PROVIDING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CREATING LASTING MEMORIES
What we can learn from great hospitality companies like Ritz Carlton
HARRY GILBERT TENNIS
Customer Service
The assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services.
Hospitality
The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
Customer Service is Black and White
Hospitality is color..
Hospitality is how we make others feel. And how you make people feel is relevant to all businesses regardless of the industry.
Will Guidra
Customer Service Experiences
We experience customer service every day
Recognize and learn from great experiences and those that fail to meet your expectations
Tell the group about the worst customer service experience you have had? What happened? Did you tell others about your experience? Did you still give that company your business?
Tell the group about a really good customer service experience you have had. What happened? Did you tell others about your experience? Are you a loyal customer of that business?
Hospitality Experiences
Recognize and learn from great hospitality experiences
Tell the group about an exceptional hospitality experience you had. What happened? Did you tell others about your experience? Are you a loyal and repeat customer of the business
Ritz-Carlton
The Credo
The Ritz-Carlton is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience. The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.
Ritz-Carlton
The Motto
Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.
Three Steps of Service
A warm and sincere greeting. Use the guest’s name.
Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest’s needs.
Fond Farewell. Give a warm good-bye and use the guest’s name.
Our Guiding Philosophy
At our club, our operations are built on the foundation that the member relationship is emotional, not transactional. Therefore, excellence must be at the forefront of every interaction. We prioritize creating meaningful connections with each member and their guests, understanding that every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen trust and loyalty. This approach drives our commitment to providing the highest level of attention and detail to every member during each interaction, ensuring that their experience is personalized and memorable.
Our team is trained to anticipate needs, proactively address concerns, and consistently deliver exceptional service. We embrace the philosophy of Unreasonable Hospitality, empowering staff to go above and beyond to exceed expectations. Whether it is remembering personal preferences, celebrating milestones, or ensuring seamless execution of events, our focus is on making every member feel valued and appreciated.
We adhere to one of our core mantras: “The more proactive you are, the less reactive you have to be.”
Daily Line-Ups / Pre-service meal
Department line-ups - resorts and hotels
Staff meal before dinner service – restaurants
Daily and weekly with your staff
Customer Service Preferences
“Extremely satisfied customers emerge through memorable and emotional connections formed between them and a business”
Sevenrooms – MGM Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Nexus, Soho House, Sevenrooms is the tool and vehicle we use to truly understand what the guest wants, who they are, and what their patterns are. This data allows us to truly cultivate a customized, unique experience for the guest. And frankly it’s fun. It just furthers our knowledge of who’s in our restaurants, who are loyal guests are, and how we can take better care of them. LDV Hospitality
Ritz Carlton – Mystique, employees have preference pads, direct observation, risks associated with asking…
Union Square Hospitality
Mitchells
Country Clubs / Tennis Clubs
Waccabuc Tennis – data base
Customer Satisfaction
“On average, an individual will tell 9 people about good experiences, and 16 people about poor ones.” – American Express Survey
“On average, an unhappy customer tells 11 others about their experiences.” – The Sydney Entrepreneur Centre
“A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people.” – White House Office of Consumer Affairs
The huge dimension to all this is social media.
The average Facebook user has 338 friends. All they have to do is complain online and it blows all the stats above out of the water.
Measure and Review
Trip Advisor – Resort response
Yelp
Unifocus Score
AAA / Forbes Travel Guide
Member Survey
Word of Mouth
Service Recovery
Hammock Beach Unifocus
Union Square 5 A’s for Effectively Addressing Mistakes Awareness Acknowledgement Apology Action Additional Generosity
Customer Thermometer.com – The key to stopping the rapid spread of dissatisfaction is speed of response. To ensure the best chance of recovering the relationship following a service failure, the critical priorities are as follows
Catch the problem early Act quickly Understand what’s gone wrong Make sure you take action
Staffing
“Hire attitude and customer service skills and train the rest”
First impression
Teamwork
True commitment to service
Hospitality Quotient
HQ, as his Union Square Hospitality Group calls it for short, is a way of measuring aspects of a worker’s emotional intelligence. The group claims that it helps determine whether they are the kind of person who feels good by making other people feel good. In other words, if they are suited for the hospitality industry.
Mr. Meyer has said hiring people with kindness and optimism, curiosity and empathy, selfawareness and integrity — all markers of a high HQ — is part of his company’s competitive advantage., It’s not an exact science, but a team of professionals with these traits can create a kind of magic in the room, a feel-good atmosphere of relentless positivity. Keenan Steiner, a former server at one of Mr. Meyer’s restaurants once called it “the house of yes.”
Scenarios
Check in experience – Hammock Beach
Starbucks
Valets
Manage by walking around –Front of house at restaurants, chef, golf pro on range
Tennis Pro Orientation
Service is everything
The answer is always yes
What can I do to make the members experience better
Let’s make some people happy!
They don’t care how much you know they want to know how much you care
No problem too small, bring everything to me
Relentlessly positive
Communication
Return all phone calls, e-mails, texts same day
Open door policy
Direct communication of any issues
Use all available channels to reach members
Despite ease of electronic communication, phone calls still provide personal touch
I get too much communication from you and your staff…………… said no one ever
Pro Shop / Member Interaction
First impression – Clean and organized
Staff off phones / out of seats
Interaction and service
Private conversations
Lessons
Start on time – finish on time
Best balls – same as matches, tournaments etc.
Have a plan – be flexible to members wishes
Finish with summary and schedule next lesson
Charge for no show or late cancellation…..
E-mail or text summary and thank you
Pro Shop Policies
Stringing – 24 hours, restring at no charge.
Special orders
Demos
Merchandise returns – always no matter the reason
Tournaments
Calendar of events to members preseason –includes description of event and associated food etc.
Always market to appropriate audience
Unique prizes and awards
Recognition of winners both through Club channels and personal congratulatory notes
Team Tennis
Be an advocate of team tennis. Promotes play
Organized team practices – Waccabuc winning doubles
Warm – up before matches
Written critique of home matches
Pro assigned to away matches
Thank you note and gift to all Captains
Ball Machine
Have available with top quality balls
Have set up before member arrives
Give quick tutorial and set initial ball pattern
Stay on court for first few minutes
Check on member after 20 minutes for feedback
Two Success Stories
Hammock Beach Night Light
Waccabuc Men’s Shoes
Any from the group?
Summary – Do the Extras
Make the call
Send the e-mail
Get them a partner for the event
Fill in for a game
Sweep the court
Give them the refund
Create memorable experiences!!