There's a resort I like to go to in Northern Ontario where you can canoe all day, see stars at night, and listen to the loons, but still drink fine wine and have a good meal in the evening. This resort, like many lodges, is actually quite renowned for the consistent high quality of their food. It's not noveau by any stretch, but it is always good.
There's a big banner in their kitchen only visible to staff. It says:
If you're not proud of it, don't serve it
That's a great service standard that covers a lot of ground and is very clear.
More important is that the organization tells stories that reinforce this standard... like remaking a whole batch of cheese sauce that wasn't cheesy enough, and that type of thing.
In earlier posts, I have commented favorably on Marriott Hotels -- they actually have an official repository for collected stories of customer service.
I have heard several times of people witnessing Clive Beddoe, Chairman and CEO at Westjet go through the cabin collecting garbage and having friendly chats with the other passengers.
So here are the questions for today:
- Are you proud of the things you are serving in your organization?
- What kind of stories do your people tell?
- Can you explain the objective in one sentence that everyone can understand?
- And have you demonstrated the importance of your standards with your own behaviors?
