Case Study 1 Essay

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Supplement

Case Study & Presentation

Bui, Vy – 100737215
Caldwell, Rebecca – 100800271
Do, Ryan Hai – 100778091
Liu, Leo – 100920206

George Brown College

Professor: Gary Hoyer - HOST 4113
Due Date: January 20, 2015

The Ritz-Carlton Experience
Service is very important aspect in doing business in the hospitality industry. Basically, the Ritz-Carlton is selling a service. They show their service philosophy to new employees on the first day of orientation “We are not is the hotel business. The hotel business is about selling rooms, selling food, selling the bar. We do these things incidentally, but our business is service. We charge for service. Our commitment to our customers is excellence in service. Service is our profession”(p. 13). Therefore, The Ritz-Carlton is not only selling rooms and food but also selling services combined with the products so customers can experience their stay at Ritz Carlton with a high-level standard of expectation.
Respect given to employees is the key to success at the Ritz-Carlton. With the motto “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentleman”, Schulze showed respect to his employees as they were ladies and gentlemen. He also created a good work environment based on mutual respect between employers and employees, as well as between employees and co-workers. His philosophy helped the Ritz-Carlton’s annual turnover rate stay at low 20%, compared with industry average of 100%. The number reflected his strategy was helpful.
Besides that, the Gold Standards helped employees understand and comprehend the organization’s atmosphere. The standards keep employees motivated in this high quality work environment and in return employees will delivery outstanding customer service, great hospitality and respect.
The 7-Day Countdown to Create "Ladies and Gentlemen" The concept of "Ladies and Gentlemen" came from Schulze, the president and CEO of Ritz-Carlton. He believes that employees are not servants but are Ladies and Gentlemen, just as the guests are, who we respect as Ladies and Gentlemen. In order to create “Ladies and Gentlemen” in only 7 days, Ritz Carlton starts their 7-Day Countdown with a staff orientation.
Day 1: Staff Orientation
All the new employees get together for the first time to meet and greet each other from all the divisions. They get a clear image of the culture and values of the firm in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.
Day 2: Departmental Vision Sessions.
To achieve the vision of making guests feels so comfortable that felt as if they were home, the new employees involves grouping in their respective functional areas in the second day.
Day 3 through 7: Skills Training
The company will focus on training for the rest of days. During these days, they will be involved in activities such as uniform fittings, daily lineup procedures, and scenario challenge, to get them accustomed to their daily habits. Employees also need to practice a “day-at-work” which is a trial run that includes people checking in, serving meals to guests, and preparing rooms for guests in order to get feedback from the corporate steering committee to overcome any flaws they had done.
Millennium’s Suggestion
The Ritz Carlton has succeeded in applying all the standards in order to reach excellence. If the owner has asked management to lengthen the 7-Day Countdown then we would not recommend McBride undertake the process. The 7-Day Countdown is a result of the development of the hotel opening process, which became more refined in the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The standardization has been tested very carefully as implementing this strategy without having many adverse effects. We do not recommend fixing the system because the Countdown is already seen as a well-established standardized working system. Standardization brought greater productivity and lessens some of the burden placed on new managers responsible for running the hotel. In addition, the

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