Four Seasons hires for five-star attitude

CNN Business

1 Feb 201202:47

Summary

TLDRThe Four Seasons emphasizes personalized service, believing that customer satisfaction hinges on employee engagement. The company focuses on hiring for attitude, valuing genuine hospitality as non-trainable. They invest heavily in employee care, offering recognition, special events, and career development opportunities. This approach results in low turnover, high training levels, and a premium service that guests are willing to pay for, highlighting the importance of a supportive employee network.

Takeaways

🌟 The company's goal is to provide the highest level of customized and personalized service to guests.
🤝 The business is built on intangibles, emphasizing the importance of guest experiences and interactions.
🔍 Attention to detail in guest preferences, such as pillow types, is crucial for creating a personalized experience.
💼 The quality of service delivered to guests is directly in the hands of the employees, highlighting their importance.
🌱 Employee focus is inseparable from customer focus; employees are the backbone of the company's service.
👥 The company values its people as the most valuable asset, recognizing that without them, the business cannot thrive.
🙌 Hiring at Four Seasons focuses on attitude, seeking individuals who are genuinely caring and service-oriented.
💰 Hospitality is about genuine care, which cannot be taught, so the company invests heavily in finding the right people.
🎉 The company takes care of its employees through special events and recognition, fostering a supportive work environment.
📈 Career development and opportunities are emphasized, with benefits like complimentary stays at other Four Seasons properties.
🔒 Low employee turnover is a testament to the company's investment in its staff, leading to long-serving, highly trained employees.
💰 High levels of customer service allow the company to charge a premium for rooms and suites, as guests value the support provided.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the company mentioned in the script?
-The primary goal of the company is to provide the highest level of customized, personalized service to their guests.
Why is the service provided by the company considered intangible?
-The service is considered intangible because it's an experience that guests have while they are at the location, rather than a physical product they can take home.
What does the company focus on when hiring new employees?
-The company focuses on hiring for attitude, looking for people who are genuinely caring and have a genuine desire to help and serve.
How does the company ensure that the service delivered to guests is of high quality?
-The company ensures high-quality service by hiring the right people and by providing special events, recognition, and career development opportunities for their employees.
What is the relationship between customer focus and employee focus according to the script?
-The script suggests that a customer focus cannot be independent of an employee focus, as the service delivered to guests is in the hands of the employees.
Why is employee recognition an important part of the company's culture?
-Employee recognition is important because it shows appreciation for their hard work, contributes to employee satisfaction, and helps to maintain a high level of service quality.
What is the significance of career development for employees at the company?
-Career development is significant as it provides employees with opportunities for growth and advancement within the company, which can increase their job satisfaction and loyalty.
What is the complimentary rooms policy and how does it benefit employees?
-The complimentary rooms policy allows employees at all levels to visit another Four Seasons property and be treated like a five-star guest, which can enhance their understanding of the brand's service standards.
How does the company's investment in employees reflect in its business operations?
-The investment in employees is reflected in low turnover rates, highly trained staff, elimination of retraining and rehiring costs, and the ability to charge a premium for rooms and suites due to the high level of customer service.
What is the role of the support network provided by the employees?
-The support network provided by the employees is crucial as it contributes to the high level of customer service, which in turn allows the company to charge a premium for its accommodations.
How does the company's approach to hiring and employee care impact its guests?
-The company's approach ensures that guests receive personalized and high-quality service from genuinely hospitable staff, which enhances their overall experience and willingness to pay a premium for the service.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Personalized Service Excellence

The paragraph emphasizes Four Seasons' commitment to providing a high level of personalized service. It highlights the company's focus on intangible experiences, such as eye contact and personalized preferences, to connect with guests. The script underscores the importance of employee focus, suggesting that the quality of service is directly linked to the care and training of employees. The company's hiring strategy is also discussed, with an emphasis on selecting individuals with the right attitude and genuine hospitality, as these qualities are deemed untrainable. The paragraph concludes with the assertion that the right people are the company's most valuable asset.

