During a recent visit to an upscale hotel, I asked the Bellman if there were a second luggage rack available for our room.
"I don't know", was all he said.
Can you imagine? Yes, you probably can because underwhelming service like that has become overwhelmingly common.
Most people will blame the bellman for having a bad attitude, or not caring. But it is not his fault.
Sure, he did have a bad attitude. And he did not care about guests of the hotel. But the responsibility is with the general manager. Some of the problem can be found in training, but most of the problem is in hiring. When you hire for skill, or simply hire to fill an empty position, you end up with a staff that doesn't care.
To deliver great service, you have to hire the right people. At Disney, I hired people to work in engineering, security, transportation, and other areas I have no skill in. But I was never hiring for skill. I was looking for motivation, attitude, and passion.
If you want to take a new approach to hiring, Carol Quinn is the person I trust. Check out her book, Don't Hire Anyone Without Me, or her website to find out more.
