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The Ritz-Carlton is the standard for luxury lodging. It is the only service company that has won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice, and has been named the best company in the nation in terms of employee training. So how does the Ritz do it? They stick to the fundamentals of their basic goals.

One fundamental goal is to provide an exceptional stay experience for every customer. To provide this, every staff member is alloted two thousand dollars per customer to make their stay one that they will remember. This money may be spent without general manager permission, and does not necessarily have to correct an unfavourable incident. An example of this involves a staff member who overheard a customer tell his wife, who was in a wheelchair, that it was a shame he couldn’t take her down to the beach. The staff member had a wooden walkway built and set up a tent for them to have dinner by the water the next day.

The trust that each staff member receives from his or her superiors also hits on another fundamental goal of the company - to respect the relationship between management and employees. A succesful work culture is based on trust and respect, and both are worth cultivating.

Read more about how the Ritz-Carlton does leadership right. There's much to be learned from this great company's business structure and attitude.

By Catherine Faas.

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