This past Thursday evening, my daughter and I dashed into NYC for one night so that I could take her to see the Taylor Swift Concert (Will post some pics shortly). At a friends suggestion, we stayed at the Roger Williams Hotel on Madison and 31st. Now some of you may be wondering who the heck is Roger and why haven’t I heard of his hotel? I had the same reaction. But I trust my friend’s recommendations and was even willing to bypass a less expensive hotel for our brief stay based on her feedback.
Everything about this hotel was exceptional. But most notable were the people who took care of us. There is no way their interactions could have been scripted. They were simply friendly and helpful. For example, I made a call to the front desk at 5:00 AM and requested two glasses of ice cold water be waiting for us as we departed. As we made our way to the front desk, we were handed two ice waters to go. Now even I hadn’t thought to ask for the waters to go. But apparently the woman at the desk thought this would be most helpful since she knew we were in a hurry.
I don’t believe I ever saw a manager while I was there. But that doesn’t matter. Everyone knew their job and was focused on providing an exceptional experience for their guests. It is clear to me that this organization hires for fit. By that I mean, they hire people who possess strong interpersonal skills–service oriented individuals. You simply cannot train people to interact with your guests with this type of authenticity, if they don’t have what it takes to be in this business.
When it comes to hiring, are you trying to square a circle? If so, then perhaps it is time for you to pay Roger a visit.
