of this hotel opened it for only Today, the subject is Basic 14, which
ing array of principles the Three Steps one reason to make money! he says admonishes employees to use the right
of Service, the Credo, the Motto, the forcefully.Our job is to help them make sort of language with guests and one
20 Basics, the Employee Promise all money. But wait, what about our pam- another. For example, we are to say,
crammed onto a wallet-size, foldout card pered guests? What about the Credo? Please accept my apologies, rather
that employees are expected to carry at What about the Ritz-Carlton mystique? than, Im sorry; Certainly, my plea-
all times. The Gold Standards are part The GM continues: sure, instead of, Okay. (In a famous
of your uniform, just like your name tag, And how do we help them make interdiction, former president Schulze
Tim says.But remember, its just a lam- money? No matter what our work is and is said to have once exclaimed, No
inated card until you put it into action. no matter where we do it in the hotel, more okey dokey!) Tim acknowledges
Indeed, the orientation focuses on our job is to make guests feel good so they that Ritz-Carlton verbiage can sound
how employees can enliven this phi- come back! We listen to what a guest is stilted at rst. But when those words
losophy in their work. Doing so will be asking for and then we say,Yes, my plea- are infused with warmth a friendly
particularly important as Ritz-Carlton sure. Id be happy to do that. hi should resonate behind the formal
which, in the eyes of some, has slipped He pauses. Everyone say no. We words they take on a new meaning.If
behind the Four Seasons as the premier obey. Now say it again. That is the last you dont feel comfortable or natural
luxury hotel chain adds nearly 20 ho- time you should use that word in this saying, Certainly, my pleasure, dont
tels over the next two years. Chris, the hotel. You may have to say that some- say it, he says.But someday it will just
new assistant nance director, asks Tim thing will take a while or that it may tumble out.
how the company will maintain its high cost a bit more. But you cant make a
standards in the face of this growth. The guest feel good by saying no. Ladies and Paul Hemp is a senior editor at HBR.

