All posts by Alexander Kellermann

The Butler Greeting

September 10, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 1 Comment

The quality of service is measured by how it makes us feel. If the so-called best service makes us feel uncomfortable, it’s not considered good service anymore, and that’s the new definition of luxury. It’s not us having to fit in anymore or having to adapt to the world of luxury, it changed to luxury having to cater to us to stay relevant. Most guests are not comfortable at first to take advantage of the butler service, are unsure what the butler can really do for them, and perceive the butler service with its white gloves and bow tie as a relict of former days.The best way to guarantee that our guests are going to enjoy the butler service, is by ensuring that all guests are greeted by the butler upon arrival or within a few minutes of their arrival. This gives the butler the opportunity to familiarize the guest with the other services of the hotel, the features in the room and the value added services that are provided by the butler directly, and most importantly to break the ice. Continue reading The Butler Greeting →

Guest Services, Leadership

The Butler Is Leading The Future Of Luxury!

September 3, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 4 Comments

I recently published so what does the butler really do and why butler service is a must in any luxury hotel, and received lots of feedback to talk more about what the butler does, the value added services that come with it, and how it takes luxury to the next level. While becoming a butler requires an education in hospitality management at most properties, and plenty of on the job training, it’s the mindset of wanting to serve others and being passionate about creating an experience that’s second to none, that differentiates a butler by heart from everyone else that believes a bow tie and white gloves cover it.

As butler you are the ambassador of your brand, you are expected to be able to have a sophisticated and intellectually stimulating conversation with celebrities, industry leaders, and head of states and the most distinguished and well-traveled guests, and provide them with an experience that they cannot find anywhere else.

Sounds intimidating? Well, I didn’t say being a butler was going to be easy, every one can put on a tuxedo, a bow tie and a pair of white gloves (well, some will struggle with the bow tie), but only very few can deliver to the promise that we make when offering our guests the finest service that only the butler can provide.

In so what does the butler really do I talk about that the butler provides a value, that no one can afford to buy, no matter how wealthy, and that anyone strives to have more of, that the butler provides time… time when helping you to unpack your suitcases and having your garments pressed, so you can enjoy your stay at the hotel from the very beginning, time when helping you with your dinner, theater or musical arrangements, and time when not having to worry about anything else but what truly matters to you. Continue reading The Butler Is Leading The Future Of Luxury! →

Guest Relations, Guest Services

Is This The End Of Customer Service?

September 1, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Do you still remember when online shopping was first introduced or when you were first referred to receive the desired information online rather than from a representative? I still remember being irritated and annoyed by it…

Image courtesy of hyena reality at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I recently went to get a new suit at Macy’s as they offer a great variety of products and always good discounts. While the customer service wasn’t bad, I got annoyed as I wasn’t in control of the experience and the representative didn’t lead the dance of the experience either. He seemed too busy taking care of other customers to provide me with the personalized service I was hoping for, and I had the feeling that he wasn’t interested in going beyond of what he felt were his job duties. In comparison I always buy my suit shoes over macys.com and always have the best experience. It’s convenient, fast, and uncomplicated and I never have to deal with any attitude or indifference of an employee. Continue reading Is This The End Of Customer Service? →

Development, Leadership

The Greatest Challenge of Any Luxury Hotelier

August 25, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

The greatest challenge of any luxury hotelier is without any doubt change. Not change itself, but the hesitation to let go of the status quo and the past, and to embrace the future… to embrace the future and with that to stay relevant.

At every single luxury hotel I worked so far, employees would always tell me about the golden past, how everything was better years ago and how things are going down nowadays. They would tell me about the sumptuous flower bouquets in every guest room, the abundance of luxury amenities, and how money didn’t matter. How our guests would all be dressed in the finest suits and dresses, and how glamorous and ostentatious everything was. With the words of Bob Dylan the times they are a changin’… you cannot stop change.

Our guests don’t define luxury in material goods like flowers and amenities anymore, they define it by experiencing and collecting enriching experiences. They define luxury with service that goes beyond.

My wife and I visited the W Koh Samui on our vacation to Thailand at the beginning of the year, and while the hotel was fantastic, it’s not the breathtaking view, nor our amazingly beautiful villa with the private pool, and the fine dining restaurant we keep talking about, it’s the service that stayed in our memories long after our departure. Unfortunately my wife got food poisoning from the food at the airport and got sick as soon as we arrived at the property. In the evening while we we’re trying to eat a little at the restaurant and hoping for her to get better, the waiter noticed that she didn’t feel well and offered assistance.

