Quality at the ritz carlton hotel company case study solution

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest For Service Excellence

Case Study Questions

What is Ritz-Carlton’s business strategy, e.g., who are their primary customers?
Among consumers, what accounts for Ritz-Carlton’s reputation as a high-quality hotel? How is quality defined by customers?
How is quality defined within Ritz-Carlton? Does the DQPR (Daily Quality Production Report) data in the ritz.xls spreadsheet indicate any significant quality problems?
If you were to select a category of defect to address from the DQPR (Daily Quality Production Report) data, which category would you address first? Why?

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN* *

As Pat Mene, Corporate Vice President of Quality, reviewed a summary file containing the most recent data reported in the Dynamic Quality Information System (DQIS) from the Buckhead Ritz-Carlton, he wondered what it was going to take to lead the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to the next level in service excellence. The Ritz-Carlton was the first hotel company to become a winner of the nation's premier prize for performance excellence and quality achievement, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.1 The 1992 award represented the culmination of the Ritz-Carlton’s efforts since its restructuring in 1983 to provide the highest level of service in the hospitality industry.

The Atlanta-based company was preparing for its second Baldrige application. Closing the summary file, Mene considered the difficulty of continuing the legacy of the founder, Cesar Ritz, to provide discriminating patrons with the highest standards of quality service in a setting of luxury and elegance.

History of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Cesar Ritz, founder of the Ritz-Carlton Management Corporation (the predecessor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company), opened the first Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1898. The hotel was designed to pamper its guests through meticulous service and luxurious elegance. As news of the success of the new upscale hotel spread in France and throughout the rest of Europe, the Ritz name became synonymous with quality service and high style. In an effort to capitalize on the growing value of the Ritz name, in the early 1900s, Cesar Ritz organized a group of hoteliers and financiers and formed the Ritz-Carlton Management Corporation for the purpose of franchising the Ritz-Carlton name to individual hotel owners who were

Author affiliation *Professor of Professional Practice and Director, W. Edwards Deming Center, Columbia Business School †Armand G. Erpf Professor of Business ‡ PhD ‘98 **Paul M. Montrone Professor of Private Enterprise in the Faculty of Business

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For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

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prepared to abide by the strict service and culinary standards set forth by Cesar Ritz. As early as 1927, Ritz-Carlton hotels were opened in locations including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Atlantic City, as well as London and Montreal. Each hotel committed to abide by the strict mandates of service and fashion demanded by the Ritz- Carlton Management Corporation. Although austere economic conditions in the United States in the early 1920s and 1930s eroded the profitability of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, forcing the closure of all but one U.S. Ritz-Carlton hotel by 1940, Ritz-Carlton continued to be equated with quality and elegance.

In 1983, the Ritz-Carlton name and trademark were purchased by real estate developer William B. Johnson, and W.B. Johnson Properties Inc. became the parent company of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. William Johnson’s vision was to create a luxury hotel group with the highest standards of the hospitality industry, designed to appeal to the discriminating leisure and corporate traveler. After acquiring the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, W.B. Johnson initiated a corporate wide effort to ensure that the same high standards were maintained at all hotels bearing the Ritz-Carlton crest. In April 1995, Marriott International Inc. acquired 49% of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and in 1998, Marriott exercised its option of acquiring the remaining 51% of the Ritz-Carlton.

By early 1997, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company managed and operated 34 Ritz-Carlton hotels, including 25 city hotels and nine resorts. Twenty-five of the hotels were located in the United States; the remaining were distributed throughout the world, with hotels in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additional hotels were planned in Shanghai, Dubai, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Coconut Groves, and the Philippines. With the exception of the owned and managed Buckhead Ritz- Carlton hotel located in Atlanta, Georgia, the site of Ritz-Carlton’s corporate headquarters, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company operated its hotels under management contracts between the Ritz-Carlton and the owners of those hotels. Through its management contracts, the Ritz- Carlton Hotel Company was able to enforce and maintain its strict quality standards at all of its affiliated hotels. Independent surveys indicated that 97% of Ritz-Carlton customers not only were satisfied with their experience, but felt that a stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel provided them with a “memorable” experience.