6 harvard business review

 M y W e e k at t h e R i tz H B R AT L A R G E

We then return to the Credo and its plaint. Youll never get in trouble for Its not that Im coming to this cold.
goal of fullling even the unexpressed taking the extra step, John Collins says. Years ago, I waited tables at a small hotel
wishes and needs of guests. If you go But while the reex reaction in ad- in southern France. But Im still haunted
to a good hotel and ask for something, dressing a problem may be to subtract by the memory of my debut at the Hotel
you get it, says John Collins, the HR direc- the cost of a room or a meal from the Mas Provenal, when I destroyed the
tor.If you go to a great hotel, you dont bill, the most effective approach often cork of the rst bottle of wine I tried
even have to ask. This means always involves simply empathizing with a to open eliciting a high-volume repri-
looking for signs that someone needs guest and promising that the problem mand by the owner in the middle of the
something and then breaking away wont happen again. However handled, dining room. Although I have since be-
from whatever you are doing to provide incidents are supposed to be reported come procient at opening wine, visions
it.If the guest says hes lost, its too late, by ling a QIA, or Quality Incident Ac- of that crumbling cork stay with me.
John says. tionwith the aim of preventing similar I certainly dont want a repeat perfor-
A more formal way of anticipating problems. mance at the Ritz.
the needs of Ritz-Carlton guests is the Empowering employees in that way Consequently, when Michael intro-
chainwide guest-recognition database, is a sign of the respect with which the duces me to my trainer, Steve Posner,
which, like so many company programs, company vows to treat them. And em- I am hoping that he is a proand an un-
is honored with an acronym. CLASS ployees are expected to treat one an- derstanding one. He turns out to be
(Customer Loyalty Anticipation Satis- other the same way. Yet another Gold both. Steve started working at the orig-
faction System) tracks the preferences Standard is the corporate motto:We are inal Boston Ritz-Carlton in 1988 after
and complaints of everyone who stays at Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies studying screenwriting at UCLA. An
a Ritz-Carlton. Most of the information and Gentlemen. In terms of human dig- earnest man with a puckish sense of
is fairly mundane: a partiality for foam nity, the argument goes, Ritz-Carlton humor, he grew up working weekends
pillows, certain newspapers, a particular customers and employees are equals. and after school in his grandfathers
kind of mineral water. Some prefer- Youre service professionals, not ser- hardware store. From the start of our
ences, though, are more unusual. In the vants, a video we watch on company time together, it is clear that Steve takes
days when the original Boston Ritz-Carl- values tells us. If you feel good about his job seriously.
ton had manual elevators with atten- yourself, youll treat others, including After a lineup during which Michael
dants, two regular guests would com- colleagues, well. The two notions of goes over Basic 2 a reminder that our
mandeer the elevators for an 11 pm race. delighting the customer and treating motto requires us to treat our guests
CLASS took note of that fact so that the coworkers with respect converge in the and each other with respect and dig-
elevator operators would be prepared concept of lateral service the require- nity Steve walks me through the pro-
to hand over the controls to the dueling ment that all employees pitch in to cess of setting up and delivering an order.
visitors. help one another out, no matter what He rattles off what seems like an endless
In this system, employees are the data the task. litany of instructions: You check the
gatherers. For example, if a housekeeper During the two days of orientation, number of guests and the promised de-
notices that a guest has moved the desk we have been exposed to a rich array of livery time. Youve got the written order
in her room to get a better view out the goals, principles, and practices that are that was taken over the phone, a dupe
window, the housekeeper might log that meant to ensure the highest levels of sent to the kitchen, and a check. You
observation on a guest-recognition slip customer service. Some of them, to be triple-check that all three are identical,
so that the furniture would be arranged honest, seem kind of hokey. Some of to be sure the guests get what they or-
accordingly on the guests next visit. them, as I will learn on the job, are oc- dered. Then you get the table ready.
(Hotel personnel are instructed to use casionally ignored in practice. But even The table setup varies in seemingly
their discretion in reporting such pref- if the goals sometimes seem unrealis- countless ways, depending on the food
erences, however: If a guest watching tic, employees are undoubtedly pulled served. And there are little touches to re-
his weight has a handful of M&Ms at along in the draft of these lofty aspira- member. Be sure the Ritz-Carlton on
the bar in a moment of weakness, he tions. Certainly, I will try my best to the condiments is facing outward, Steve
wont appreciate regularly nding a achieve them. After all, Ill be working at says.And in case another guest is in the
bowl of the candy by his bed!) the Ritz. room, I like to bring an extra wine glass.
During orientation, we also talk about Steve says he constantly tries to an-
handling guest complaints. Employees Day 3 ticipate what guests might want. He
are given great latitude to resolve prob- Learning the Ropes puts extra silverware on the table: This
lems and can even bend hotel rules, if At 4:30 the next afternoon, I arrive for may be for a child, so I also bring a small
necessary. In fact, every employee is in- work, change into my uniform, and re- spoon for the soup. He includes A1
formally allotted $2,000 to spend on port to Michael Fantuz, director of ban- steak sauce with hamburger orders:
solving a particular customers com- quets and in-room dining. Im nervous. They may not even have thought they

