RITZ-CARLTON
Ritz-Carlton :
THE GOLD STANDARD FOR COMPANY CULTURE
T
BY : ERIKA MACLEOD
The Ritz-Carlton has won award after award for its best-in-class customer service . With 108 locations in 30 countries , the luxury hotel chain is known around the world as one of the most lavish places to stay . In this issue of TM Marketing Magazine , I ’ d like to share with you the company culture that enables the Ritz- Carlton to be so spectacular .
MY EXPERIENCE AT THE RITZ-CARLTON
I was drawn to study the Ritz-Carlton culture because I ’ ve actually had the pleasure of staying in two Ritz Carltons for a week each time . Back in 2008 , I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun , Mexico , and in 2010 , I stayed at the Grand Cayman Ritz-Carlton in the Cayman Islands .
Before company culture even crossed my mind , there were instantly things I noticed that were so different about these hotels . For one , their staff called me by my name . They had put in the effort to learn my name before I even got there and made sure everyone on shift knew who I was . Another difference was that if any employee was in the hallway when I was walking to and from my room , they would always make eye contact and greet me warmly . If the maid was vacuuming , she would turn the vacuum off to stand up and make me feel welcome . I remember feeling like complete royalty during each of my stays .
Fast forward eight years to when I started studying company culture . Ritz-Carlton was on my list because of the incredible experiences I had there . The two books I read to learn more about the Ritz-Carlton culture were Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze and The New Gold Standard by Joseph A . Michelli . I highly recommend both of these reads . It was quite fascinating digging into their company and learning about the culture that fuels the “ Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen .”
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