The Hotel Industry The hotel industry has seen significant transformation since its inception in the early twentieth century. The majority of the earliest hotels were independent, privately owned ventures, located in population or trade centers, and had few conveniences. There was no standardization of services. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, however, to meet the demands of the growing number of travelers, hotel chains such as Howard Johnson's, Travelodge, and Holiday Inn were developed. As business travel continued to expand in the 1980s and 1990s, the hotel industry responded with the introduction of convention hotels, executive floors, business services, fitness amenities, and most recently, all-suite hotels.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 2 BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

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The expansion, however, was not immediately accompanied by increased profitability. In 1981, in an attempt to stimulate capital investment in the United States, the government passed the 1981 Economic Recovery Act. The lure of investment tax credits was the catalyst of a major building boom in the hospitality industry, and a resulting glut of hotel construction—largely by developers with limited understanding of the hospitality industry. Approximately 7,000 hotels (over 900,000 rooms) were built during the early part of the decade. Properties were built often without regard for market demand or the need to establish a customer base. Although the construction boom ended with the Tax Reform Act of 1986, when federal legislation reduced the level of tax-related incentives, it was years before the hotel industry was able to recover. As recently as 1990, the hotel industry suffered a $5.7 billion loss. Since 1990, however, industry profits have improved dramatically, due to strong consumer demand and the absence of significant capacity expansion. In 1995, pretax profits exceeded $6 billion due in part to a modest rise in occupancy level (0.8% increase to 65.5%) and a 4.8% increase in room rates.

Hotels are typically categorized into five segments: (i) luxury hotels, such as Ritz-Carlton; (ii) upscale hotels, such as Hyatt; (iii) mid-price hotels, such as Holiday Inn; (iv) economy hotels, such as La Quinta; and (v) budget hotels, such as Motel 6. Each segment experiences its own occupancy rate and room rates.

Hotels can also be classified based on their form of ownership and management. Some hotel properties are owned and managed by the same individual or group. Other hotels, such as the Ramada chain, are franchisees where, in exchange for royalty and marketing fees, the property owner receives such services as a national reservation system, national advertising, and volume purchasing discounts. Finally, some hotel properties, such as Ritz-Carlton hotels, are owned by individual property owners, but are managed by a management company in exchange for management fees.

As of December 1996, the U.S. lodging industry had approximately 3.6 million rooms at approximately 47,000 properties. In 1996, hotel occupancy and room prices were on the rise; the average occupancy rate was 65.2%, and the average room rate had increased by 11% since the beginning of 1995. According to a survey by Zagat, the average room rate at a Ritz- Carlton hotel increased by 19% from 1995 to 1997.

Commitment to Excellence THE GOLD STANDARDS After W.B. Johnson acquired the Ritz-Carlton trademark, the company focused its efforts on developing a chain of prestigious and highly personalized hotels, with the objective of achieving product and profit dominance. To achieve these objectives, Ritz-Carlton formulated a philosophy predicated upon management’s commitment to providing uncompromisingly high quality service to its guests. This philosophy was formally stated in the company's Gold Standards, which became the guiding principles of the Ritz-Carlton philosophy. The Gold Standards included the Credo, the Motto, the Three Steps of Service, and the 20 Ritz-Carlton Basics. (See Exhibit 1.)

Page 3 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

THE CREDO The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambiance. The Ritz- Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

The first of the Gold Standards, the Credo, embodies the essential characteristics of the products and services provided by Ritz-Carlton. The Credo is more than the company's mission; it influences the development and management of each Ritz-Carlton hotel and pervades the attitude and manner of each member of the Ritz-Carlton organization, from senior management to housekeeping. Each Ritz-Carlton hotel is designed and operated using the Credo as a guideline. For example, hotel lobbies are small, designed for intimate gatherings rather than large group meetings. Lobby music varies by time of day and surrounding environment. Conference rooms are located out of direct view from the lobby, to obscure the business function of the hotel. Each Ritz-Carlton hotel offers a full panoply of on-site facilities ranging from on-site fitness centers to 24-hour room service. Each hotel is associated with a number of fine restaurants with international acclaim.

THE MOTTO We are Ladies and Gentlemen Serving Ladies and Gentlemen.

The second, and most well-known, of the Gold Standards is the Motto. The Motto captures the essence of the Ritz-Carlton philosophy and represents the Ritz-Carlton commitment to quality and excellence. “Our employees are treated with as much respect as guests,” explained John Dravinski, general manager at the Marina del Rey Ritz-Carlton hotel. 2 Employees are taught that they are professional service providers, not servants. The Motto is each employee’s touchstone when servicing hotel guests. Each employee is trained to act as if he/she is a lady/gentleman, and to treat guests similarly, that is, in a highly professional and courteous manner.

