ME-TOO IS NOT A STANCE!

Every field has its buzzwords - including our hospitality industry.

"Service Excellence" is one of these buzzwords, and I am glad that it is frequently quoted. A lively debate culture about how service works and what makes it excellent is ultimately the basis for all of us to continue to develop in this field.

THE ONE HALF OF THE TRUTH

Less pleasing is when models are taken out of context to serve a me-too buzzword. More freedom in terms of decision-making and action is a necessary condition for Service Excellence. However, the individual level, that is, the human level, is only one of the two halves of the truth. Undoubtedly, it needs to be strengthened. There is already enough control obsession, thanks to the corporate monkeys. But precisely because of them, we cannot achieve freedom solely by throwing away the manual. Freedom needs a framework, as even and especially free people operate better within a functioning system. The institutional level is therefore the other half of the truth in empowering employees. And this cannot be done without structures, team roles, and processes. Service Excellence is an attitude that thrives on freedom. However, even the most effective strategy falls short if it is not properly operationalized. Therefore, freedom also demands originality at the institutional level.

ME-TOO IN DIGITALIZATION?

The risks of not fully thought-out me-too reforms are evident when comparing them to another major me-too theme: digitalization. It is clear to all of us that we need solutions to reach the digital customer and expand our business models into the digital realm, if not even reinvent them. This topic and challenge are shared among us. However, if all hotels, big and small, luxury chains and boutique hotels, react to this challenge with exactly the same idea - what does the customer gain from it? They would be deprived of what makes the great opportunity of digitalization: individual brands with individual service for individual customer needs, as demonstrated by the Oetker Group, for example. In this way, anyone who jumps on the bandwagon would have booked a ticket to mediocrity. That is not leadership, that is followership. Because in the end, Service Excellence would mean the same everywhere. Whatever your customer wants: that is not it.

SERVICE EXCELLENCE IS AN ATTITUDE!

Unfortunately, me-too, especially in service - as well as in some hospitality consultants and speakers - is a convenient way to suggest quality where there are no original ideas. A sector - especially one of the oldest in the world - can only evolve if it remains diverse. A hotel striving for renewal does not have to orient itself towards the next hotel - but rather towards the customer. And strategies like new freedoms for employees only work if they are well thought out. Simply discarding the manual is not a recipe for success. Service Excellence is an attitude. Me-too is not!