june 2002 7
H B R AT L A R G E M y W e e k at t h e R i tz

wanted it, but theyre happy to nd it lenging than his or her restaurant coun- into Scott and he sends me back up with
there. He puts a plate of lemon wedges terparts.In a restaurant, the guest is on a big order of appetizers set up by an-
next to a Coke: Always bring more than your turf. Here, youre on the guests other waiter. Steve intercepts me as I ar-
you think people need. The aim isnt to turf. You never know what youre walk- rive on the 11th oor, checks the order
lay out the table in some fussily proper ing into, Steve says. slip and sends me back down for a
way, but to make sure that guests un- Has he ever encountered a particu- spoon for the ice bucket and for rolls
expressed wishes and needs are met. larly rude guest? If youre kind to them, and butter, which should accompany
As Steve explains the job, I cling to his theyre kind to you, Steve says. After the order, he says.
words, hoping they will successfully all, were ladies and gentlemen serving Having temporarily been separated
guide me in my work. My relationship ladies and gentlemen. He stops to pick from Steve, I try to be helpful in the
with Steve not unlike a childs with a up some litter in the hall and puts it in kitchen by setting up a few tables with
parent will evolve over the next few his pocket. We try to help out house- tablecloths, silverware, and vases of cut
days. My current clutching reliance will keeping, he says,just like they help us owers. Then, during a brief lull in the
soon give way to a feeling of indepen- when they clear our carts out of the action, we are called to a lineup. Michael
dence. (Doesnt Steve see that loading hall. His comments seem scripted for discusses not only the chainwide basic
down the table with all this stuff is ex- my benet. So does this small act of lat- of the day but also food-and-beverage
cessive?) That independence will in turn eral service. Still, Ill hear Steve voice Basic 3, featured in todays hotel bul-
evolve into respect for my mentor. (At like sentiments and see him perform letin: All linen will be free of wrinkles,
one point, I will deliver an order of cof- similar acts over the next few days. holes, stains, and frays. Michael eyes the
fee for one and nd two people in the Midnight approaches, and Steve and tables Ive just prepared easily identi-
room waiting to drink from the single I work with the other room-service wait- ed by their wrinkled tablecloths. When
cup I have brought.) ers to set up the carts for tomorrows I confess to setting them, he laughs but
Steve continues his lesson as he pre- breakfast service. Then we return up- asks whether Id like my dining room
pares the table for a $325 meal for one, stairs to walk the oors, looking for stray table to look like that for one of my own
including hors doeuvres, a let mignon, carts to take back to the kitchen. Its a dinner parties. If its not good enough
a bottle of 1996 Mondavi-Rothschild quiet way to unwind at the end of the for you, Michael says, its not good
Opus One, and a dish of ice cream.I get shift. In a service elevator vestibule, we enough for the guest.
