Luxury Hotels - Attn Ritz Carlton: enough with the canned conversation (and read today's WSJ)

I checked in yesterday to the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey -- not on anyone's "best of" list for luxury properties, but I like its proximity to LAX and for a run on the beach -- and was asked three times within 10 minutes of walking in the door, "So where are you coming in from today?" And two of the three times were by the same person within a three-minute span. (The front desk clerk asked the question as I was handing her my credit card, and then asked again as she handed it back.)

I have always found this one of the more annoying traits of the Ritz Carlton chain. Another -- although I haven't noticed it recently -- is that they train (or at least used to train) their employees to say "My pleasure" instead of "You're welcome" anytime you thank them for anything. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer to deal with human beings capable of conversing on the fly, rather than pre-programmed robots.

(I'd love to see the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey getting their elevators up and operating rather than focusing on where their guests are coming from. I don't remember the last time all three of the hotel's guest room elevators were working. At least this time two of the three were working; last visit it was just one.)

And apropos of this, I just noticed the today's Wall Street Journal features an article entited "Checking In? Hidden Ways Hotels Court Guests Faster," which discusses, among other things, how many hotels are training staff members to be able to better read guests as they walk in the door and to attempt to adjust their interaction accordingly. I recognize that that's a tall task to ask of a hotel's staff -- to be able to accurately read a guests demeanor -- but in my mind it has to be preferable to the automatons at the Ritz.

Totally agree. Could be too much Prozac?:D

moved

I also fine that "my pleasure" auto-response very annoying.

I also fine that "my pleasure" auto-response very annoying.

All of the auto responses are really annoying because no one really teaches them to use them only when they make [good - appropriate -meaningful] sense and when they are just a script. Or when to write a new more appropriate response. A completely good and decent idea that has been corrupted by complacency. IMHO ... of course :D

I think the "my pleasure" was drilled into their heads so as not to say "no problem" which is what you frequently hear at the front desk at most hotels. It is almost as annoying as the pre-programmed "is that ok?" which follows anything that the hotel is out of that you reserved or purchase and they are trying to substitute with a lower valued product.

Example, "We are out of non-smoking king rooms. I put you in a double smoking room. Is that OK?" This is usually attempted by employee of opposite sex of the customer, and followed by flirtatious action to get you off to the less than desirable room before you can realize what they just did to you.

All of the auto responses are really annoying because no one really teaches them to use them only when they make [good - appropriate -meaningful] sense and when they are just a script. Or when to write a new more appropriate response. A completely good and decent idea that has been corrupted by complacency. IMHO ... of course :D

For example, if you phone the RC rewards line, and no one is available, you get "one of our ladies or gentlemen will be able to serve you shortly". And I have ranted elsewhere on this forum about the incorrect (and frequent) use of the term "gracious" in promotional collateral. RC hotels are often nice places, and I don't want to give the impression that the effort is not a good thing - but it is a bit jarring to hear, say, at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City.

Wait - here is explanation: http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/about/goldstandards.htm

Note the motto.

I was at the RC Marina del Rey also last month and found the same. "My pleasure" was used EXTENSIVELY in the Club Lounge.

The hotel is most certainly not luxury but it is nice to be by the water and have a drink or breakfast on the terrace overlooking the marina. Proximity to LAX is great as well. The hotel has a very nice art collection which is for sale -- I am eyeing a Matisse print myself......

I was at the RC Marina del Rey also last month and found the same. "My pleasure" was used EXTENSIVELY in the Club Lounge.

The hotel is most certainly not luxury but it is nice to be by the water and have a drink or breakfast on the terrace overlooking the marina. Proximity to LAX is great as well. The hotel has a very nice art collection which is for sale -- I am eyeing a Matisse print myself......

It's interesting how standards vary within the Ritz brand, even just among continental US properties. I'm currently at the Boston Ritz (now a tier 4 property and one of their flagships in the country) and the service is easily as polished as an American Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental. I will provide a full comparison of the hotel with the Boston MO in another thread, but on the subject discussed here, it is clearly more akin to true "luxury" service than any "canned conversation." I'm very impressed.

ironic >

exactly what i just posted about


Wait - here is explanation: http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/about/goldstandards.htm

Note the motto.
>

2 RC docs >
http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/NR/rdonlyres/22E2CEC9-62A4-4EA2-9C3C-51628265E10E/0/rcappsum.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/61788953/The-Ritz-Carlton-2-Final

vs FS >
http://jobs.fourseasons.com/workingatfourseasons/resources/Documents/The%20Power%20of%20Personal%20Service_Talbott.pdf

onto WSJ...

(my recent posts in linked thread include lots of other similar docs from various companies)

staff members are constantly urged to be as innovative and creative in their service as possible to make every interaction with the guests a memorable experience. Most of the managerial and other staff that Amanresorts recruits are primarily people who have had no experience in the hotel industry but possess the right attitude

there is no written manual describing Standard Operating Procedures nor are there any set ways of doing things.

employees act as brand ambassadors. It has managed to do this not through any brand manuals (by and large Amanresorts does not use manuals), but by being a very responsive and caring employer