Ellie Chan, director of human resources, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong Photo: Edde Ngan

New hospitality landmark nurtures committed team focused on respect and service excellence

Outstanding customer service is sustained by senior managers' genuine concern for their workforce. This belief has been part of The Ritz-Carlton's management philosophy since its establishment in 1983.

"Trust and respect are highly valued by our establishment," says Ellie Chan, director of human resources, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. "It comes naturally to our employees to greet guests by their names. Managers also address their juniors by name, and with simple words of kindness. We believe mutual respect is highly contagious." As a consequence, it is not uncommon for hotel guests to send thank-you notes to show their appreciation, she notes.

Employees have access to "First Class cards", which are available in the hotel's "heart of the house" area, to show their appreciation to their colleagues, Ms Chan explains. "While Westerners tend to express compliments directly, Asians are more reserved, so we encourage our employees to show their appreciation by writing notes. For instance, many staff members have complimented the food quality in our employee dining room, so we encouraged them to write a note to our head chef to express their gratitude."

Team work

Our motto, "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen", means that our employees do not regard themselves as servants, Ms Chan stresses. "They're service professionals that offer heartfelt care to our guests. Our service values all start with 'I', so that we're empowered and engaged to resolve guests' problems."

This attitude has resulted in an outstanding team spirit. "During peak seasons, when our housekeeping team members are particularly busy, employees from other departments help out by emptying wastepaper bins or stripping dirty bed linen. Although these tasks sound rather simple, it does help to ease our housekeepers' heavy workload."

A culture of sharing is another positive factor. "Twice a week, The Ritz-Carlton shares 'wow stories' of outstanding performances by employees globally, helping others to learn from best practice, as well as recognising their contributions," Ms Chan points out. Since its opening in March last year, 12 stories from The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong have been chosen and shared—boosting the team's morale and providing encouragement.

"Having come from different hotel chains, most of our ladies and gentlemen are new to The Ritz-Carlton culture, but this kind of recognition brings a sense of belonging and solidarity, which help to promote The Ritz-Carlton's service ethos."
After 365 days in service, employees are awarded with pins and certificates, and given the chance to celebrate with colleagues. This is yet another way of fostering team spirit, Ms Chan says.

Exceeding expectations

The Ritz-Carlton aims not only to cater for guests' requests, but also to foresee and fulfil their needs. "For instance, team members anticipate guests' needs by observing their body language and will offer them a shawl if they notice that they seem cold. We believe it's important to offer such attentive service to impress our guests."

Superb team work is essential to be able to provide this level of accommodating service. "Our employees always have guest-preference pads with them to record guests' likes and dislikes. These are put into a collection box, and the data is inputted into the computer system to be shared globally among all Ritz-Carlton properties."

The Hong Kong team is extremely innovative and has also created a guest name library, Ms Chan notes. "Our visitors come from all parts of the world. Whenever our people come across a guest name that they cannot pronounce, they seek help from their colleagues in other countries. The correct pronunciation is saved in the public drive for internal sharing."

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong currently employs 540 people, and other activities that enhance the bonds between them include participation in voluntary services, such as blood donation and beach cleaning. The hotel also demonstrates its concern about staff wellbeing by organising events such as Employee Wellness Week and offering healthy choices as part of staff meals. "Positive energy is contagious and its benefits are long-lasting," Ms Chan concludes.

Superb team work