Steve Wynn, chairman and CEO of Wynn resorts, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $3.7 billion, thinks differently than you might imagine he does about customer service. According to the September 2014 SUCCESS Magazine, article about Steve Wynn by Jim Motavalli, “Wynn said more than once that it’s people who make other people happy, and what he’s aiming for is having the 12,000 people he’s hired to run his hotel take personal responsibility for the customers that will start crossing the carpets when the doors are opened.”
Isn’t that refreshing? Someone who actually cares about what his customer feels and experiences.
I’ve said it once and twice, and I’ll say it again: Exceptional customer service ALWAYS begins at the top! When you look closely at successful companies who manage their brand well and are known for great service, you’ll begin to see a common denominator: everyone from the boardroom to the cleaning crew are imbibed with a “spirit of service.”
Wynn further says, “You’ve either built a place with warmth and intimacy for a lot of people, or you haven’t. It’s more than the curtains, the marble, the lighting. It’s about their experience.” Cool, huh?
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Try a Steve Wynn approach called storytelling. In meetings, employees share recent positive experiences that they had with a guest. These stories spark other employees to look for and share their positive experiences with guests. It’s contagious and clearly demonstrates the service culture Wynn is shooting for. In a cynical world in which we all try to one-up conversations with a worst story to tell, this is a refreshing approach to challenge employees to step up their customer service, so they can one-up other employees with great customer stories at the next meeting.
- By getting your employees to feel it’s important to impress the guests on a personal level – without the boss or supervisor watching – is the key to success. However you can make that happen, make it happen. This is where personal responsibility plays a large and key role. Just like you hold employees responsible for their failures, you should also hold them responsible for their triumphs. How refreshing an approach would this be in your organization?
- Be careful of employee of the month programs. If these programs depend on supervisors for the nominating process and the programs have been around awhile, they may lose their impact and may fall victim to favoritism. It’s also important to note, thanks to the recently exposed VA hospitals scandal, that reward and bonus programs can lead to employees to covering errors and mistakes because their actions are too closely tied into performance pay. Proceed with caution.
Remember: It’s people who make other people happy. And people who have a “spirit of service” are the best people to elevate your customer service to the next level.
What does your team do to Wynn over customers and keep them happy? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments section below.