THE THREE STEPS OF SERVICE The Three Steps of Service detail the actions and decisions required for all employee- customer interactions. The Three Steps describe the behavior expected of a Ritz-Carlton employee, whether he services a guest or an “internal customer” (a fellow employee). The first step in performing a service is to greet the customer. The Ritz-Carlton philosophy believes that if the customer is not greeted, the employee is only performing a task, rather than a service. The second step is to anticipate the needs of the customer. Employees should not wait until a customer fully articulates his needs; rather, the employee should attempt to anticipate these needs and fulfill them. Finally, the employee should bid the customer farewell after completing the service. (See Exhibit 1.)

THE BASICS The last of the Gold Standards is the 20 Ritz-Carlton Basics. These describe the guest problem-solving process as well as the fundamental rules of conduct that must be followed

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 4 BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

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by all employees. The Ritz-Carlton Basics reiterate the Ritz-Carlton commitment to quality service and customer satisfaction. (See Exhibit 2.)

Employee Selection, Training, and Staffing Ritz-Carlton management has recognized that in order to implement the Gold Standards uniformly in all managed hotels, it is necessary for senior management to transmit these values to all Ritz-Carlton employees personally, and to empower employees with responsibility and sufficient autonomy to apply the company’s values in their daily tasks. Empowerment instills employees with a sense of ownership, and encourages them to assume responsibility and take the steps necessary to satisfy their customers. Ritz-Carlton management takes the following four steps to ensure that employees maintain the company's high standards for quality and service excellence, as articulated in the Gold Standards: (i) rigorous employee selection process, (ii) employee orientation, (iii) employee training certification, and (iv) continuous coaching.

EMPLOYEE SELECTION Individuals seeking employment at a Ritz-Carlton hotel are selected based on the recommendations generated by Ritz-Carlton's Targeted Selection Process, developed in 1987. In an effort to match prospective employees with the requirements of their respective positions within the company, Chief Operating Officer Horst Schulze appointed a team of managers to develop personality profiles for each position within the company. Managers developed these profiles by capturing key personality traits of the best employees in each position. The result was a list of essential character traits that best fit each job. Potential hires are asked a series of 55 open-ended questions, designed to help identify where that individual's natural talents lie. The goal is to assess an individual's communication skills, attitude, and motivations, as well as past work experience and behavior, to assure a good fit in the assigned position specifically and the Ritz-Carlton organization generally.

EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION New hires at each Ritz-Carlton hotel participate in a two-day orientation seminar. All new employees attend the same orientation seminar, irrespective of their title or position. New hires are familiarized with company history and with the company's vision for the future. They also are instructed in the corporate philosophy and the role they will play within the Company in effectuating that philosophy. The importance of quality service, both to external as well as internal customers, is emphasized. Finally, employees are led on a tour of the hotel premises.

The two-day orientation seminar is reinforced by a “Day 21 meeting.” The Day 21 meeting is an informal meeting where employees have the opportunity to provide feedback to ensure that they understand the Ritz-Carlton philosophy, and that their expectations are being met. The Day 21 meeting provides new hires with three weeks to reflect on the information they learned during orientation.

Page 5 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

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This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING CERTIFICATION Following the two-day orientation, new hires begin training for their respective positions. Training is conducted by a fellow employee who has been certified for his job by his manager. Training is a 30-day process, designed to ensure that all employees provide uniform and consistent high-quality service. Training involves both technical training as well as exposure to the Gold Standards. The approach to training is a "tell, show, do, review" approach. Specifically, the training process is designed to match the learning needs of all individuals, whether they require oral or visual training. After 30 days, the new employee's performance is reviewed by his manager. At this time, the employee must pass written and skill demonstration tests to confirm that he has mastered all aspects of his position. If the manager agrees that the employee has been properly trained in all facets of his new job, the employee receives a training certification. The certification is a checklist of all duties required by the employee's position. (See Exhibit 3.)

CONTINUOUS COACHING The training each employee receives at the commencement of his employment is reinforced through the coaching that continues throughout the duration of employment. Corporate philosophy is reinforced at daily line-ups before the start of each new shift. The line-up is a 15-minute meeting where one of the 20 Ritz-Carlton Basics is discussed. Line-ups are coordinated companywide; each day the same Basic is discussed at all Ritz-Carlton properties. The line-up also serves as a time for information sharing. Employees are informed of any special events that will occur during their shift as well as any guests with special needs or desires, so the employees can anticipate their needs.

As a result of the Ritz-Carlton's employee selection and training process, employees are educated in the company philosophy and commitment to service excellence and the role they play in attaining the company’s commitment to quality service. According to Ritz-Carlton quality personnel, by 1997 Ritz-Carlton’s selection and training processes had contributed to a reduction in employee turnover to an annual 30% rate, compared with the industry-wide annual turnover rate of approximately 110%.