W Retreat Koh Samui

While he wasn’t able to help himself, he right away got the director of rooms, who arranged the hotel limousine for us and asked one of his employees to escort us to the hospital to stay with us until we would return to the property later that night. Once my wife got better and we came back to the hotel, they arranged some porridge in our villa with a note for her to get better soon. We felt that the hotel truly cared about us, and that we built a connection with the people working there. Continue reading The Greatest Challenge of Any Luxury Hotelier →

Development

The Power of Branding And The Best Ads You Have Ever Seen

August 24, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Great brands are more than just a name, sign or logo, great brands are a promise to deliver an experience and a feeling that you’ll get when you use the product. Great brands connect with you emotionally.

Image courtesy of Suwit Ritjaroon at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

While looking at the ads below try to be conscious of how you are feeling about the brand and the product. Most ads don’t talk much about the product itself and try to connect with you emotionally.

Continue reading The Power of Branding And The Best Ads You Have Ever Seen →

Leadership, Recommended Books

Great Companies Focus On Great Products and Service, Not On Profit

August 11, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Two of the greatest leaders in the technology industry, the late Steve Jobs of Apple and Jeff Bezos of Amazon build their companies around great products and customer service, and based their companies’ values on delivering to these expectations.

Steve Jobs built a company focused on end to end control with hardware and software fully integrated to create the most beautiful designs and perfect customer experience. His intense focus on perfection and his inspiring vision of creating products that would ‘make a dent in the universe’ changed the world, and I strongly recommend reading his biography by Walter Isaacson.

Steve Jobs never focused on money and profit as a motivator, but on doing something that’s great, and I believe he best said it with ,being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me’. Too many companies fail to have a compelling vision, and if they do, they fail to follow and deliver to it, and they just end up designing products or offering services with the goal in mind to make profit and gain market share. They don’t build products that they would enjoy using themselves, or offer services that they would love to experience themselves. How often do you feel your company is run by the numbers and politics, and that decisions are being made for the wrong reasons? Steve Jobs was known for his brutal honesty and that you were either ‘a hero or a shithead’ and sometimes both on the same day, but he was always clear about what he stood for, and never held back giving feedback and did not accept poor performance or product quality. While his leadership style was often criticized for being too harsh, people wanted to follow him because they believed in his compelling vision and understood that he was only trying to push his people to achieve what they didn’t know that they were capable of.

Jeff Bezos, while completely different compared to Steve Jobs in his character and leadership style built another great company with Amazon that’s second to none (Jeff’s leadership tips on Forbes.com). His intense focus on customer service made Amazon what it is today, a company with over 90 thousand employees that beats profit expectations again and again, but more importantly a company that’s known for its great service and obsession with customers.

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Leadership

Can You Learn Leadership?

August 9, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

I always used to believe that if one person can to do something, anyone should be able to learn it provided the proper training and guidance. I used to believe that anyone can evolve from being a micro-manager to becoming a great leader.

I now believe that while you can learn certain leadership techniques and skills and evolve to become average at leading other people, you’ll never be able to make a true difference and change things.

Why? Because I believe that the core values of leaders have a passion for what they are doing, a desire to grow other people and a vision that people want to fallow… and these values cannot be learned by choice, they are embedded in your character. Simon Sinek explains on TED how great leaders challenge the status quo and think different (click image below to get to his blog).

True leaders must have:

A passion for your product or service. If you’re not truly passionate about what you are doing, you’ll never be able to overcome all the challenges along the way, move mountain like obstacles and remain focused, even when everyone else around has already given up.
A desire to help others. People want to work for people who support them and have their interested at heart… no one wants to work for a boss who has only his next promotion in mind. People always work for people, not companies, and will go above and beyond if they believe in the person they’re working for. If they don’t trust their leaders, the simplest task will be impossible to accomplish.
A vision. We all want to believe in something, believe that we are part of something great, bigger than us, and that our efforts can make a difference. We want to give meaning to what we do.

Check out Simon Sinek’s take on why leaders must have a vision on TED

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Guest Services

So What Does The Butler Really Do?

August 7, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 3 Comments

Having worked in hotels that offer butler service the question ‘so what does the butler really do’ is probably the one that I was asked the most. Many of us do not live in mansions, don’t have their own private yachts and jets, and don’t have personal assistants or butlers assisting them around the clock seven days a week, so for most of us it’s a new concept and challenging to enjoy at first when staying at a hotel that offers this type of personalized service. Frankly who of us would be comfortable at first to have another person unpack our suitcases for us and going through our personal belongings and underwear?