💼 Employee Care and Benefits

This paragraph delves into the company's approach to employee care, recognizing that a happy and well-supported staff is essential for delivering excellent customer service. It mentions special events and recognition as part of the employee experience, as well as career development opportunities. The company's complimentary rooms policy is highlighted as a unique employee benefit, allowing staff to experience Four Seasons' hospitality as guests. The paragraph also discusses the financial benefits of low employee turnover, such as reduced costs for retraining and rehiring, and the premium pricing for rooms and suites due to the high level of customer service provided.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Customized Service

Customized service refers to the tailored experiences provided to guests based on their individual preferences and needs. In the context of the video, it is the core of the company's goal to offer a high level of personalization, as seen in the example of knowing a guest's pillow preference, which illustrates the attention to detail in creating a memorable guest experience.

💡Intangibles

Intangibles are non-physical aspects of a service that cannot be touched or seen but experienced. The video emphasizes that the company operates in a business of intangibles, highlighting the importance of the guest's experience rather than a physical product, which is different from purchasing a tangible good that one can take home.

💡Employee Focus

Employee focus is the strategy of prioritizing the well-being and development of employees to enhance the overall service quality. The video stresses that customer service is directly influenced by the employees, making them the most valuable asset and emphasizing the importance of finding the right people who are genuinely caring and hospitable.

💡Hospitality

Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception of guests, reflecting the company's commitment to creating a warm and welcoming environment. The script mentions that hospitality is something that cannot be faked, indicating the authenticity required in the employees' interactions with guests.

💡Career Development

Career development involves opportunities for employees to grow professionally within the company. The video script mentions that the company focuses on career development, offering examples such as promotions and the complimentary rooms policy, which allows employees to experience the company's service as guests and understand the high standards they are expected to maintain.

💡Recognition

Recognition is the act of acknowledging and appreciating employees' efforts and achievements. The script highlights the importance of recognition in the company's employee care strategy, suggesting that it plays a significant role in motivating and retaining staff.

💡Turnover

Turnover refers to the rate at which employees leave and join an organization. The video mentions low turnover as a testament to the company's successful employee-focused policies, which result in long-serving, highly trained staff who are familiar with the business and guests.

💡Premium Pricing

Premium pricing is the strategy of charging higher prices for products or services due to their perceived higher quality or value. The script indicates that the company is able to charge a premium for its rooms and suites because guests are willing to pay extra for the exceptional service provided by the employees.

💡Support Network

A support network refers to the infrastructure and resources provided to employees to help them perform their jobs effectively. The video mentions the support network as a key factor in the company's ability to deliver high-quality service, which includes training, recognition, and career development opportunities.

💡Personing

Personing, in the context of the video, refers to the process of finding and hiring the right individuals who embody the company's values and can provide exceptional service. The script emphasizes that the company focuses on hiring for attitude, as it is difficult to train genuine care and hospitality.

💡Complimentary Rooms Policy

The complimentary rooms policy is a benefit offered to employees, allowing them to stay at another Four Seasons property as a guest. The script uses this policy as an example of how the company invests in its employees, providing them with opportunities to experience the company's service firsthand and understand the standards they are expected to uphold.

Highlights

Season Sals experiences aim to provide a high level of customized, personalized service to guests.

The business deals in intangibles, focusing on guest experiences rather than physical products.

Personal connections like eye contact and smiles are key components of the service.

Understanding guest preferences, such as pillow types, is part of the personalized service.

Customer focus is intrinsically linked to employee focus, as service quality depends on staff.

Employees are considered the company's most valuable asset.

Hiring at Four Seasons emphasizes attitude over experience, seeking genuinely caring individuals.

Hospitality is a quality that cannot be taught, so hiring for natural inclination is crucial.

The company invests in special events and recognition to take care of its employees.

Career development and recognition are significant parts of employee benefits.

Complimentary rooms policy allows employees to experience Four Seasons as guests.

Low turnover rates indicate high employee satisfaction and investment in staff.

Long-serving employees are highly trained and familiar with guests and business operations.

High levels of customer service enable the company to charge a premium for rooms and suites.

Guests are willing to pay extra for the exceptional support provided by employees.

The support network provided by employees is a key differentiator for the company.