Archive for November 2010

Use Stories to Improve Customer Service

November 22, 2010 Entrepreneurs, Inspiration, Leadership, Small Business 31 comments

 

The lion and crown Ritz-Carlton logo is a combination of the British Royal Seal (the crown) and the logo of a financial backer (the lion).  This logo was created by Cesar Ritz.

The legacy of The Ritz-Carlton begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the “king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.”  His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of “The Ritz” Paris and “The Carlton” in London. 

At the Ritz Carlton it started with first-rate customer service and it is still today the top item on the list.  Their motto is “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.”

How do they do it?  Every morning, each department at all the Ritz Hotels around the world gathers for a 15-minute meeting to share “Wow stories.” These are true stories that go above and beyond conventional customer service expectation.  This accomplished two goals, one it creates employee recognition (public recognition & local fame) and second it provides motivation for everybody to do their best.

The Ritz Carlton mystique is created by anticipating the guests’ unasked questions.  For example, if housekeeping notices a bottle of champagne in a bucket of melted ice, they will replace it before they are asked to do so.  Why do they do it?  “It offers a personal touch that shows we care.”

The three steps of service at the Ritz Carlton are:

  • A warm and sincere greeting
  • Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest’s needs.
  • Fond farewell. Give a warm good-by and use the guest’s name.

When doing the math on 2 x 15 minutes in telling “wow stories” across 74 hotels, 365 days a year, you can figure out how many hours of training they offer to their employees.  No amount of training would be effective, however, without making an emotional and memorable connection with trainees.

 

                      

                  

 

 

 

Lobby at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton                         

Some Key points to take away

  • Innovate & Improve
  • Compliment & Motivate
  • Never stop learning
  • Be engaged – stand for yourself
  • Anticipate

As Nancy Bouffingny-Enmeier ended her presentation at the YES941 meeting, she shared a quote from the book called “Leading Mind” (Howard Gardner)

“Stories speak to both parts of the human mind, its reason and emotion”

Take a cue from the Ritz Carlton and use stories to improve your customer service. 

A few figures about the Ritz Carlton:

Customer Base world-wide – 800,000 1999 revenue – $1.5 Billion, a 40% increase over the past 5 years No. of employees – 32,000 world-wide The Ritz Carlton is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott Intl. 74 properties located in 23 countries world-wide

                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

The Ritz Carlton, Sarasota, Florida

Entrepreneur Success Steps of Jessica Herrin

November 10, 2010 Achievement, Entrepreneurs, Inspiration, Leadership 22 comments

Jessica HerrinSTELLA & DOT is a company that earned $3.8M in revenue in 2008; $30M in 2009; and to top it all off, they project to earn $100M this year!  Heads Up Entrepreneurs!  How and why is this company prospering in a down-turn economy? 

STELLA & DOT was featured in Inc. Magazine as 67th of 500 fastest-growing privately-held companies in America.  The company was founded by a young lady by the name of Jessica Herrin of Burlingame, California.  This organization brings contemporary methods to direct sales – Boutique Jewelry sales!

Following are the Three Steps to the Success of Jessica Herrin:

 1.)  SEE THE OPPORTUNITY, NOT THE OBSTACLES 

Ms. Herrin credits the company’s success to “social shopping,” similar to the 1950s version of in-home trunk shows, such as Avon, Tupperware, and AMWAY and to using social-media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

The direct salespeople are called “Stylists,” not “Distributors.”  There are over 10,000 of them and they earn 30% in commissions and “coaching” fees for teams of other stylists they build.  The training is all provided for your team.  They stay connected and belong to the greater group via technology, as mentioned in the book, TRIBES by Seth Godin.

The chic clientele includes Paris Hilton and many other famous actresses who have air time on television shows like “The View” and “Oprah,” and advertise in magazines like Lucky and InStyle. 

Most of the Stylists are women and some men who had successful careers.  They started families later in life and now they want a business that provides income, control of their time and how much they want to grow their business.  Stella & Dot is a unique jewelry business and it keeps its members connected with friends, while making money.

The company offers a wide range of products, such as delicate gold chains, to chunky turquoise and pearls, without breaking “the bank.”  Their prices start under $50 and go up to about $165.00 a piece.

2.)  SURROUND YOURSELF WITH AN INCREDIBLE TEAM

Unique success, rapid growth, profits and growing a company from $3.8M to $100M in two years brought all kinds of challenges.

When Jessica Herrin learned that the projected growth for 2009 at Stella & Dot was significantly higher than expected, she knew the company had a “high class problem” on its hands.  ”Whether you are above or below your forecast–if you are significantly off-plan, it’s a problem,” she says.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Herrin moved quickly to hire a team, and brought in a number of key positions as contractors.  If they performed well, most contractors were hired as full-time employees; if they did not, Ms. Herrin would replace them with other contractors so as not to short-cut the company’s talent search.  “There are a lot of great people out there and not a lot of great jobs,” she says. “That was advantageous to us.”

Jessica started making the jewelry herself.  She hired an accomplished design artist, Blythe Harris – Partner/Chief Creative Officer- MBA from Columbia University.  Blythe travels around the world to places like India, Ecuador and Mexico.  She worked with Cartier, Banana Republic and she is as at ease backpacking the volcanoes in Peru as she is creating fashion accessories.

Another key addition to her team is Chairman Michael Lohner.  He is the former CEO of Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc., a billion-dollar-a-year party plan company with over 150,000 direct selling consultants worldwide.  He was also a former board member of the Direct Selling Association and a Stanford MBA.  Then there are the 10,000 stylists and growing!

3.)  DON’T GO IT ALONE

Jessica says: “Whether it’s the support of a business partner or a spouse, you need someone to pick you up after the many, many bumps you will face on the long but wonderful road of entrepreneurship.”

Ms. Herrin is not new to success.  She started the WeddingChannel.com with a fellow college student partner at age 24.  She sold her share in 2007.

It is doubtful Jessica Herrin is ever alone; she has a husband, two small children, a company that positively empowers women and some men through education and economic means.

There is also the Stella & Dot Foundation which partners with other organizations: 

100% of the net proceeds from the sales of a special line of jewelry go to:

Accion USA- makes small business loans to low-income women – 3500 so far

Build On- builds schools globally 352 so far, 3500 students, 97% college bound

Girls Inc. – creates smart, bold and independent girls!

Following is a Jessica Herrin quote:

“When Opportunity knocks, let your girlfriends in” – “There are no glass cases or glass ceilings.”

This story is told by Anne Moore of the YES941 Entrepreneurs Social Network.