6. Four Seasons Hotels is a chain of very ‘upmarket’ hotels famed for their quality of service.

From its inception the group has had the same guiding principle, ‘to make the quality of our service our competitive advantage’. The company has what it calls its Golden Rule: ‘Do to others (guests and staff) as you would wish others to do to you’. It is a simple rule, but it guides the whole organisation’s approach to quality. All employees are empowered to use their creativity and judgement in delivering exceptional service and making their own decisions to enhance their guests’ stay. For example, one morning an employee noticed that a guest had a flat tyre on their car and decided of his own accord to change it for them, which was very much appreciated by the guest. Managers have a focus on recognising these successes and publicly praise and celebrate all individuals who deliver these thoughtful touches.

Their objective is to exceed guest expectations. They have created an in-house database that is used to record all guest feedback (whether positive or negative).

a) The company has what it calls its Golden Rule: ‘Do to others (guests and staff) as you would wish others to do to you’. Why is this important in ensuring high-quality service?

b) What do you think the hotels’ guests expect from their stay?

c) How does staff using their own initiative contribute to quality of service?