Total Quality Management By 1987, four years after being acquired by W.B. Johnson, the Ritz-Carlton was recognized by lodging industry surveys as a premier luxury hotel chain. However, despite this achievement, Ritz-Carlton hotels continued to experience numerous customer complaints. Schulze recognized that in order to ensure long-term profitability and to maintain its premier position, significant improvement in service quality and efficiency would be necessary. To meet the challenge, Schulze embraced the traditional techniques of Total Quality Management (TQM).

Ritz-Carlton believed the commitment to quality services must begin with management’s concerted efforts and actions to create systems and structures that enable and motivate a corresponding commitment throughout the organization. In the words of Schulze, “You know the three obstacles to TQM? Top management, middle management, and lower

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 6 BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

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management.” 3 Bob Worman, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Buckhead, explained that Ritz-Carlton managers must create a culture where each employee recognizes the dual objective of defect-free service and customer satisfaction, and where the employees themselves propel the progression towards Six Sigma. Toward this end, managers are required to lead by example; management must use and teach the quality process. Indeed, senior executives at Ritz-Carlton devote over 25% of their schedule to quality enhancement issues. Management frequently consults with guests and employees to identify areas for improvement. The company's 14 senior-most executives meet weekly to review quality standards and performance, guest satisfaction, and market developments.

In addition, Ritz-Carlton has established incentive programs to reward employees for implementing ideas to improve their workplace or guest satisfaction. These include, among others, the Good Idea program, which awards cash prizes for the best employee initiatives, and Five-Star employees of the quarter awards. (See Exhibit 4.) Further, employees do not receive fixed annual or tenure raises. Instead, employees are compensated for their skills in an effort to keep employee compensation aligned with corporate goals.

Process Control Ritz-Carlton recognized that process management and control as well as quality improvement techniques long used in the manufacturing industry could be employed in a service environment as well. “In all business—whether it's a factory or a hotel—work gets done by transforming methods, materials and people into a product or service,” explained Mene. “A manufacturing plant probably spends more time on its machinery and materials, whereas we're more concerned with the flow of people coming into our organization.”4

As evidence of its commitment to service excellence, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company requires that each hotel in its franchise establish a quality department. The role of the quality department is to track the hotel’s success at achieving Six Sigma, and to identify and eliminate the root causes of any identified defects.

In an attempt to communicate the complexities involved in problem prevention to its employees, the company adopted a quality mascot, a mischievous-looking animated character named Mr. Biv (an acronym for Mistakes, Rework, Breakdown, Inefficiency, and Variation) to represent the five most common mishaps that interfere with a service provider's ability to satisfy his customers consistently and efficiently. Mr. Biv serves as an effective and accessible medium to communicate to employees the potential sources for error, and helps alert employees to wasteful work habits.

THE DYNAMIC QUALITY INFORMATION SYSTEM In addition, Ritz-Carlton has developed a system for gathering, reporting, and tracking defect data. Ritz-Carlton defines a defect as any deviation from a desired service level. Attempts are made to record each defect and to use this information as input into a Daily Quality Production Report (the DQPR). The DQPR is a weekly report that lists all service defects that were identified and recorded during the prior week. The DQPR is used as a first

Page 7 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

source for identifying hotel processes that deviate from the company’s quality standards. Ritz-Carlton relies on its employees to report defects, as the majority of input to the DQPR is provided directly by employees, rather than customer reported complaints. (See Exhibit 5.)

PRODUCING THE DQPR It is the responsibility of a member of the quality team at each hotel to gather all reported defects from all logs that record defect information. This information is input into the Dynamic Quality Information System (DQIS), a Paradox for Windows database application. The information is viewed as a tool for improvement rather than a “report card” of performance. Each defect record contains the actual defect that occurred, in addition to other pertinent information including, for example, the date and time of incident, name of the guest involved, and the department where the root cause of the defect appears to lie. Similar defects are assigned the same keyword. The use of keywords, as well as inputting various characteristics of the defect, allow quality personnel to sort the defects based on various identifying criterion. For example, if quality personnel required the number of defects involving delay in food service, all defect records could be extracted with the keyword "f&b delay." If quality personnel required a comparison of defects occurring at night with defects occurring during the day, the data could be retrieved by sorting the records by time of defect.

