| My very first serious hotel job was as a | | | | knowledge offered no white envelopes but did |
| "Guest Service Agent" at a huge convention | | | | give us very happy guests. He seemed pleased |
| hotel right on Disneyworld property. While | | | | and thanked me. The next day there was a |
| not a Disney Resort, I still had to go to a | | | | meeting with the general manager, the |
| half day Disney training seminar where I | | | | director of human resources and the entire |
| learned the names of the Seven Dwarfs. I | | | | guest service team. He told us that an |
| still know them: Sleepy, Droopy, Sneezy, | | | | investigation had been ongoing into the |
| Grumpy, Happy, Sarcastic, Chubby---ok maybe | | | | staff's acceptance of taking kickbacks from |
| not. I do remember that the ONE thing that | | | | shady tour operators, unlicensed taxi drivers |
| HAD to happen anywhere on Disney property was | | | | and less than palatable dinner theaters. As |
| "good service". My first day on the job was | | | | he spoke I noticed that about half the team |
| exciting. Another one day new hire | | | | was not at the meeting. Joe was missing, so |
| orientation where I got to see a video of the | | | | was TJ. Then he called my name. I froze. I |
| hotel general manager telling us all about | | | | know that I had taken a few envelopes early |
| his vision and that the hotel meant nothing | | | | on, but I had stopped! I knew this was |
| without us, the staff. I am not sure why he | | | | wrong! I walked up to the front of the |
| didn't actually speak to us in person, the | | | | meeting room fully expecting a public |
| new hire orientations were only once a month | | | | execution, setting an example for the rest of |
| and his office was just a few steps away from | | | | the staff. The general manager put his hand |
| the meeting room. I know he was there | | | | on my shoulder and explained to all of us |
| because shortly after the orientation started | | | | that the guest service team members who were |
| he pulled the human resources director out of | | | | not in attendance were no longer with the |
| the room for some sort of emergency. Oh | | | | company, they had all been fired and can no |
| well, he looked and sounded good on the video | | | | longer work at any Disneyworld property. |
| tape and I walked away from the orientation | | | | Then he announced that I was going to be the |
| all pumped up and ready to go. Seven Dwarves | | | | interim manager until a permanent manager was |
| and all.The second day on the job was a bit | | | | found for the department. He thanked us all |
| different. My manager paired me up with a | | | | for our integrity and sent us on our way. So |
| seasoned Guest Service Agent named TJ. I am | | | | I was now a manager, interim as it was I was |
| not sure what "TJ" stood for, but that was | | | | a manager! Excited, I called home and gave |
| it....not even a last name. She showed me | | | | my wife the good news. "Did they give you a |
| around the guest service desk, the various | | | | raise?" she asked. As I explained to her the |
| work areas and then put me on the phones. | | | | significance of my new responsibilities and |
| The phones at this particular 1028 room hotel | | | | the honor it was just to be selected I began |
| rang a lot. Everything from "how to you turn | | | | to think about what had just happened. Was |
| off the clock radio alarm" to "I need a | | | | this a good thing? What was I in for?Fast |
| foursome reservation at the new award winning | | | | forward 17 years and I find myself sitting at |
| golf course in 15 minutes". After 4 hours | | | | a desk at the back of my house in the |
| of, as TJ put it "diving right in" I was | | | | Southern California Desert running my new |
| awarded the honor of being taken to lunch by | | | | hotel consulting company. The journey to |
| my new manager, Joe. Joe was the "Guest | | | | this point has taken me all over the map, |
| Service Manager" and was in charge of as he | | | | specifically when it comes to my exposure the |
| explained, "everything that mattered" at the | | | | many different approaches to Guest Service. |
| hotel. By the second re-fill of our iced | | | | I recently became involved with a major |
| teas he had gotten to the part about his | | | | university in California and have been |
| hotel background and his hotel future. If I | | | | working with an MBA class on the realities of |
| played my cards right I could move up | | | | service in the business world. The deeper I |
| quickly, as long as I stayed close and | | | | get into conversations with the professors |
| followed his lead. For a bit I was | | | | and students, the more I am noticing a |
| impressed. Young and somewhat awe struck | | | | massive hole in the curriculum within the |
| that I was working at a huge hotel, a hotel | | | | hotel educational system---where are the |
| where my family could never afford to stay | | | | classes on Guest Service? As a hotel school |
| and on Disney property for that matter. Then | | | | student you learn a lot about the business of |
| Joe started talking numbers. The numbers | | | | hotels, but very little on actually how to be |
| that surround the sale of show tickets, | | | | a provider of service. Maybe the college |
| tours, golf course reservations and limo | | | | restaurant or on the campus hotel. But |
| rides. The numbers he was talking about had | | | | really, how much time is spent on one on one |
| to do specifically with the fact that many of | | | | coaching on the art of service? In most |
| these tour operators showed their | | | | cases the service approach training is left |
| appreciation for sales by handing over sealed | | | | to the future employer or worse yet, a summer |
| white envelopes each week. Sometimes they | | | | internship program! So here comes your new |
| even mailed these right to your home, just to | | | | management trainee, right out of a major |
| streamline the process I suppose. Lunch went | | | | university and they have no real "schooling" |
| on for two hours, after which I was fully | | | | in how to provide great service, or how to be |
| aware that a large percentage of the contents | | | | a servant in the hotel business. They might |