Butler Service Hotel Imperial Vienna

That being said the burden of informing our guests what the butler service is really all about, making them enjoy this superlative of service, and eventually getting them to a point that they’re waking up in the morning at home trying to call for the butler to have the morning paper and coffee delivered, is on us! It’s on the butler to greet our guests upon arrival and to make sure that they have a feeling of what this service incorporates and that they’re comfortable using it, and this first introduction upon arrival is paramount.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu2TYz7dg5w

Every guest arriving at our property, not being greeted by the butler, is a lost opportunity. A lost opportunity to differentiate us from our competition and to build a personal connection with our guests that goes beyond of what most hotels can offer. Continue reading So What Does The Butler Really Do? →

Development, Leadership, Restaurant Reviews

Maison Kayser’s New Opening And A Friend’s Journey to Leadership

August 5, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 2 Comments

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the people who worked for you and that you believe in succeed. One of my former employees recently returned to New York for a position as food & beverage management trainee at Maison Kayser, and now got promoted to manage its new opening in the Flatiron building. She invited me and my fiancée to the soft-opening to experience what the newest addition to the Maison Kayser portfolio would be all about and to give our feedback to the kitchen and service.

She did well when working for me as a floor manager two years ago, and I expected her to do great that evening as well.

I was taken with the food and service of Maison Kayser and can strongly recommend you trying it for lunch or dinner, or just to pick up some delicious pastry and bakery, but I was deeply impressed by her performance in managing the soft-opening and the many challenges that come with it. Most leaders in the making have a hard time evolving from being a micro-manager to delegating things to their employees, and letting go of control to empower and grow those around them. She graciously did the introduction, ensured we settled in well, and stepped back to let her people take over and be in control. A successful evening and a leader by heart! Continue reading Maison Kayser’s New Opening And A Friend’s Journey to Leadership →

Guest Services

Why Butler Service is a Must for any Luxury Hotel

August 4, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 1 Comment

If you believe that the needs and wants of affluent guests shift from searching for expensive amenities such as sumptuous flower bouquets when traveling to collecting rare and refined experiences, you need to ask yourself how and who can help you provide those experiences and create those lasting impressions.

Most of your front-line employees are probably too busy doing what they are supposed to be doing primarily, front desk agents are checking guests in, room attendants are cleaning guest rooms, waiters are serving, and the list goes on. Every one is trying to provide a superb service and make your guests happy along the way, but the leaner your organization is structured the more challenging it gets. It doesn’t help you to shoot one guest to the moon with your excellent service, if nine other guests are waiting in line behind to get checked in. Having one position in your hotel only focused on designing the guest experience on property while being the main contact for the guest is the only way to live up to your promise to deliver service that’s second to none.

Continue reading Why Butler Service is a Must for any Luxury Hotel →

Development, Recommended Books

Appreciate the In-Between!

August 3, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

I am living in New York City now for over four years and while everyone is picturing this city as the most stressful and hectic place on earth, it’s the hurry to wait part that get’s to you. You are rushing to the subway to get to your next appointment in time, only to realize that the train is delayed yet again and you are going to be late anyway. You are doing everything to get the cab before the other person right next to you who is waiting for it, only to wait in traffic a minute later and realizing that you would have been so much faster taking a walk. New York is all about the space in-between, and what if we were able to embrace this moment in-between? Check out Jeff Goins‘ video on his new book The In-Between.

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Development, Guest Relations

What Luxury Hotels Need To Change To Stay Relevant

August 2, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Times are changing and what was a recipe for success only a few years ago doesn’t necessarily attract new customers now. I started my career in hospitality at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna, which is by any definition one of the finest luxury hotels in Europe. The hotel was originally built as a palace and later transformed to one of the most prestigious hotels in the world. I was fascinated by the expensive silverware, the elegant design of the furniture, the fine craftmanship of the hotel, the high standard of service and dedication, and the luxury that was displayed in every little detail of the hotel experience…

Hotel Imperial Vienna

Continue reading What Luxury Hotels Need To Change To Stay Relevant →

Development, Leadership

Jeffrey is Leading the Dance to Perfection!

August 1, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Have you ever experienced pure service excellence? It’s when you get asked exactly the right questions, being offered the right products, it’s when everything feels so right, and it feels like you are dancing while being led by a true professional! It happens when you walk into the Apple store on 5th Avenue, dine at Per Se in the Time Warner Center… the experience is perfect from beginning to end, a perfect dance!

