Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

Recognizing Basic Concerns
Two points are important in this discussion of service. First, service is not the same
as servility (to assist someone of a better social class). The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Company emphasizes this point as well as any other hospitality organization with its
motto: “We Are Ladies and Gentlemen Serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” The best
front office employees are those who genuinely enjoy working with others (employees
on their team) and helping others (their guests), and they treat their peers and guests
with respect and dignity.
Second, the definition of service emphasizes helping guests by addressing their
wants and needs, but what do guests want? A businessperson and a family registering
at a hotel represent two different types of guests. At their most basic level, however,
they want the same things. All guests want a clean room in a safe environment and
contact with the property’s staff that is, at a minimum, respectful and polite. Then the
businessperson’s wants might expand to high-speed Internet access in the guestroom
and use of the property’s business center, and the family might be interested in the
swimming pool, use of a roll-away bed, and access to babysitting services.
All properties must meet the basic needs and additional expectations of their
guests at a price that represents a value to the guests. As guest expectations increase
(e.g., the desire for more luxurious guestrooms and public spaces and for more per-
sonalized services that require a greater employee-to-room ratio), charges will likely