the cold items from the kitchen rst, find a pileup of tables that someone had The pace of the evening continues to
then the hot food, then the frozen, he removed from the hall earlier. As we accelerate. Marlene Stringeld, who
says. We want to keep the cold food load them into the elevator, a security takes room-service orders on the phone,
cold and the hot food hot. Now, I dont guard making his rounds wanders by calls out,A birthday amenity for Room
want the ice cream to melt, so Ill put and stops to give us a hand. 923 is 40 minutes late. Theyre calling.
it on ice. Meanwhile, the clock is tick- Someone asks for one of the waiters.
ing on our promised delivery time. But Day 4 Marlene replies, Hes doing a DND
Steve is unrufed. He waves his hands Hitting Some Wrinkles that is, returning to a guests room with
over the table like a magician, moving When I arrive at work today, I learn that an amenity that couldnt be delivered
a vase here, a glass there, ensuring that we are short one waiter. Room-service earlier because a Do Not Disturb sign
everything is in place. You make sure director Michael Fantuz and Scott Pow- was on the door. From the kitchen, a
youve got a Ritz-Carlton pen, and you ers, an assistant room-service manager, chef calls out, In-room dining! He is
check that its working, he says, scrib- are also effectively out of commission. worried that a meal he has prepared will
bling on the kitchens copy of the order. Dressed in blue jeans, they spend much get cold. Tell him well be right back,
We head upstairs and arrive within the of the evening helping to empty a stor- Steve shouts as we head out the door
promised 30-minute delivery time with age area slated to be remodeled into with another order. The pace is frenetic.
a minute to spare. a ballroom. And there are nearly 40 But then the adrenaline kicks in, and
As we go back downstairs, Steve re- amenities to deliver elegant snacks the evenings arc toward its busy peak
ects on the complex challenge of de- the chef has prepared for VIPs or people brings with it a euphoric rush.
livering rst-rate room service. You with birthdays or anniversaries. Steve Not that everything runs smoothly
want the experience to be as elegant as says I may be pressed into service earlier or in textbook fashion. During my stint
it would be in the restaurant down- than anticipated. at the hotel, I witness numerous devia-
stairs, he says. At the same time, you Indeed, I am quickly assigned several tions from a single-minded devotion to
want people to feel as comfortable as trivial tasks. I take a menu up to a room. customer service. Managers, supposedly
they would at home because this is I deliver salt to an actress headlining charged with energizing their teams,
their home away from home. The dual a play in the theater district, so she can occasionally ride waiters for slacking
challenge makes a room-service waiters gargle with saltwater before the show. off or complain about having to baby-
experience in some ways more chal- On my way back to the kitchen, I run sitthem. Waiters, supposedly dedicated