Getting your pictures taken by Jeffrey Bennett of JLBWEDDING.COM is no different! My fiancée and I decided to get our engagement pictures taken a few months ago and wanted to have Vintage New York as our theme. New York is where we first met, fell in love and it would always have a special place in our heart, so we figured we should invest in making this a lasting memory.

Click on the picture above for more!

We googled for the right photographer, but most of them were pretty much the same, they all offered to take beautiful pictures in exchange for money… that’s it, and nothing more. Until we found Jeffrey Bennett‘s pictures of a couple in New York that he took a few years ago online, and both of us agreed instantly that we loved how he was able to capture the moment in its pure elegance and simplicity, not just a beautiful picture, but a real emotion. Why do I write about this? Not because I am getting paid for it or because I want him to take our wedding pictures as well and am already trying to bargain for a good price by doing this… hold on, on a second thought, no I am kidding. I am writing this because my fiancée and I were so amazed by how he was able to lead us through this experience and come up with this breathtaking pictures as a result of it.

My greatest fear was probably how uncomfortable my fiancée would always get by anyone taking pictures of her, and how she could possibly make it through the day by getting her pictures taken all day long in New York City dressed up in vintage cloths. But Jeffrey arrived and any worries or concerns were gone within minutes. Not only did he know exactly what we wanted, but he also was able to lead us there with confidence.

Being able to lead people is necessary in any business if you want to be successful. Being able to show empathy and putting yourself in your customers shoes, while infusing comfort and confidence is what differentiates good from great artists. I strongly believe that Jeffrey‘s personal skills are what led to this beautiful product. His technical and artistic skills may enable him to be a good photographer, but his people skills that can be seen in his pictures shown in the comfort and confidence of his customers make him in my opinion an artist second to none!

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Development, Leadership

Steve Jobs’ Most Memorable Speech

July 31, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 1 Comment

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment of failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Above is a taste of Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address and one of the Top 10 Commencement Speeches of all times. It’s also most motivating and encouraging when having to face the uncomfortable situations in life and when having to make the tough decisions that really matter and make a difference. Watch the full speech by clicking on video below.

Continue reading Steve Jobs’ Most Memorable Speech →

Development

My Take on SoulCycle

July 14, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 1 Comment

I just returned from my first SoulCycle experience at Soul West Village and have to admit that I feel great, absolutely exhausted, but great! While striving to achieve a healthy work-life balance, I was always looking to workout more often (who doesn’t, right?), and more importantly on a consistent basis. I would never come up with the energy to workout by myself.

So a couple of months ago I discovered the Niketown Running Club and would run in Central Park twice a week. I was fascinated by the encouraging feeling of running in a group, and by being pushed to do more by the fellow runners. I recently moved from Midtown to West Village, further away from Niketown, and with it the original excitement to commit myself to run weekly started fading away.

Screen shot 2013-07-14 at 9.57.30 PM

Continue reading My Take on SoulCycle →

How To, Leadership

How to Fire an Employee

July 7, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

Having to fire an employee is never an easy or pleasant thing to do. You spend a lot of time and efforts searching for the right person for the job, conducted numerous interviews, focused a lot of attention and resources on the training of the new-hire, and strived to grow and develop the employee to help you in return growing your business. That being said firing an employee should only happen after you tried to counsel and help the employee to improve.

Once you tried every avenue and termination is the last option, it’s the right thing for your organization, the other employees and in many cases for the employee being let go as well. Continue reading How to Fire an Employee →

Development, Leadership

The Power of ‘Thank You’

July 4, 2013 Alexander Kellermann 1 Comment

I first heard about the power of frequently writing ‘thank you’ notes a couple of weeks ago at a training about leadership. The instructor of the training made a point of highlighting the power of saying thank you for a job well done, and how effective ‘thank you’ notes are for appreciation and recognition.

Motivated and inspired by the training I started writing these notes for a couple of days until my excitement started fading away, and I just stopped doing it. I felt that it really wasn’t that important, and that people wouldn’t care anyway. Until last weekend… Continue reading The Power of ‘Thank You’ →

Development, Leadership

What I Learned from ‘The Startup Kids’

June 30, 2013 Alexander Kellermann Leave a comment

The Startup Kids is an excellent documentary about young entrepreneurs starting their own businesses. It talks about entrepreneurship and how successes are the consequences of failures.

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True leaders must have:

Check out Simon Sinek’s take on why leaders must have a vision on TED

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So what does it take to be a Startup Kid and build your own business? Continue reading What I Learned from ‘The Startup Kids’ →

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Developing Leaders