Employees often feel constrained by their job titles. Doormen should primarily open doors, massage therapists should primarily give massage treatments, and room attendants should primarily clean rooms. This type of restriction can inhibit the potential creativity and enthusiasm that employees experience in their jobs. I’ve held close to 20 different roles in the hospitality industry, from busboy to director of corporate training, but only one role really allowed me to “break free.” In the position, my job description was to move heaven and earth to delight all the guests all the time. That role was as a janitor. I loved that job. Being a concierge was simply about anticipating, organizing, and delivering exceptional service. Even after moving on to other roles, including my current one as a Service Consultant, I approach every client with the same concierge mindset… “I’ll do whatever it takes to provide the best service you’ve ever received.”
On a recent trip to Spain, I stayed at the Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella. My interactions with the concierge in the lobby were exceptionally positive, and I began to wonder what would happen if every employee in a company developed the same concierge mentality. What if all employees served as janitors and did not allow their provision of services to be limited by their job title? If this is the case in your business, here’s what every employee, including yourself, should consistently do:
o Never say “no.” Always give options and alternatives.
o Going Beyond will be the minimum standard of performance for all clients.
o Feel empowered to create exceptional memories. This assumes that your leader trusts you enough to empower him, coach (not punish) him in his efforts, and regularly encourage him.
o Coordinate and work with other departments to surprise and delight customers. It’s hard to go further by yourself.
o Always comply with customer requests.
Special note: If you are a senior leader, make sure all employees know that your primary job is to serve customers. Every employee should know this early on during the hiring and interview processes. Even if you are running a grocery store, your employees who stock the shelves should know that their primary role is to help the customer find everything they want and their secondary role is to stock the shelves. That message MUST be communicated to all employees at all levels.
When I was a server at a restaurant, I enjoyed talking to my guests and getting to know their preferences. One night I was listening to a couple on vacation tell me about their favorite foods. Turns out they love fresh mangoes. They also wanted to visit some good local restaurants before their vacation ended. I immediately checked with the hotel kitchen staff to see if there were any fresh mangoes in stock and unfortunately they were not available. Before heading back to work the next day, I allowed myself to stop at a local grocery store to pick up some fresh mangoes for the guests. When I got to work, I coordinated with the chef and a room service employee to make a special tray of freshly cut mangoes for the guests. This tray was delivered to the room via room service, along with a handwritten note from me. The note also contained a list of very good local restaurants. I then followed up with the concierge team, who sent a copy of the local restaurant menus to the guest’s room. The next day I contacted the guest to find out about his experience at the restaurant and to see if there was anything else I could do to make his stay memorable. I was not limited by my job title. I was fortunate to work in an establishment where senior leaders expected, encouraged, and rewarded such behavior.
This year, encourage yourself and your team to break free. You are more than a job title, you are a service professional. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in; As long as you have clients, you are in the service business. World-class concierges pride themselves on orchestrating memorable service experiences for their guests. With a concierge mindset, every employee on your team is sure to excel at engaging your customers every day.