Refined ambience, emotional engagement, mystique, unparalleled attention to detail, warmth, and sincerity. These are a handful of adjectives that describe the guest experience at one or more of the luxury hotels and resorts operated by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
The Ritz-Carlton stands out for the manner through which it has mastered the art of branding and brand management as evidenced by its obsession to anticipate and cater to the wishes of its guests. Its Gold Standards are expressed in the form of its credo, motto, steps of service, and employee promise.
- 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.
- Motto: At the Ritz-Carlton, we are 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 warm good-bye and use the guest’s name.
- The Employee Promise
- At The Ritz-Carlton, our ladies and gentlemen are the most important resource in our service commitment to our guests.
- By applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity, and commitment, we nurture and maximize talent to the benefit of each individual and the company.
- The Ritz-Carlton fosters a work environment where diversity is valued, quality of life is enhanced, individual aspirations are fulfilled, and The Ritz-Carlton Mystique is strengthened.
Have you ever had a job where you did not feel appreciated? The Ritz-Carlton avoids this pitfall by valuing every employee. It has come to realize that happier employees mean happier guests. In fact, The Ritz-Carlton empowers employees to such a degree that they have the ability to spend up to $2,000 to ensure that guests have an enjoyable stay without seeking permission from management.
Just ask Jon Picoult, Founder & Principal of Watermark Consulting and author of From Impressed to Obsessed. On a business trip to the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL, Jon and his wife, Rebecca, were planning to attend a black-tie dinner. Upon entering the hotel room and opening her suitcase, Rebecca noticed that her newly purchased evening gown was wrinkled. She sent it to the hotel’s dry-cleaning service that inadvertently shrank the dress to the size of a Barbie doll. Without hesitation, Jon called the front desk and asked for the manager. The manager stated, “Mr. Picoult, I am going to take care of this for you.” Within a few minutes, a limousine arrived to escort Rebecca to the high-end shopping center in Naples where personal shoppers were at her disposal. Rebecca found a stunning evening gown as well as shoes.
Like The Ritz-Carlton, do you establish a polished image or expression in the mind of others? Are you able to shape the consumers’ perception of you and your firm? Are you in search of differentiation that moves you far beyond the transaction? If you answered “yes,” a brand and brand management platform is a key priority for you. A brand is what people say about you and your firm when you are not in the room. While brand is the image or perception, brand management is a function of marketing that uses techniques and tactics to keep your brand top of mind. In the business setting, brand management empowers an organization to attract new business and build a loyal customer base to fuel profits and accessories. The Ritz-Carlton picked up the entire tab. The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards in action!