Outline of Presentation at ARDA Round Table Discussion- Frederick Conte
"Did You Have A Pleasant Stay?"
I. Attracting Guests
• Mini vacation program
• Member discount specials advertised in company newsletter going
to existing owner base of 67,000
• Chamber of Commerce functions
• Community involvement programs
• Programs coordinated with exchange programs to fill empty rooms
• Arrangements with local hotels to book overflow transient guests
• Offer of a complimentary three day/two night stay at time of
sale to encourage new owner to take first vacation promptly
• Active Reservations Department program to update owners who
are making reservations on special room offers and referral
plans.
I I Setting Expectations
• Expectations: Vacationing at our resorts is like coming home; resorts
have a family atmosphere due to the life long relationships formed between company and owner; some of our owners have vacationed at the same resort for 10 years in a row.
• Welcome letter is sent after reservation is confirmed
Notices of special themed events (Halloween parties, caster egg
painting, etc.) are mailed to guests prior to check in so that they
get excited about upcoming vacation. Remember: the expectation of
fun is fun in itself.
• Welcome call is made 14 days prior offering upgraded
accommodations, express check in and check out, etc.
Timeshare Investment Conference Managing For Success
In order to manage for success, the stage must be set in a manner that provides a reasonable expectation to succeed. Successful organizations have one common central focus: Customers. It doesn't matter if the organization is involved in timeshare, a professional practice, a hospital or even a Governmental Agency; success comes to those, and only those, who are committed to looking after and continually developing its customer base.
Advertising, product positioning and market share pricing strategies are all important, in fact vital in our business. But when all is said and done, goods are not sold; products and services are bought.
Eight years ago, the quality wave was breaking over us. Through this process, we
realized quality is not enough. Today, customer service is swelling larger than the
quality wave. Why? Human beings all have fundamental, emotional needs that must be recognized when delivering a service. They also have expectations. The challenge is to exceed these expectations during each and every customer service contact. Customers have come to expect more in our products and services. This wisdom is not a secret; talk to your customers. They know all the buzzwords the hospitality industry conveys in the pursuit toward quality.
Our owners and guests are educated. With today's rapid pace, speed is considered
service, but let us remember that the speed of a computer will not replace a kind wort or a human touch.
Saying you value your customers on a poster in the employee lounge without a program, a vision, or a defined process to deliver the message will not get the job done.
In order to deliver exceptional service and for your customers to have a pleasant-stay
you need to carefully examine what their expectations are. Then you must
exceed them. Each timeshare owner while on vacation expects:
• Efficient check in and check out
• Courtesy from all staff and associates
• Quality service during every phase of the stay
• Clean, tastefully-appointed accommodations
Have you ever known one of your customers to expect less? If your organization has solid quality program, all of these expectations will be met - not necessarily exceeded. Our job, in this unique business, is to exceed expectations creatively and with
enthusiasm.
Think 3-D: - Decide - Discover - Deliver
Customers, generally speaking, have simple needs. They are no different than you or me. We must first decide if we understand these needs. By listening to the customers, we can discover ways to exceed and deliver these needs.
Our secret to success is to discover consistently what the customer wants and to deliver more. If you are truly committed to this process, it is a commitment of a distinct, long-
term relationship with endless marketing opportunities.
Fostering programs that create excitement is the key to keeping owners happy. Some of these services and activities include:
e Home away from home atmosphere Theme-based programs
Elements of surprise
• Personal touches
d Message that you value your customers Consistency which engenders credibility
Value, value, value - consistent emphasis on creating value for your customers
Our company works and lives the three M's:
Mission - Center your mission around your customers. Focus on it, embrace
it, practice it, live it:l
Mentor - Lead by example, teach and walk a path of integrity, understand
your role is that of a coach, build your partners to be strong - train,
train, train.
Measure - Develop your quality plan with build-in checks and balances, ask for feedback from every owner and employee and react to it. Plan but be prepared to modify and plan when change is necessary.
Every one in your organization needs to be a salesperson. Opportunities are endless
when you celebrate the relationship of your company to its owners. The key to
delivering the mission is through your employees, in essence, your true business partners. They must be an integral part of the process. We use all of the traditional
methods: teaming, mentoring, internal competition, reward and incentive programs, and training. Our new approach is empowering our employees to understand, embrace and celebrate the relationship with our customers.
