Meet Fairmont's Expert On Customer Service Culture (He's Also Their Doorman)
Want to transform your company culture? As a customer service consultant, I’ll happily work with you to make this come true.
But here’s a free, if hard-to-execute, secret of cultural transformation: Hire some winners. And place them strategically in your organization. This is one of the quickest and savviest ways to start your turnaround maneuver.Hiring the right people and letting attitudes and behaviors radiate outward is one of the fastest ways to get a jumpstart on turning around a culture. For the sake of your customers, and of your company.
The nice thing is: You won’t have to start over from scratch. A few key hires can make a lot of difference.
The Ballad of Nick the Doorman
The Fairmont Southampton is a lovely hotel in Bermuda. Caring people, nicely sited (that’s the Bermuda part), the food is good, and the landscaping lovely.
It also has Nick the doorman. He’s your first impression at the Fairmont and your last. And a few times in between.
Nick, whose last name is DeRosa, finds you the moment you arrive at the resort, tattooed all the way up and down his neck (Nick, that is; I don’t know about you), and as energetic and kindly as can be.
“This is the Fairmont Southampton,” he begins, in his lilting voice. “I have been awaiting your arrival. I will be your resource throughout your stay. This hotel is owned by Fairmont but the front is managed by me. If you need anything, even if you don’t think it is in my area of service, I am from the island and can tell you all about it.” (If my quote isn’t exact, forgive me–my notes have salt spray and popsicle stains on them.)
As you can imagine, this is a nice spiel to hear as an arriving guest, especially after a less-than-direct flight, a cliff-defying bus ride, and the rest of it.