the four seasons philosophy

Most Important Factors in Choosing a Luxury Hotel

The hotel offers impeccable service

The hotel is welcoming

The hotel is consistent in providing an experience that meets or exceeds my needs

Offers an overall hotel experience that I would enjoy very much

Offers service that is truly personal, recognizing the needs of the individual

Offers service that leaves me feeling understood, pampered and rejuvenated

Four Seasons is guided by a philosophy summed up in the Golden Rule.

“Treat others the way you would want to be treated.”

Treating employees as they are asked to treat guests amplifies the point even further.

Receiving personal service as an employee powerfully encourages the ability to pass that

service on to others.

The performance benefits of this approach include: lower turnover and a reputation for being an employer

of choice. The emotional benefits of this approach include: being apart of a caring community or family, one that

includes guests as well as staff.

The Golden Rule ethic has been in place for many years.

It has shaped a system of

standards, people, and a culture

that is designed to meet well-understood needs.

Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts was founded in 1961 and has sought ever since to make

personal service its distinguishing

competitive advantage.

The Power of Personal Service

“Most companies hire for experience and appearance, how the applicants fit the company image. We hire attitude. We want people who like other people and

are, therefore more motivated to serve them. Competence we can teach. Attitude is ingrained.”

-Isadore SharpFounder of Four Seasons

Service is the product of people, systems and culture,

which are dynamic and created over time.

Service is single most powerful weapon in a company’s arsenal because:

• It is so important to customers• It is difficult to deliver• It can be differentiated in so many ways

Competing on service is an investment in the quality of staff and the guest experience,

which over the history of the company has been the source of

Profitability l Reputation l

Growth

\

Personal service which delivers

recognition, reassurance, and respect

in authentic and appropriate ways has power to mitigate additional sources of stress.

The desire to serve is innate, there to be discovered, and not be taught by the hiring

organization.

Key characteristics sought in the recruiting processo Pride of association with the besto Pride in the quality of one’s worko Ability to contribute to a team

What Four Seasons calls unique culture is based on a series of insights and beliefs about the person

who provides the act of service, and the one who receives it.

Personal service is

important, distinctive, and memorable

The greatest luxury for our customers is time, and service can help them make

the most of that.

Standards work because they reflect both the guest’s needs and the servers individuality.

Each standard captures: Why the service matters What level of performance is required How that performance should feel to the guest

The Role of Standards

The Role of Values Meaningful acknowledgement of staff through

empathy and respect Leading through actions as well as words Setting high but achievable aspirations in

which every employee can take pride in

A focus on personal service can point the way to continuing innovation which is

meaningful to guests and difficult to duplicate.

• The goal of innovation is continued relevance-attracting new customers over time while retaining those who are already loyal.

Continued Innovation