| of these envelopes was to be handed over to | | | | think that they understand how to be a |
| Joe. Of course this was not an official | | | | servant, but how can you if all you know is |
| hotel arrangement, but one that was | | | | what you have picked up along the way? |
| "understood" by management and fully expected | | | | Imagine applying this to another industry, |
| by the various tour operators.In a few weeks | | | | lets say the space industry-astronauts to be |
| I had things down. As a Guest Service Agent | | | | specific. Imagine hiring a top-notch |
| I was primarily responsible for suggesting | | | | aeronautical engineer who has 9 years of |
| various tours and activities to our guests. | | | | study in the field of advanced aeronautics |
| Of course we had to hand out park | | | | and space exploration, but no practical |
| information, give directions and the such, | | | | experience actually flying a plane. They can |
| but the primary role was that of selling tour | | | | tell you all about it, but until they |
| and show tickets. Now I had lived in the | | | | actually sit behind the joy stick of that |
| area for about a year. My wife was a dancer | | | | mach 3 super jet there is no way you are |
| at one of the local shows and I was becoming | | | | going to put them in the commanders seat of a |
| very familiar with the "good the bad and the | | | | billion dollar space craft! Or would you? |
| ugly" of attractions. I started to notice a | | | | We do it every day. We take new graduates |
| trend. TJ, whom I was still scheduled with | | | | and put them right in the drivers seat, right |
| was getting some pretty thick white | | | | in front of our customers. Most of the time |
| envelopes. My envelopes were pretty thin and | | | | I think we luck out. Most who make the hotel |
| came with a substantial amount of | | | | industry a career already have a desire and |
| indigestion. As I watched TJ recommend tours | | | | what I call the "servant gene". So they |
| and shows I noticed that she was suggesting | | | | respond well to the few days of on the job |
| activities that were, to say the least "not | | | | service / culture training you might provide. |
| on par" with the expectations of our guests. | | | | But what about those who do not have this |
| The great shows right around the corner, | | | | intrinsic idea of what service is? Will they |
| produced by Disneyworld themselves were never | | | | "tolerate" your challenging customers? Will |
| even mentioned or suggested! I remember once | | | | the "put up with" a difficult staff member? |
| when I suggested that a group of guests make | | | | How will they teach service approach to the |
| reservations at the "Diamond Horseshoe | | | | line level staff? I will be that many |
| Review" in Disneyworld, TJ interrupted and | | | | managers "learn up" about service from their |
| said "oh, you probably will have trouble | | | | own star employees!I believe that the culture |
| getting in, even if you have reservations | | | | of true service is on the decline in America. |
| they can still bump you, can I make another | | | | Declining expectations along with a related |
| suggestion?". She then went on to recommend | | | | decline in the attitude of those in the hotel |
| another cowboy themed dinner show about 45 | | | | industry is wreaking havoc within our |
| minutes away. She also recommended "her | | | | industry. Service is what should define us, |
| personal friend" who had a great van to take | | | | whether a limited service or multi star |
| them their, all at a bargain! Well the van | | | | high-end luxury hotel it still all comes down |
| pulled up, a twenty year old conversion van | | | | to service. We cant leave management service |
| with bald tires and a driver who looked like | | | | training to an on the job seminar. It has to |
| he had just stepped of the set of Swamp | | | | start earlier and with much more aggression. |
| Thing. Dripping with sweat, Swamp Thing | | | | I wont be the one to change the way major |
| driver greeted the guests and then walked in | | | | universities design their hospitality |
| the lobby, where he handed TJ an envelope and | | | | curriculums, but I can suggest to the |
| me his card. "Give me a call, we have an | | | | industry not to think that just because you |
| arrangement" he said. As the chugged away, | | | | are hiring the brightest college grad that |
| taking the now captive guests to what was | | | | you are automatically getting someone who is |
| without a doubt the worst dinner show in | | | | truly engaged in a culture of service. |
| Florida, TJ looked right at me and said | | | | Hotels must design very challenging service |
| "that's how it is done, follow my lead and | | | | culture training classes with a very high |
| you will do really well".So there it was. | | | | level of expectation. Managers need to be |
| The Guest Service Desk was actually the guest | | | | challenged on their current idea of service |
| fleecing desk. The entire guest service team | | | | and drill down to the fact that the hotel |
| was "in", right there with our fearless | | | | industry is really all about being a servant |
| leader Joe. Months went by, I stopped taking | | | | to your customer.Think about the "Joe" I |
| any white envelopes and kept sending guests | | | | described earlier in this article. Can you |
| where they wanted to go, not to shows where I | | | | imagine him being the person responsible for |
| would get any sort of kickback. Joe and the | | | | providing service training to your line level |
| team became very unhappy with me. I often | | | | staff? Probably not, but I bet you do.The |
| ate lunch with staff from other departments. | | | | author, Kurt Bjorkman is the CEO of över5, |
| Then one day the assistant general manager | | | | a hotel consulting firm based in La Quinta |
| walked right up to the guest service desk and | | | | California. Kurt has 20 years of front line |
| asked me to name a few of the different tours | | | | hospitality experience in both full service |
| and attractions I was recommending to guests. | | | | branded and boutique properties. |
| I gave him my list, all of which to my | | | | |