What surprises me is that staff remember who we are, what room we are in, and what we ordered yesterday. I thought it might have been that I stood out from the crowd, but there are a few other fat white guys staying in the hotel, so it can't be that. Sarah thinks that all staff were sent on one of those memory courses popular on infomercials a few years ago. Like the staff in the KL hotel, these people are genuinely interested in being helpful.
However they do it, it works for them.
The buffet restaurant we go to for breakfast is more the way Sarah likes it. Everything is on display. Want toast, there is a guy there making it. Pancakes or waffles, a guy for that. Eggs of any kind, ask the egg guy.
No sooner have you finished something, the plate is whisked away. The waiting staff make suggestions, based on what you had yesterday, or perhaps what you haven't tried yet. Say yes, and they will get it for you. Ask for something, and if its not in the selection, it will be made for you. They have taken buffet, and evolved it into a version of a la carte that is truly personal. Spectacular!
Those familiar with Indian food may recognise this as a designer version of a dosa. Rather than flat or folded, these guys decided to make a cone to show off for Sarah. Nice.
And then there are the room staff. We came back to the room on our first day, and the housekeeper had made decorative displays on the vanity out of hand towels. One for the soap dish to sit on, accented by rose petals. Another towel is made into a basket, and holds the assorted sprays and potions that Sarah had on put out.
And then there is the laundry...
Ever had a hotel return your laundry like this?
Now here's something that impressed Sarah. How dreadful is it when you squeeze a wedge of lemon onto your food, and the pips fly out? Oh, the shame of it all!! Now, these guys have the solution to that social faux pax. They supply each slice wrapped in muslin.
Now, it just so happens that what they call a lemon over here is actually a lime! They don't have any lemons in the subcontinent, so they squeeze lime on their food.
What entertains me is that they take something that is, well, lime-coloured, and they call it lemon, and it doesn't seem the slightest bit odd to them at all.
Just bazaar! I wonder what they call an orange.
If you think about it, customer service is really easy. Somebody sets a standard, and it's everybody's job to keep that standard going. What is hard about that? Why is it so hard in New Zealand? I don't actually think its a NZ thing. I think it's a European thing. Here, the staff on the coal face are tasked with keeping the standard. They have supervisors who check their work. There are probably supervisors who oversee them as well. Everybody is accountable and responsible for what they do, and what their underlings do. And they take that responsibility seriously.
The European politically correct soft cock approach, is that nobody is accountable. Nobody is to blame. From childhood, everybody wins and nobody fails. Do anything wrong, and it's your mothers fault for not breast feeding you. In the workplace, this no blame culture continues. The word consequence might as well be removed from the vocabulary of the modern generation.
These people have got it right.
"Do what we fucking pay you for, or get another job"
Nothing could be simpler.
The boss doesn't have to be an asshole. Just honest in their expectations, and honest in the consequences.
I have just found a quote from Gandhi. He said “Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.” Says it all, really.
Addendum.
Just thought I'd add something to that whole 'boss not being an asshole' thing.
It's surprising how much mileage you get out of a little appreciation. A genuine thank you from a manager trumps a lot of ills. The main reason people keep looking for a pay rise is simply that they're dissatisfied with their lot. Even if they get their pay rise, it won't help for long. Money is like ice cream. There's never enough of it, and its always gone too soon.
Say thanks for good work, and the reward lasts much longer than the cash. You will probably also find that pay demands and low performance will reduce as well.
Just a thought.
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