8 harvard business review

 M y W e e k at t h e R i tz H B R AT L A R G E

to guests needs, often seem uncon- represents a new direction for the com- the guest and says the order will be a
cerned about missing promised room- pany. While it will be a challenge to sat- few minutes late. This is Basic 10 em-
service delivery times. While some of isfy longtime guests of the original Bos- ployee empowerment in action, but
the glitches are part and parcel of a new ton hotel during its remodeling, the new Steve sums up the incident best: As a
hotels operational kinks, others reect hotel has the potential to attract an- waiter, youre the pre-guest. You have to
the fact that human beings dont always other type of guest. try to think the way a guest would.
perform by the book, no matter how Even if the two establishments are po-
often it is read to them. sitioned a little differently, however, Day 6
Steves and my last delivery of the their core philosophy remains the same. Going Solo
shift is a wedding amenity to the room Michael, a high-energy Australian who Shortly after I arrive, the orders begin
of newlyweds who will be arriving later paces back and forth even when hes pouring in, and it looks as though its
that night. It includes pastries and a bot- talking about the weather, grows ex- going to be a brutal night particularly
tle of chilled champagne on a silver plat- ceedingly animated.You could give us because one waiter, with no phone call
ter, with rose petals scattered over the a tent in the middle of the Boston Com- of explanation, has failed to show up
ice and around the base of the ice bucket. mon, he says, but when you came to for work. Steve and I start out with the
The champagne glasses are crossed and stay at the tent, it would still be ladies delivery of a fruit platter to a particu-
lying on the platter, joined at the stem and gentlemen serving ladies and gen- larly important guest: one of the hotels
by a paper collar embossed with the tlemen. Its not what a Ritz-Carlton owners. A bellman is in the room, try-
Ritz-Carlton insignia. hotel looks like its not the $50,000 ing to gure out why the gas replace
Steve decides to take the extra step chandeliers or the $100,000 carpets or isnt working. When we get back to the
of accordion-folding the linen napkin the $50 crystal glasses its what hap- kitchen, I remind Steve that we should
that will encircle the neck of the bottle. pens inside the hotel. He stops abruptly call engineering to be doubly sure the
Its a wedding, he says, as if to justify and looks over my shoulder. A guest has replace problem gets taken care of.
this extra bit of work. In a characteristic tentatively wandered into the restau- I feel faintly satised that Ive thought
move, he also decides to include two rant, which wont open for another of this. I wont be so assiduous, how-
small plates and a serving spoon, in ad- 20 minutes. As I open my mouth to ever, in following up on a problem later
dition to the two dessertspoons, in case offer my thoughts on the Ritz-Carlton that evening.
the guests choose to divvy up the pas- philosophy, Michael briskly steps over In the meantime, an order comes in
tries on separate dishes. to the man. How may I assist you? for some appetizers, a bowl of soup, and
We take the order to the room. Steve he asks. a relatively inexpensive half-bottle of
lays it out on a table next to a mirror, Because the night is slow, Steve lets wine. Steve, who knows the story of my
fanning out the cocktail napkins and me take the lead on a number of orders. asco at the Hotel Mas Provenal, de-
the three spoons. The mirrored reec- My performance improves somewhat cides that this will be a good opportu-
tion of the bottle is a nice touch,he says. after my rst halting experience with nity for me to dust off my wine-opening
Then he decides to cross the dessert- the unopened mineral water. Indeed, skills. As insurance, the service bar-
spoons on a plate, echoing the crossed I serve coffee and a cheese platter to tender suggests that I practice on a bot-
glasses. Everything is perfect.They may three college-age kids in a smoke-lled tle of house wine. After I successfully
take a picture of this and have it for room and get a $20 tip on the $31 remove the test cork, Steve and I head
many years, Steve says quietly. When order. When business is good, room- up to the room.
my grandparents celebrated their 75th service waiters at the Ritz can earn up- My, two people to bring up a bowl
wedding anniversary, they showed us ward of $70,000 a year. But even for a of soup, says the guest, a woman who
photos of their wedding. Sure, they were pro, such a tip is unusual. Wait till the frequently stays at the hotel.
old-fashioned pictures. But they really guys downstairs hear about this, Steve If truth be told, one of us is in train-
meant something. says with a laugh. ing. You have to guess which one, I say
At one point, I overhear Marlene take with a laugh, wondering if my pleas-
Day 5 an order for barbecue chicken, which antry represents the right mix of re-
Taking the Lead isnt on the menu.Ill see if I can get the laxed warmth and renement. We chat
Today turns out to be slow, with the chef to prepare that for you, she tells about her grandchildren as I open the
orders dribbling in. During one lull, the caller. The chef does so, and another bottle of wine. She tastes it, and I ll
Michael Fantuz shows me around the waiter, Joey Cross, goes to the kitchen her glass. I describe the items we have
hotels main restaurant. We chat about to pick it up. Youd pay $16 for that, a brought her. Im feeling pretty cocky.
the challenge of having two Ritz-Carlton single piece of chicken? Joey exclaims. Well, for the one of you in training,
hotels almost across the street from one He is annoyed on the guests behalf. the woman says, you should move the
another. He points out that this hotel, He returns it to the chef and asks him to plates and silver from the center of the
with its contemporary look and feel, prepare a second piece. Marlene calls table so the guest doesnt have to reach