USING THE DQPR Employees at each Ritz-Carlton hotel are charged with “instant pacification,” that is, to immediately remedy any defect they discover, irrespective of the task they are engaged in when discovering the defect. Thus all defects that appear in the DQIS have already been addressed. The sole purpose of the DQIS is to identify any recurring trends by allowing quality personnel to analyze the defect data in various forms and generate reports based on internal customer needs.

Ritz-Carlton has not developed any standard methods for analyzing the DQPR. Rather, quality personnel at different hotel sites use different methods for analyzing the defect reports. Quality personnel at the hotels do not use specific statistical software to analyze the data, and personnel may have had different statistical training. Quality training comes from informal seminars organized within the company.

The DQIS is most often used to generate Pareto charts aggregated by keyword, to identify different sources of defects. If a particular department appears to be the source of a disproportionate percentage of defects, quality personnel will then analyze the actual records in the associated DQPR in an attempt to determine the root causes.

PROBLEM SOLVING Upon identifying a systemic problem based on analysis of the relevant DQPR, quality personnel apply problem-solving processes to eliminate the source of the defects. Internal Problem Solving or Quality Improvement Teams are created, composed of members of different departments affected by the process that requires improvement. The team is assigned ownership of the problem; by assigning ownership, employees assume responsibility to solve the problem, and are empowered to take action to resolve the

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 8 BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

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problem. The most common approaches utilized by the teams to identify and eliminate the problem are the Six Step Problem Solving Process, and the Nine Step Quality Improvement Process. The teams also make use of the Six Step Cycle Time Reduction Process to analyze the tasks required to complete each process and to determine where inefficiencies lie. (See Exhibit 6)

Customer Satisfaction Ritz-Carlton relies heavily on continuous customer feedback and customer assessment of the level and quality of service they experience at the Ritz-Carlton hotels, as a measure of its success in satisfying its customer’s needs. Ritz-Carlton measures both its ability to satisfy its customers, as well as the level of satisfaction experienced by customers, by using both internal and third-party assessment methods. Ritz-Carlton also measures customer perception of quality of service provided, using both immediate reaction to service and retrospective reaction to service.

Ideally, assessment of quality of service and customer satisfaction can be measured by the data reported in the DQIS, as the DQIS should reflect a complete and accurate collection of all system defects and can be used to facilitate analysis of recurring trends. However, employees frequently focus exclusively on customer pacification; once the customer is satisfied and the defect remedied, employees do not recognize the importance of reporting the defect. Becky Gill, director of quality at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, has found this problem, of not reporting defects and focusing on instant pacification, particularly challenging. This prevents the company from identifying the root cause of each defect. The impact of this employee oversight is twofold. First, Ritz-Carlton may be losing customers due to deficiencies in service that Ritz-Carlton may not even be aware of. In addition, it undermines Ritz-Carlton’s ability to proactively improve its service.

Consequently, the DQIS could not be relied on as a sole measure of customer satisfaction and of the quality of processes.5 Instead, as a measure of immediate reaction to service, the Ritz- Carlton used the information provided by the opinion cards left in each hotel room. However, over time management has discovered that this information did not represent a random sampling of customers, and was not statistically valid. Although Ritz-Carlton continues to use opinion cards to obtain timely feedback from customers and to identify some trends, it relies more heavily on telephone surveys conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power and Associates gathers information and provides monthly reports with rolling three-month average and year-to-date average information.

The reports generated by J.D. Power and Associates are used to identify processes with high levels of customer dissatisfaction. If a defective process is identified, J.D. Power and Associates informs Ritz-Carlton corporate headquarters, which will in turn transmit this information to the individual hotels. Each site is then requested to direct its quality improvement efforts toward eliminating the errors within the defective process. Thus, rather than solely using internal data sources to impel change, management increasingly relies upon externally gathered measures to identify a problematic trend. Subsequent surveys by

Page 9 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

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J.D. Power and Associates are used to gauge whether any improvement has been achieved. Sites that exhibit improvement in the defective process are requested to share their process control processes with the other hotel locations. The company performs continual benchmarking between different hotels so that there is significant information sharing within the company and each site can learn from other sites’ best practices.

Finally, the Ritz-Carlton uses third-party assessments of its services. Examples of these external assessments include reports published by Mobil, AAA, and Zagat.6

Continuous Improvement Ritz-Carlton’s quest for service excellence was an on-going process. At a time of increased competition within the hospitality industry, as well as increased customer demand for value, it was even more essential for the Ritz-Carlton to continue to distinguish itself as a premier provider of luxury service. This meant that the Ritz-Carlton had to accelerate the rate at which it discovered and eliminated the root cause of all service issues. The challenge facing Ritz-Carlton was to systematically discover and eliminate the root causes of service defects, thereby achieving Six Sigma quality and helping the organization realize its goal of 100% customer retention.

