The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has long demonstrated an organizational culture based on strong customer service. It received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award twice. And it has also earned hotel industry recognition for top customer satisfaction. So when an organization wants to learn how to build and sustain a culture with a strong customer focus and results that reflect service excellence, The Ritz-Carlton is a good source for best practices.

To learn about and share such practices, I recently talked to Jamey Lutz, area performance improvement manager for Ritz-Carlton. Lutz was director of quality at a Ritz property in Florida when the company received its second Baldrige Award in 1999. In that position, Lutz supervised all property-related quality and customer-service initiatives. He also directed hotel training and preparation in advance of the company’s selection as a Baldrige Award recipient that year.

As Lutz explained, the Ritz-Carlton culture is built on a framework of high standards that were established from the company’s outset.

 …