Service the Ritz-Carlton Way
I recently had the opportunity to attend a one-day training seminar at the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center in Chevy Chase, MD, to learn how they provide their “legendary service.” The seminar was...
View ArticleEight Key Basics to Successfully Operating a Private Club
The club industry is facing difficult times and while we are all facing challenges, each club faces its own particular problems. As is usually the case when facing difficulties, this is the time to...
View ArticleThe Many Ways to “Kill” Employee Empowerment
We have spoken before about the importance of creating a culture that promotes Employee Empowerment at your club. We quoted from John Tschohl, President of the Service Quality Institute, who said,...
View ArticleService Breakdown: A Failure of Leadership
After thirty-five plus years in the hospitality business in both hotels and private clubs, I can state categorically that poor service comes from poor leadership. Show me an operation with poor,...
View ArticleService Awareness and Responsiveness
There is no better way to demonstrate your dedication to the welfare of members than to be aware of and responsive to their needs. This means that you are always alert for ways to serve and assist....
View ArticleDoes Service Training Founder on the Shoals of Management Indifference?
I recently read an internet-posted news article entitled, “Disney Offers Customer Service Training.” The article written by Adrian Sainz talked about Miami International Airport employees taking...
View ArticleDefense and Offense
Defense and offense are words of opposite meaning, yet often linked together. Their obvious meaning is demonstrated on the football field. One team attacks an area defended by another, trying to...
View ArticleMy Favorite Service Quotes
Quotations from successful people on any number of topics can be an excellent way to inform yourself of those things that can make you successful in life. I like to use selected quotes as a quick and...
View ArticleVarious Training Initiatives
One of the key tenets of teaching is that different people learn best in different ways — some by seeing, some by hearing, and still others by doing. Another key point in learning (and marketing)...
View ArticleThe Hospitality Challenge
I’ve learned a lot about the hospitality business since my first position as General Manager of an historic hotel in the late 70s. In a variety of positions in hotels, resorts, and private clubs –...
View ArticleTraining: The Achilles Heel of Club Operations
Recognizing that we work in a detail-intensive business, most club managers understand that comprehensive and systematic training for both subordinate managers and line employees is an imperative.Â...
View ArticleManage Your Boss
Randy was the long-standing maintenance supervisor at a club that I was hired to manage. My first impressions of him were not good. The facilities were poorly maintained and he always had excuses...
View ArticleOperating Standards
As anyone who has ever read my writings knows, I am a firm believer in written standards, policies, and procedures as the basis for a well-organized hospitality operation. Here are some of the...
View ArticleService the Ritz-Carlton Way
I recently had the opportunity to attend a one-day training seminar at the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center in Chevy Chase, MD, to learn how they provide their “legendary service.” The seminar was...
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