THE SIX SIGMA APPROACH
The Six Sigma Approach
Another hotel chain that is highly dedicated to customer service is the Starwood, one of the world's largest hotel and leisure companies whose brand names include St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, W and Four Points by Sheraton.
Starwood, however, uses Six Sigma to improve customer service- related processes. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects.
Mike Brown, who also lectures in Robinson's School of Hospitality, is director of Six Sigma, Black Belts for the Westin Peachtree Plaza. The Six Sigma concept was originated by Motorola and made famous by Jack Welch at GE. Once Six Sigma is achieved in a particular process, that process experiences no more than 3.4 defects in every 1 million customer encounters.
One of the many benefits of Six Sigma, says Brown, is that "it reduces the variability of the customer experience, something critical for hotel chains, who hope to attract customers to various facilities as they travel." The statistical nature of Six Sigma also runs counter to one of the most serious failings of the customer service process: the inability to measure or quantify what is good and what is bad service. In the hotel model, the customer service process is quantified into various levels with tens to hundreds of steps analyzed from the time customers enter a hotel to the time they leave.
As a Black Belt, Brown has undergone intensive customer service training. The Six Sigma structure at Starwood consists of Green Belts, who are trained in the Six Sigma methodology but work full- time operational positions, and Black Belts who are dedicated Six Sigma resources. There are also Master Black Belts with broader supervisory responsibility.
The Six Sigma process also encourages constant innovation. Starwood is known for its innovation and was the first to adopt the "Heavenly Bed," designed to provide the utmost in sleeping comfort and the "Heavenly Bath" which offers such amenities as dual shower heads, plush robes and bath sheets.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Previous Page