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H B R AT L A R G E M y W e e k at t h e R i tz

to eat. And shes right: Once I put up moment, I dont need to summon up to put them into practice. Though I
the table leaf, her dinner is more than manufactured empathy for him; I can didnt work the full 21 days, I sit in on
an arms length away from her chair. easily imagine his anticipation of that the half-day session (which, amidst the
I offer my apologies and scramble to rst sip of burgundy with his sizzling frenzy of the hotels early months, actu-
correct the situation. steak. Although he has a salad to start ally takes place on the 49th day after our
My rst solo order, which I expected with, his steak is going to cool down. orientation).
to be a momentous occasion, sneaks up I race downstairs to get the full bottle, Training director Tim Kirkpatrick
on me. Typically, a new hire would train thinking the entire way about how I starts with another mock lineup. He
for a few more days before going solo. can make this up to him. Should I comp discusses the new-employee job certi-
But as the orders pile upand with Scott him the bottle of wine? I dont think I cation test that department man-
and Michael overseeing the prepara- have the nerve. I have a rushed hallway agers should have administered. He
tions for singer Eartha Kitts 75th birth- discussion with another waiter, Patrick announces a new guest-recognition hot-
day party in one of the hotels restau- Legagneur.Is there anything I can do? line, which employees can use to call in
rants I nd myself agreeing to handle I ask. If he hadnt already ordered des- guest preferences. And he unveils an up-
an order on my own. Its a simple ham- sert, we might offer him one on the dated version of the companys prin-
burger, and I deliver it without incident house, Patrick says. But, he adds, an ciples, now in the form of a three-
to a nice fellow in jeans and bare feet. apology may be sufcient. dimensional pyramid. This supplements
I remember to place his plate within On the way back up with the full bot- the existing Gold Standards with an ad-
easy reach. tle, I pass Steve, who offers to go with ditional category of seven key success
On my way back downstairs, I see a me to open it. I decline his offer because factors.
guest in the upper lobby who looks un- I want to follow this one through to Employees are asked about their ex-
certain.Can I help you? I inquire. the end. When I return to the room, I periences on the job. Erin Garrity, the
Where are the coin phones? she apologize profusely. The guest tells me new front-desk clerk from Johnson &
asks, in halting English. Amazingly, I not to worry, and he seems to mean it. Wales, is disappointed she has been as-
know where they are, and I walk her I offer to open the wine and he de- signed the overnight shift but looks on
over to the phones rather than simply clines my offer. Wait, does he know the bright side. I get to see a lot of
pointing to them.Thank you,she says. about my past? Unlikely, I realize. He celebrities at that time, she says. Her
Youre welcome, I reply, feeling the probably just wants to relax without goal for the year is to be named one of
glow of helping a customer begin to rise someone hovering over him. After all, the hotels select ve-star employees,
from my toes. Then I suddenly remem- his room is supposed to feel like home. and she intends to continue being the
ber: The preferred response is,My plea- I leave him a corkscrew. In the friendliest person I can be.
sure. I still have a ways to go. kitchen, I look at the wine list and see John Rolfs reinforces his message
Now the orders are coming fast and the source of the mixup. The half-bot- from orientation that our sole job is to
furious, and I take my share. Most of tles bin number on the wine list could make guests feel good so they come
them go well, though in serving a some- easily be mistaken for the full bottles. back. The hotels 320 employees have
what formal, elderly gentleman, I end During the days immediately following countless interactions with guests, he
up doing a kind of dance around the my time at the hotel, I intend to bring says, and it takes just one interaction to
guest. First, I step in front of him to get that potential for confusion to some- make a guest feel bad. If youre think-
out of his way in the conned space next ones attention, if not with a formal QIA, ing about doing your job well, trying to
to his bed; then I pass behind him as he then with a phone call to Michael. But understand and master your day-to-day
goes to the desk to sign the check. As I never get around to it. routines but not thinking about how
I leave, I realize that I didnt give him a The evening nally slows down. Steve guests feel, theyll have a difcult time
pen with the check and am now walking and I set up some tables for breakfast. forgiving you. Theyll probably forgive
out with his which requires one last Then we head upstairs and walk the us if the air-conditioning fails. But they
turn, an extension of my hand to offer halls, retrieving the odd table, chatting wont forgive us for failing to make
him his ballpoint, and a slight bow as we quietly about the nights events. them feel goodbecause thats why they
conclude our pas de deux. selected Ritz-Carlton.
Untethered from Steve and high on Day 21 Tims nal announcement concerns
excitement, I accept Marlenes offer to Reecting on the Experience the results of the rst monthly Gallup
handle a relatively complicated order One element of the Ritz-Carlton train- survey of Ritz-Carlton guests, released
by myself. It includes a nice half-bottle ing is a follow-up session, known as to managers earlier that day. The Ritz-
of Beaune. But when I get to the room, Day 21. It typically takes place about Carlton/Boston Common leads the com-
the tired-looking businessman, stand- three weeks after the initial orientation. panys hotels in overall customer satis-
ing there in his suit and socks, says he The aim is to review the Gold Standards faction. There is a stunned silenceafter
thought he ordered a full bottle. At this after new employees have had a chance all, this is a new hotel still smoothing

