Left Of Center Service
By Staff -- Hotels, 8/1/2007
Let’s call David Norman a little bit left of center. The general manager of the Embassy Suites Nashville Airport in Tennessee regularly will read Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You Will Go” to staff at morning team meetings because it has a great message about how to approach each day. He also likes to read passages from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” You will find a speaker at the front of the hotel playing rock n’ roll music like Wilco to create a high-energy mindset for both staff and guests. In fact, he has adopted a service culture called “Shiny Happy People” named after the catchy REM song and sends letters to HHonors guests with the “Shiny Happy People” message to let them know the hotel is unique in its customer service approach. Votive candles are lit around the lobby, and remember this is an airport Embassy Suites, not the Mondrian in Los Angeles. The wonderful topper: To set the tone for the hotel, David Norman’s desk is planted in the lobby so he can be in constant contact with guests and his staff. Norman’s left-of-center attitude has helped increase revenue 7% through May of 2007 and gross operating profits are up 11.5% from last year. On top of that, the hotel’s service scores are up 44.9% from the end of the third quarter last year. “We are different,” says Norman, who believes his upbeat approach motivates his staff and puts them in a frame of mind to better take care of guests.Many of these initiatives were started last year when Norman was looking for a way to rebound from a long and messy renovation that caused his service scores to suffer. “We faced a big challenge coming out of the renovation, and we needed creative ways to refocus the team,” he says. “I showed the staff our service scores and knew they had pride to do better. I hit their egos and got them focused.”
A lot of the focusing came from morning doughnut breaks, box lunch meetings and any chance Norman could find to discuss service. The Dr. Seuss idea, Norman says, actually came from Stevan Porter, president, Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group, when he was the head of Embassy Suites. He read it at a GM’s conference and it made a lasting impression on Norman—so he brought it to work to motivate his staff.
Norman also teaches a service class to his staff, which he says is more of an openended discussion. “It’s another chance to talk about the service scores and where they need to go,” he says. “We talk about things like never letting the guest be the first one to say ‘hello’ and how to be personable. We talk about using good judgment and how to handle guest issues on the spot. It is really about keeping things simple and being the best at what you do.”
The training is often carried over into everyday role plays, where Norman will pull a staff member aside, watch a real service interaction and discuss what could have been done to make it an even more personable experience.
To make sure his team is getting the job done, Norman or his assistant GM call every guest who filled out a performance rating card and indicated an experience of less than 9 or 10 on the scale. A follow-up thank you note for the feedback on areas of needing improvement is sent to these guests.
What also makes a difference is a bonus program in which staff can earn up to 4% of their quarterly earnings. Each department has three satisfaction goals to meet and gets a 1% bonus for each. If all goals are met, an extra 1% bonus is added on top. Norman estimates he spent about US$3,000 on bonuses in the first quarter and maybe another US$1,000 on collateral and “Shiny, Happy People” buttons, which many guests take at checkout as a souvenir. “It’s not about the bonus check, really,” Norman says. “Again, it is another way to talk about service and a chance to say congratulations.”
And as for the “Shiny Happy People” slogan and buttons worn by staff: “It’s just about the right attitude and having heart,” Norman says. “It really makes a difference.”
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