As corporate vice president of quality, Mene considered how to respond to the defects reported in the DQIS (ritz.xls). What defects were the most problematic? What caused them? Were some defects inevitable? More broadly, he wondered what new initiatives might be required in order to eliminate the defects reported in the DQIS. What was it going to take to maintain a culture of service excellence while Ritz-Carlton went through a period of rapid growth under Marriott ownership? Did Ritz-Carlton have the processes in place to continue to provide the quality service its guests had come to expect? Did its quality personnel have the training and knowledge base to identify potential sources and causes of defects and to eliminate them? Would the hotel chain manage to achieve its goal of Six Sigma service? Could it achieve 100% customer retention in an increasingly competitive lodging industry?

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 10

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

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Exhibits Exhibit 1 Three Steps of Service

THREE STEPS OF SERVICE

1 A warm and sincere greeting.

Use the guest name, if and when possible.

2 Anticipation and compliance

with guest needs.

3 Fond farewell. Give them a warm good-bye and use

their names, if and when possible.

“We Are Ladies and Gentlemen

Serving Ladies and

Gentlemen”

®

CREDO The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care

and comfort of our guests is our highest mission.

We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy

a warm, relaxed yet refined ambience.

The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-

being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and

needs of our guests.

Page 11 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY Three Steps of Service

WARM WELCOME

1

ANTICIPATION AND

COMPLIANCE

2

FOND FAREWELL

3

BREAK AWAY TO ACHIEVE

INSTANT PACIFICATION

COMPLAINT OR DISSATISFACTION

IDENTIFY NEED OR

WISH

FULFILL NEED OR WISH

ROUTINE

LATERAL SERVICE

BREAK AWAY TO RESPOND

COMPLETE “INCIDENT FORM” AND OR “GUEST PREFERENCE PAD” WHEN APPOPRIATE FOR EACH GUEST

DAILY QUALITY REPORT

ANALYSIS

DISSATISFIED

VERIFY GUEST

SATISFACTION BY GUEST

REACTION SATISFIED

SNAP BACK TO ROUTINE

DUTIES

ENTER GUEST PREFERENCES OR COMPLAINTS INTO GUEST HISTORY

PROFILE

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Exhibit 2 The Ritz-Carlton® Basics

1. The Credo will be known, owned and energized by all employees. 2. Our motto is: “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” Practice teamwork and “lateral

service” to create a positive work environment.” 3. The three steps of service shall be practiced by all employees. 4. All employees will successfully complete Training Certification to ensure they understand how to perform to

The Ritz-Carlton standards in their position. 5. Each employee will understand their work area and Hotel goals as established in each strategic plan. 6. All employees will know the needs of their internal and external customers (guests and employees) so that we

may deliver the products and services they expect. Use guest preference pads to record specific needs.

7. Each employee will continuously identify defects (Mr. BIV) throughout the Hotel. 8. Any employee who receives a customer complaint “owns” the complaint. 9. Instant guest pacification will be ensured by all. React quickly to correct the problem immediately. Follow-up

with a telephone call within twenty minutes to verify the problem has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction. Do everything you possibly can to never lose a guest.

10. Guest incident action forms are used to record and communicate every incident of guest dissatisfaction. Every

employee is empowered to resolve the problem and to prevent a repeat occurrence. 11. Uncompromising levels of cleanliness are the responsibility of every employee. 12. “Smile – We are on stage.” Always maintain positive eye contact. Use the proper vocabulary with our guests.

(Use words like – “Good Morning,” “Certainly,” “I’ll be happy to” and “My pleasure”). 13. Be an ambassador of your Hotel in an outside of the work place. Always talk positively. No negative comments. 14. Escort guests rather than pointing out directions to another area of the Hotel. 15. Be knowledgeable of Hotel information (hours of operation, etc.) to answer guest inquiries. Always recommend

the Hotel’s retail and food and beverage outlets priors to outside facilities. 16. Use proper telephone etiquette. Answer within three rings and with a “smile.” When necessary, ask the caller,

“May I place you on hold.” Do not screen calls. Eliminate call transfers when possible. 17. Uniforms are to be immaculate; Wear proper and safe footwear (clean and polished), and your correct name

tag. Take pride and care in your personal appearance (adhering to all grooming standards). 18. Ensure all employees know their roles during emergency situations and are aware of fire and life safety

response processes. 19. Notify your supervisor immediately of hazards, injuries, equipment or assistance that you need. Practice energy

conservation and proper maintenance and repair of Hotel property and equipment. 20. Protecting the assets of a Ritz-Carlton Hotel is the responsibility of every employee.

