On Tuesday, May 16, about 150 people attended a training session about service recovery, hosted by David S. Lynch, Practice Director at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. Lynch attended Temple University for Hospitality Management and has been working with Ritz-Carlton for 16 years. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has always been known for exemplary customer service and has won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice, which only one other American company has done.
During his speech, Lynch compared creating a pleasant customer experience to following a recipe and explained how every step is important while interacting with customers. Participants also talked with other local businesses at their table and reflected on customer interactions they have had during a group activity.
Lynch believes that customer service providers should view problems as opportunities and that world class companies are defined on how they handle conflict.
“The care and comfort of our guests is most important,” Lynch said. “There is so much to lose when you don’t do it right.”
The Ritz-Carlton is in the business of exceeding expectations and creating new industry standards, which they have done by going above and beyond during conflict resolution. Lynch explained that other brands have contacted the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center for assistance on improving customer service, and hopes that the participants who attended Tuesday’s training session apply what they’ve learned in their own businesses.