A mentor of mine, Joe Harding from John Hancock, always recommended Marriott Hotels. Joe consistently raved about the service he received at Marriott properties. This week I stayed at the Marriott – Crabtree Valley in Raleigh, NC while in town to speak to a large group of investment executives with BB&T. This afternoon Bob drove me to the airport on the Marriott Shuttle.
Bob Jorgenson is 78, and has worked at the Marriott for 14 years, after “retiring” from a career in electronics manufacturing. His grandparents were immigrants from Germany, and he spent most of his life on Long Island, NY. Talk about service! When Bob met me in the lobby, he greeted me enthusiastically. We walked to the shuttle, and I commented that it looked like I was the only passenger. Bob said, “You wouldn’t be more important if there were 100 of you!” I sensed I was in for a treat, so I asked if I could ride up front.
Bob mentioned that Marriott was all about service. “Marriott empowers their people,” he proudly stated, “to take care of the customers’ needs. If something is wrong, we are allowed to find a way to make it right.” He continued to extol “The Marriott Way” and their core values of service. I asked him how he came to be driving a shuttle. Bob told me he just couldn’t sit still after he retired, and when Marriott interviewed him, they stressed their culture. He told the General Manager of the hotel that they needed him, and he has been there ever since.
Customer service is simply an attitude – an attitude of service. The attitude of you and your team is the foundation of any business success you have or will enjoy in the future. Treat every client like they “wouldn’t be more important if there were 100” of them. That’s what Bob would do!
Good selling!
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