Often times management receives the message from the customer then attempts to convey it to the--tine. employees. We believe the message is best communicated through direct contact and close attention to detail. The key to a pleasant stay is to
deliver service beyond the owners' expectations each and every time he/she stays at your facility. Bruce Barton once said, "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things."
Another key point is to conduct what we refer to as win/win management training. All of your staff needs to be sales and marketing savvy. Share with them the company's desired results and give them resources to excel. Identify the human, financial, technical, or organizational support available to allow each member of your team to accomplish the company's goals and to exceed them.
Friday, September 26, 2008
USING THE TELEPHONE TO HOLD IN SALES
"Using The Telephone To Hold In Sales" After Welcome Call To 90 Days Past Due
Presented By: Frederick H. Conte , Chief Operating Officer, Preferred Equities Corporation
Corporate Philosophy: Customer Service, Reservations and Collections work together to handle customer problems quickly and fairly to avoid cancellations. This philosophy is an important reason why
the Company's over-60-day delinquency rate is less than two percent.
1. Customer Service
• Reasons for cancelling
1) Non-use
2) Confusion about use
3) Financial trouble
• Solutions
1) Non-use: Department works with Reservations to get customer on vacation.
2) Confusion about use: Program is explained to customer. Offer
may be made for complimentary 3-day/2-night accommodations in Las Vegas.
3) Financial trouble: Customer may be offered a refinancing of the contract with 3-6 months with no payments (interest accrues) or a rewrite of the contact with a less expensive resort, season and/or unit.
2. Reservations
• Reasons for cancelling
1) Confusion about reservations procedure
2) Lack of satisfaction with last vacation experience
• Solutions
1 )Confusion about reservations procedure: Reason for confusion is
ascertained (missed deadline for Space banking, etc.). A reasonable
judgement on reinstatement of lost vacation time which is possible through RCI Bulk Bank Account.
2) Lack of satisfaction with last vacation experience: A 3-day/2-night stay
(good for one year) may be offered. Department Manager may talk to RCI
about special exchange. Reservations Manager speaks to RCI several times
a day to solve problems, often conferencing with Customer Service Manager.
page two
"Using The Telephone To Hold In Sales"
3. Collections
• Call/Letter Flow
Call 1:
Letter 1:
Call 2:
Call 3:
Letter 2:
Letter 3:
• Problems/Solutions
Over 20 days, customer is called to find out about payment.
At 30 days past due, computer generated reminder letter is sent. Collector asks for payment. About 70% of customers send post dated check for payment when asked at this point. Ask for honesty. Collector may offer refinancing or longer length of contract in response to financial problem.
Default letter is automatically sent at 45 days past due. Cancellation letter is sent at 60 days with 20-day deadline.
1) "Don't like program". A complimentary 3-day/2-night stay in Las Vegas may be offered in this case.
2) "Can't get reservation ; Department Manager works with Reservations to get customer on vacation. Manager can offer a bonus week too.
3) "Have financial problems"; Refinancing may be offered with 3-6 month payment moratorium or longer length of contract so payment drops.
Presented By: Frederick H. Conte , Chief Operating Officer, Preferred Equities Corporation
Corporate Philosophy: Customer Service, Reservations and Collections work together to handle customer problems quickly and fairly to avoid cancellations. This philosophy is an important reason why
the Company's over-60-day delinquency rate is less than two percent.
1. Customer Service
• Reasons for cancelling
1) Non-use
2) Confusion about use
3) Financial trouble
• Solutions
1) Non-use: Department works with Reservations to get customer on vacation.
2) Confusion about use: Program is explained to customer. Offer
may be made for complimentary 3-day/2-night accommodations in Las Vegas.
3) Financial trouble: Customer may be offered a refinancing of the contract with 3-6 months with no payments (interest accrues) or a rewrite of the contact with a less expensive resort, season and/or unit.