©1992. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. All rights reserved

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 12

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 3 Training Certification Name:____________________

Date of Hire:_______________

Date of Day 21:_____________

LINE COOK

Date / Trainer’s Name:

_______________01: Grooming Standards _______________02: Uniform _______________03: Employee Attendance _______________04: Guest Etiquette _______________05: Telephone Etiquette _______________06: Answer Telephones _______________07: Safety Procedures _______________08: Emergency Procedures _______________09: Disinfection and Sanitizing _______________10: Sanitation _______________11: Personal Cleanliness _______________12: Sanitation and Safety Violations _______________13: Set Up Station _______________14: Requisitions _______________15: Receive and Store Food _______________16: Ice Fish _______________17: Refrigerator Storage _______________18: Defrost Food _______________19: Dry Goods Storage _______________20: Toxic Substances _______________21: Production Schedule _______________22: Recipe Cards _______________23: Plating/Production Guides and Photography _______________24: Prepare Food to Order _______________25: Returned Food _______________26: 86’d Items _______________27: Clean Produce _______________28: Prepare Produce _______________29: Knife Sharpening _______________30: Knife Handling

Page 13 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 3 (continued) _______________31: Slicer _______________32: Food Processor _______________33: Buffalo Chopper _______________34: Mixer _______________35: Charbroiler _______________36: Grill (Flat-top) _______________37: Steam Table _______________38: Salamander _______________39: Cleveland Steamer _______________40: Vulcan Frycat _______________41: Blodgett Convection Oven _______________42: Vulcan Oven and Flattop _______________43: Printers and Printer Paper _______________44: Clean as you Go _______________45: Pot Wash Station _______________46: Remain In Station/Breaks _______________47: Breakdown Station _______________48: Check Out with Sous Chef

______________________ has been trained and has mastered the tasks listed above.

_______________________________

Manager’s Signature Date

_______________________________

Employee’s Signature Date

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 14

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 4

What problem or opportunity for improvement is this idea in response to?

Costs involved with implementation:

Expected benefits of adoption:

Understudy: ______________ Pilot: _____________ Recommended: _______________ Adopted: ____________________

Not Adopted: _________________

Page 15 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 5 Cost of Error Calculation

ERROR

Guest room not ready upon check-in after 3 pm (check-in time).

1

2 3 4 5

6

9

10

11

87

COST OF ERROR CALCULATION

CONSEQUENCES

Guest will not return

Housekeeping Supervisor loses 15 min.

Front Office Manager loses 10 min.

MOD loses 10 min.

Complimentary cocktails given

Amenity sent to room with note

Rooms Executive sends letter to guest

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

POSSIBLE ERRORS/YEAR Pr

100,923 .03

COST OF CONSEQUENCES

$337.50

1.75

2.00

2.00

3.00

12.00

10.00

Pr HARD SOFT OPPORTUNITY

.10

.9

.9

.9

.5

.4

.25

2.70

4.80

2.50

1.58

1.80

1.00

33.75

TOTALS

ERRORS/ YEAR

ERROR COST BY TYPE

TOTAL COST OF ERROR

10.00 4.38 33.75

3028

$30,280 $13,263 $102,195

$145,738

EXPECTED CONSEQUENCE COST

Property: Department Date Done by:

ID

The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead Housekeeping/Front Office

Quality Leader

Format from Quality Assurance in the Hospitality Industry, Stephen S.J. Hall

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 16

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 5 (continued)

e appreciate your comments andW suggestions. Please use this comment card so that we may serve you better in the future.

Thank you for your assistance!

Exceptional Employees

Additional Comments

M O

IS TE

N A

N D

S EA

L

Please rate your satisfaction with:

Your overall experience The accuracy of your room assignment

The courtesy and professionalism of our staff

The cleanliness of your room The quality of food served in the Hotel

Timeliness of in-room dining

Timeliness of valet parking

Adequacy of problem resolution (Answer only if you had a problem)

Name

Reply Address

Telephone ( )

Room No. Date(s) of Stay

V E

R Y

S A

TI S

FI E

D

S O

M E

W H

A T

S A

TI S

FI E

D

N E

U TR

A L

S O

M E

W H

A T

D IS

S A

TI S

FI E

D

N O

T S

A TI

S FI

E D

Page 17 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 5 (continued)

Sources in DQPR Information Guest Incident Action Forms Communication Log Front Office Folios Day 21 Feedback Opinion Cards Meeting Planner Evaluations Letters/Phone Calls Guest Call Records Room Change Log Engineering Log Checks from Food and Banquet Outlets Security Reports Banquet Captain Reports Internal Defect Reports and Hotline Explanations: • Guest Incident Action Forms (“GIAF”). Forms completed by an employee who services a

guest who registered a complaint with some hotel process. • Front Office Folio. Information gleaned from conversations at the front desk while

customers check out of the hotel. Opinion Cards. Forms completed by guests when they leave the hotel. An opinion card is left in each room.

