EDITOR ’ S DIARY
Surprise
ME
EDITORIAL David Eisen Editor In Chief
Kathakali Nandi Editorial Writer
Juan Cruz del Val Designer
This is a story about teeth . Scratch that . This is a story about people with teeth . And it ’ s a story that has a message well beyond dentition . I ’ ll get to it in a moment . First , I wanted to say hello . The picture to the right might look a little different than what you expected . As the new Editor-in-Chief of this venerable magazine , I am honored to take hold of the reins and look forward to delivering strong , insightful storytelling in these pages and online .
Now , back to the story , or should I say , the dentist . Typically , it ’ s not a place for a learning lesson ; it ’ s a transaction . You get your teeth cleaned and hope the dentist doesn ’ t identify any cavities . But a recent experience at the dentist convinced me otherwise . It surprised me .
It was my first time at the Washington Center for Dentistry , which I chose because it was close to my home . Location . Nothing else .
After a thorough , agreeable cleaning from the hygienist , Dr . Pollowitz approached . I was expecting him to say , “ Open wide ,” and to stick a mirror in my mouth . Instead , he said , “ Hi , David , I ’ m Dr . Pollowitz , tell me about yourself .” The question stumped me : Did he want me to tell him about my dental history and somewhat sensitive teeth ? That ’ s what I thought , so that ’ s what I offered . “ No ”, he said , “ tell me about yourself : Where are you from , what do you do for a living , what do you do for fun ?”
It was a like a curveball on a 3-0 count : unexpected .
Dr . Pollowitz went on to tell me a little about himself and explained the principle behind his practice : “ We don ’ t treat teeth ; we treat people with teeth .”
The statement resonated and got me thinking : Hotels aren ’ t in the transaction business ; they are in the people business . Sure , hotels are in the business of providing shelter , a bed , food , relaxation , but those are only features . Caring for the whole person is a hotel ’ s biggest responsibility . It ’ s that element that creates not only revenue , but goodwill and loyalty , which are far more valuable in the long run .
Hotels hire for specific positions , but every employee — from front desk to housekeeping — is a caretaker , a custodian , a cheerleader for the property . And that means treating each guest , not servicing each guest . There ’ s a difference .
It doesn ’ t matter if it ’ s a luxury hotel or a budget hotel . Sure , services and amenities differ property to property , but the caliber of people don ’ t have to . Teach your employees to surprise guests . It ’ s not hard : an inquiry about where they are coming from ; why they came to the hotel ; what they might like to do while they are here . Allow the natural conversation to flow .
People like it when others are genuinely interested in them . It creates an indelible moment and engenders a loyal customer . Remember Dr . Pollowitz : Don ’ t treat the need ; treat the person with the need .
Editor In Chief
Contributing Writers Jeanette Hurt , Megan Rowe , Juliana Shallcross ,
Alicia Sheber
PUBLISHING Ali Jahangiri CEO
Brian Levine Publisher
Marie Ekberg Padilla Senior Editor
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Ltd ., Gurgaon , India
Stephen Bartolin President , Broadmoor Sea Island Co ., Colorado Springs , Colorado
Robert Hecker Managing Director , Horwath HTL Asia Pacific , Singapore
Ramsey Mankarious CEO , Cedar Capital Partners , London
Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton , McLean , Virginia
Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta
Susan Terry Vice President of Culinary and Food and Beverage Operations , Marcus Hotels & Resorts , Milwaukee , Wisconsin
Trevor Ward Managing Director , W Hospitality Group , Lagos , Nigeria
ADVERTISING Caroline de Donnea Sol Población
ADMINISTRATION Kristi Carlson
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