Ritz Carlton

Gold Standards

Our Gold Standards are the foundation of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. They encompass the values and philosophy by which we operate and include:

The Credo

The Motto

The Three Steps of Service

Service Values

The 6th Diamond

The Employee Promise

The Credo

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel 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 Hotel Company, L.L.C., "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto exemplifies the anticipatory service provided by all staff members.

Three Steps Of Service

1. A warm and sincere greeting. Use the guest's name.

2. Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest's needs.

3. Fond farewell. Give a warm good-bye and use the guest's name.

Service Values: I Am Proud To Be Ritz-Carlton

1. I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life.

2. I am always responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

3. I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests.

4. I understand my role in achieving the Key Success Factors, embracing Community Footprints and creating The Ritz-Carlton Mystique.

5. I continuously seek opportunities to innovate and improve The Ritz-Carlton experience.

6. I own and immediately resolve guest problems.

7. I create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met.

8. I have the opportunity to continuously learn and grow.

9. I am involved in the planning of the work that affects me.

10. I am proud of my professional appearance, language and behavior.

11. I protect the privacy and security of our guests, my fellow employees and the company's confidential information and assets.

12. I am responsible for uncompromising levels of cleanliness and creating a safe and accident-free environment.

The 6th Diamond

Mystique

Emotional Engagement

Functional

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.

From ExpertMagazine.com

Customer Service

Paragon of Customer Service Excellence - The Ritz-Carlton Hotel PART I

By Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

Dec 1, 2003 - 10:48:00 AM

PART I: Birth of the Ritz-Carlton Mystique

Consider these familiar names:

• The Matterhorn

• The Masters

• The Hope Diamond

• The Grand Canyon

• The Parthenon

An unlikely combination? Not at all, because they share a common factor. They garner unmatched respect, worldwide. Mention any of them, and words like these come to mind: “tops in their field,” “awe inspiring,” “prestigious,” “highest quality,” “the finest,” “in a class of their own,” and “breathtaking.”

Here’s a name we can add to the list, quite justifiably: The Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s magnificent customer service—combining resplendent facilities with the ultimate in personal attention—prompts every guest to exhaust his or her dictionary of superlatives. Guests remark that they are “pampered,” “respected,” “treated like royalty,” and “incurably spoiled.”

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

You have heard of the Malcolm Baldrige award, named after the U.S. Secretary of Commerce who served from 1981 until his death in 1987. Baldrige believed that high caliber management would guarantee America’s prosperity and solidify its position of world leadership. He became a highly vocal advocate of exemplary service.

Congress established the Malcolm Baldrige Award in 1987, with these predominant criteria: An organization must deliver ever-improving value to customers and improve the organization’s overall performance.

The selection committee, comprised of 300 experts in quality and business, named the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as a recipient twice—in 1992 and 1999. No other entrant in the service division has been successful more than once.

More recently, J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information services firm-- basing its awards upon survey responses from millions of customers internationally--named the Ritz-Carlton Hotel “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Luxury Hotel Chains” for 2003. The Ritz-Carlton led “in each measure of guest satisfaction.” For the two preceding years, the Ritz-Carlton had ranked second, competing for the top spot with Four Seasons, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, and Inter-Continental Hotels.

The hotel’s press release stated: Out of 1,000 possible points, Ritz-Carlton scored 880, 41 points ahead of its nearest competitor, for what President and Chief Operating Officer Simon F. Cooper called a “validation of The Ritz-Carlton vision to grow and extend its brand, without sacrificing our long-standing commitment to providing the finest service and surroundings to our guests.”

WORLD-RENOWNED BRAND

Additionally, the Ritz-Carlton merits fourth place ranking among the “strongest brands in the world,” according to Gerard van Grinsven, Vice President/Area General Manager, Ritz-Carlton of Dearborn, Michigan. He has contributed significantly to the strength of the brand, leading the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn to become the most improved hotel in the system for 2002, according to monthly customer satisfaction ratings conducted by Gallup. He had learned the Ritz-Carlton system at the Seoul, Korea, hotel, prior to becoming food and beverage vice president for Ritz-Carlton worldwide, a post he held for six years before his move to Dearborn.

There’s an old song, “How long has this been going on?” That’s worth exploring.

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