Case Study: Starwood Hotels & Resorts
In 2005, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, known for their Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, and W hotels, embarked on a global revitalization of their many properties. The challenge, as with many hotel chains, was that explosive growth during the previous decade created a multitude of different cultures, standards, and results. For the Starwood Corporation, this complex initiative encompassed more than 125,000 employees across more than 1200 hotels around the world.
As part of a long-term strategy that included re-branded marketing and operational updates, World Class Benchmarking provided a comprehensive series of transformation training programs, to reflect the newly clarified brands and the related recommitment to world-class guest service. As part of this international roll-out, World Class Benchmarking designed, developed, and delivered the training that resulted, in less than a year, according to Starwood executives “a staggering success” in participant evaluation results, with “hundreds, perhaps thousands of guest testimonials about significant improvements in the guest experience”.
These initial results reflect only the early stages of a fully-realized cultural transformation. Every indicator shows dramatic improvements in the commonly accepted measures that define world-class success: leadership evaluations, employee excellence metrics, guest satisfaction and intent to return and refer, and initial improvements in operational improvements/savings with revenue trending stronger.
Case Study: Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo is one of the top zoological institutions in the country. Yet their ability to generate strong customer loyalty had dropped over several decades. In supporting the organization in moving a different direction, key leaders from Brookfield came to Orlando for a week-long retreat. From there a customer loyalty strategy was crafted that included a number of strategies. Leaders were trained to lead customer-focused initiative. Zoo facilitators were selected and trained to deliver customer service programming. The trainers facilitated sessions for approximately 1,500 Crew Members and collectively spending over 900 hours on this effort. Leadership tool kits were implemented so that daily conversations could occur with staff around service excellence. Though the program was implemented late in the Spring of 2005, according to summer surveys, non-member ratings for overall zoo visit – those who were “extremely satisfied” -- increased 18% over 2004. Some other significant improvements include:
- Non-member ratings of overall value for cost – those who said the visit was an “excellent value” -- increased nearly 12% over 20
- Non-member ratings of the helpfulness of zoo staff – those who thought we “exceeded expectations” -- increased nearly 8% over 2004.
- Non-member ratings of “definitely will visit the Zoo again next year” – increased nearly 7% over 2004.
- Nearly 65% of non-members listened to or interacted with zoo staff or volunteers regarding animals during their visit, compared to only 9% in 2004. This is an enormous behavioral change among staff.
Case Study: Florida Department of Transportation
In 2002, the Florida Turnpike became the first governmental toll agency to be given the ability to function as a private enterprise. The Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise’s goal was to become an innovative operation built on providing value at every part of the customer experience. As part of the “We Drive Smiles” initiative, a series of awareness and skill-building service training sessions were delivered to all 1,400 team members across the entire state of Florida.
Within one year, this ground-breaking effort resulted in many impressive operational improvements, including:
- Dramatic improvement of employee morale (up 18%) and customer satisfaction (92% would recommend to family/friends).
- has expanded and increased revenue, improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness and timely project delivery.
- has leveraged resulting additional revenue to make substantial improvements to the existing road system, delivered six expansion projects, contracted most in-house functions to the private sector, promoted customer service, maintained financial stability and improved bond rating.
- expanded responsibility for all operations on every FDOT-owned and operated toll road and bridge. This represents about 600 miles of roadway and 80 percent of all toll facilities in Florida.
Based on the amazing success of this service transformation, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise was awarded the prestigious international President’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in 2003 and later won the JD Powers Seal of Approval for Excellence in 2005.
Case Study: Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education
After being mandated by congress into making performance improvements, the Office of Federal Student Aid set about identify “best in business” practices on how to deliver world class service. FSA selected The Walt Disney World Company, whose approach to customer service is world-renowned. The Management Council first participated in a custom-designed program developed for FSA by The Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida, in early 2000. From there they established a new service mission to “Help Put America Through School”. It also identified service initiatives to implement FSA’s service standards, based on Disney’s own service standards.
- FSA’s scores on the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index dramatically rose.
- Student loan default rates (close to 20%) were driven to record lows (down to 5%).
- Collections were driven to record highs.
- Employee satisfaction survey shot from 38th out of 48 federal agencies to fourth, recording one of the biggest one-year improvements on a Gallup employee satisfaction survey ever recorded for a federal agency.
Since then, the agency has continued to modernize and integrate its systems, secured a clean audit, was removed from the GAO’s high risk list, and has trimmed its budget. All of these initiatives had their beginnings from mirroring Disney’s own balanced scorecard of improved customer satisfaction, improved employee satisfaction, and reduced unit costs.