• Letters/Phone Calls. Any correspondence received from guests. • Room Change Log. The front desk keeps a log of all guests who request a room change due

to some dissatisfaction with the room that they were initially assigned. • Checks from Food and Banquet Outlets. Checks from the café or other Ritz-Carlton dining

services recording, for example, the wrong room number or an incorrect charge. • Banquet Captain Reports. Reports of extraordinary events that occur at banquets. This

information is recorded by the banquet captain, and is also used as feedback to the caterer. • Communication Log. Record maintained by the communications department of defects

relating to telephone, answering, or operator service. • Day 21 Feedback. Employee feedback from the Day 21 Meeting conducted with all new

employees. • Meeting Planner Evaluations. Also referred to as “post-con,” these evaluations are provided

by meeting planners or conference service managers from external businesses that have used Ritz-Carlton’s catering service.

• Guest Call Records. Record of all guest complaint telephone calls, maintained by the front desk.

• Engineering Log. A log of all hotel maintenance defects, as recorded by the engineering department.

• Security Reports. Reports completed by the security department, detailing any breaches in hotel security.

• Internal Defect Report (“IDR”). Reports of internal defects that generally do not directly impact the customer. Internal defect reports may be filled out by hotel employees. Alternatively, there is a hotline that employees may call to report an internal defect.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 18

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 6 Problem-Solving Process

Page 19 | The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 6 (continued)

6 Step Cycle Time Reduction Process

1

2B

3B

4B

5B

6B

6 Step

2A

3A

4A

5A

6A

Identify Valuable Activities

Challenge each Non-Valuable Activity

Determine Current Cycle Time for Each Activity

Experiment with a Simplified Process Change

Evaluate Results Benchmark Best Processes

Reduce Inventory and Lot Sizes

Recycle

Identify Bottlenecks Exit to 6-Step PSP

Identify Next Bottleneck

Evaluate Results Benchmark Best Process

Reduce Inventory and Lot Sizes

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company: The Quest for Service Excellence | Page 20

BY NELSON M. FRAIMAN*, LINDA V. GREEN†, ALIZA HECHING‡, AND GARRETT J. VAN RYZIN**

For the exclusive use of W. Gu, 2017.

This document is authorized for use only by Wenlong Gu in MGT545-141 taught by Ivana Zilic, DePaul University from September 2017 to November 2017.

Exhibit 6 (continued)

6 STEP CYCLE TIME REDUCTION PROCESS 1. What is Cycle Time?

The total time from beginning to end of any process (usually from customer request through billing). The team must measure every work activity to identify (1) the range of time for each step and the total process, (20 the average time for each step and the total process.

2. How do you reduce Cycle Time?

The team may choose one of two tracks: A) Value-added track, B) Bottleneck track

Track A - Value added 3.A. Challenge each activity which is not valuable to the customer - as if your paycheck depended upon it.

• Why do we do this? • Can this be eliminated?

• Does this merely undo or patch problems caused by the previous process? • Is this a result of excessive caution or mistrust?

• What is the simplest way to do this? • Can we do this concurrently with other activities? If you are encountering complexity or cultural barriers, exit to a problem solving process.

4.A. Experiment with a simplified process redesign using a post-it note flow chart (continuously display experimental work flow for total team involvement). 5.A. Evaluate results and compare/benchmark your process against best in the company and any industry. Look for opportunities for improvement. 6.A. Reduce inventory levels and lot sizes as if your paycheck depended on it.

• What are the current inventory and lot sizes of each step in the process? • How much can inventories be reduced without changing the process? • How could you change the process to allow extremely low inventories? The goal is

always zero. • How can lot sizes be sharply reduced? How much efficiency would be lost with a

much smaller lot size? Work toward a lot size of zero. Recycle-- the whole purpose of this step is continuous cycle time and inventory improvement. You will want to repeat the entire process to streamline forever.