FREE ESSAY ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

CUSTOMER SERVICE

In the ever-accelerating race for competitive advantage, many hotel operators are focusing
on guest service as a way to differentiate their properties from the competition.
Hilton's Customer Information System, Sol Melia's service customization and Marriott's
Wired Rooms are all examples of this trend. A further indication of the industry's
renewed focus on service comes from Barry Sternlicht, CEO of Starwood Hotels. The world
is changing rapidly. While we own superb physical assets around the world, it is our 30
million customers who represent the critical and unrecognized asset of our company in
this internet age. We are determined to build a customer-centric organization, a company
that will take advantage of unprecedented advances in technology to improve nearly every
facet of its core operations... A statement like this from a major hotel company shows
that the service revolution of the 21st century has already begun. But technology is only
a tool to create differentiated service, not the goal. The most revolutionary companies
have already embraced the tools of technology and are moving on to a concept called the
guest experience. The guest experience is the overall impression guests have of a
particular property or company based on all interactions they have with its people,
products and processes. This focus on the guest experience has caused the most
progressive companies to rethink, reevaluate, and restructure their operations in the
quest to be truly customer-centric. 
Another aspect of 21st Century service is delighting guests by individually customizing
services to meet their specific needs and desires (something some progressive properties
already do). Hotel companies vying for the business traveler will provide a variety of
additional electronic services such as flight, room, and car rental confirmation via
email, pager or cell phone. Many hotels will use a new technology called collaborative
filtering. In short, collaborative filtering assesses an individual guest's preferences,
and based on those preferences, suggests new services that particular guest might like. 
But along with all the new technological innovations will come the real challenge for
hospitality leaders who expects to differentiate their properties and succeed in the
coming millennium...creating a foundation of well-trained, skilled and motivated staff
who willingly and competently deliver the flawless service necessary to create a positive
guest experience. These leaders must embrace a new mindset and understand that their role
in this new world of service is truly one of coach, mentor and motivator. These managers
of the future need to understand that they must create a positive environment which
attracts, recognizes, and keeps the best people. Recent research has shown that the most
financially successful companies first create satisfied employees who then become loyal
and productive. (Hilton's Balanced Scorecard and Harrah's employee bonus program are two
examples of hotel companies moving in this direction.) These productive employees provide
the crucial guest experience that, in turn, creates satisfied and loyal guests and
resultant growth and profit. 
So 21st century hotel service is not about the newest revolutionary technology but rather
it is about revolutionary ways of thinking, acting and managing. Those who can create,
innovate, and lead their team of employees, vendors, and guests will be the leaders in
the coming millennium.