10 harvard business review

 M y W e e k at t h e R i tz H B R AT L A R G E

out the rough spots followed by loud I was encouraged during my time at the Carltons hospitality assessment is em-
applause. hotel to point out problems that needed pathy being able to imagine guests
As I leave the hotel and walk across xing. Why didnt I follow through in emotional responses to their experience
the Boston Common in the gathering this case? Im not sure. But for staff to in the hotel. I am reminded of Steves
dusk, I reect on what Ive learned about delight customers, managers must do care in preparing the champagne set-
teaching and motivating employees to more than grant their employees the ting for the newlyweds that night and
provide truly memorable service. One freedom to do what is necessary; they how he thought back to his grandpar-
thing seems clear: Great customer ser- must motivate employees to exercise ents wedding 75 years before.
vice should be based on dynamic prin- that freedom. To truly achieve empathy, however,
ciples rather than a rigid formula. You Doing that depends in part on the I wonder if you need to jettison at least
dont demand that employees say,Cer- kinds of people you hire. Ritz-Carlton some of your personal perspective. One
tainly, my pleasure, until it feels right has an elaborate system for assessing in of John Rolfss comments during the
to them. You dont mindlessly assume job candidates the qualities the company Day 21 session about the dangers of
every guest wants to be pampered; some believes are crucial to its success. One employees focusing solely on the suc-
people just want to eat their dinners. night while I was working at the hotel, cessful fulllment of their duties res-
I also ponder Ritz-Carltons efforts to I went through the basic interview to onated with my experience as a waiter.
win the hearts and minds of its employ- see how Id do. I was fairly condent I If youre constantly assessing how well
ees by, for example, making them feel was just the sort of caring, conscientious youre doing in your job even in your
part of a proud heritage. A recent study person the Ritz was looking for. In fact, genuine efforts to satisfy guests you,
of hotel workers by researchers at though, even after fudging my answers not the guest, become the point of ref-
Cornells School of Hotel Administra- to a few questions, I got only ten points erence. Your self-consciousness, natural
tion found that, while job satisfaction out of a possible 15 in the composite though it may be, distracts you from
plays a major role in employee reten- hospitality assessment. Tim said that providing superior service.
tion, it isnt the key factor in a hotels wasnt bad though, honestly, wed Its getting dark. And this train of
ability to provide excellent customer ser- shoot for someone with a 12. thought risks hurtling far beyond the
vice. Rather, it is employees emotional I later discovered that I fell short in practical demands of a frenetic evening
commitmentwhich is achieved in part my response to a question asking me of room service. But, when you get
through symbols and rituals that en- to cite an instance when I took care of down to it, my musings dont seem all
hance employees sense of identity with someone else. I said Id often provided that far from the Ritz-Carlton philoso-
the company that contributes most emotional support to my sister during phy. Companies dedicated to providing
to superior performance. Ritz-Carlton tough times. But the company was what might be called extreme cus-
certainly has an unusually rich tradition looking for something more than this, tomer service may need to recognize
to draw on in creating that feeling of an extraordinary example of caring. thatlike great military, government, or
identity. But every company, even a two- Helping your sister? You better, Tim religious serviceit is, in the end, a truly
year-old start-up, has traditions and even said with a laugh.Now, if youd moved seless endeavor. They may need to es-
legends that can be tapped to help build out of your house for a month and let tablish such practices as the formal in-
employee commitment. her move in, that would be different. culcation of a customer-centered credo.
That kind of commitment serves as a Since instituting its candidate assess- They might even consider providing
driver of excellent customer service only ment system in 1991, Ritz-Carlton says workers with a weeklong immersion in
when employees are empowered to take it has reduced its annual turnover rate the experience of being a customer!
initiative. And that sort of empower- from 55%, roughly the industry average, Whatever the means, the aim would be
ment has no potency unless employees to 28%. getting employees to leave their egos at
are motivated to seize it. I am haunted Certainly, a genuine concern for the the door and adopt the mind-set of the
by my failure to point out the confusing well-being of guests is key to providing people theyre serving.
bin numbers on the hotel wine list, superior customer service. But that isnt
which led my guest to mistakenly order enough to truly anticipate customer Reprint r0206b
that half-bottle of burgundy. Certainly, needs. Another component of the Ritz- To place an order, call 1-800-988-0886.

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