2. Reservations
• Reasons for cancelling
1) Confusion about reservations procedure
2) Lack of satisfaction with last vacation experience
• Solutions
1 )Confusion about reservations procedure: Reason for confusion is
ascertained (missed deadline for Space banking, etc.). A reasonable
judgement on reinstatement of lost vacation time which is possible through RCI Bulk Bank Account.
2) Lack of satisfaction with last vacation experience: A 3-day/2-night stay
(good for one year) may be offered. Department Manager may talk to RCI
about special exchange. Reservations Manager speaks to RCI several times
a day to solve problems, often conferencing with Customer Service Manager.
page two
"Using The Telephone To Hold In Sales"
3. Collections
• Call/Letter Flow
Call 1:
Letter 1:
Call 2:
Call 3:
Letter 2:
Letter 3:
• Problems/Solutions
Over 20 days, customer is called to find out about payment.
At 30 days past due, computer generated reminder letter is sent. Collector asks for payment. About 70% of customers send post dated check for payment when asked at this point. Ask for honesty. Collector may offer refinancing or longer length of contract in response to financial problem.
Default letter is automatically sent at 45 days past due. Cancellation letter is sent at 60 days with 20-day deadline.
1) "Don't like program". A complimentary 3-day/2-night stay in Las Vegas may be offered in this case.
2) "Can't get reservation ; Department Manager works with Reservations to get customer on vacation. Manager can offer a bonus week too.
3) "Have financial problems"; Refinancing may be offered with 3-6 month payment moratorium or longer length of contract so payment drops.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FORUM
Community Development Forum: Profit Centers in Mixed Use Resorts-
Monday, April 24, 1995
10:30 am to 12:00 noon
Frederick Conte, RRP- Panelist
American Resort Development Association 1995 Annual Convention and Exposition April, 23-26, 1995
Disney's Contemporary Resort Orlando, Florida
Notes and Bullet Points for ARDA Discussions
Community Development
A. BACKGROUND
Preferred Equities Corporation ("PEC") is a privately held Nevada corporation engaged in retail land sales, resort timeshare and other real estate activities. PEC is one hundred percent (100%) owned by Mego Financial Corp. ("MEGO"), a publicly owned corporation listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. PEC's activities include acquiring and developing unimproved real estate parcels and lots and marketing them on a retail basis for residential, commercial, industrial and recreational use. PEC also engages in the business of selling timeshare interests in resort hotels located in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Brigantine, New Jersey (located just outside Atlantic City).
PEC through certain of its subsidiaries also sells larger unimproved land parcels, primarily located in Colorado In addition, PEC operates a recreational vehicle facility at its Calvada Subdivision in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada, where it sells timeshare interests in vehicle pads and hookups and also runs a recreational facility.
Land Sales: PEC is engaged in the sale of land at the retail level for residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational use.
The retail land sales business involves the acquisition of lots and large tracts of unimproved land followed by tract subdivision and retail sale. PEC has made a substantial portion of its retail land sales for residential, commercial and industrial use in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada.
Calvada: One of the Company's major developments is a planned community called Calvada located in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada. Pahrump is situated near the Nevada California border about 58 mile; northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Calvada Property consists of seven subdivisions totaling 18,148 acres: Calvada Valley (11,919 acres),
Calvada North (1,834 acres), Calvada Meadows (2,440 acres), Country View Estates (242 acres), Country Play II (291 acres), and Golden Spring Ranch (1,320 acres). These subdivisions consist of 28,752 residential and commercial lots.
Since 1969, the Company has constructed roads, utility infrastructure, and other improvements at a cost in
excess of $30 million and now operates amenities at the development including two 18-hole golf courses and mobile home residential community with a clubhouse, pool and two tennis courts.
In addition, there is a separate $1.0 million sports complex offering indoor and outdoor tennis, bowling lanes, and a complete health club. The Company has also developed the Preferred RV Resort in Calvada, which has its own clubhouse, pool and organized activities for its members.
The Company has donated land and facilities for the six schools, local Chamber of Commerce and community library presently located on the Calvada Property as well as a community medical center, a 33-unit senior citizen's village, and county park which contains three little league baseball fields along with concession stand In addition, the Company also owns and operates Central Nevada Utilities Company, which provides water and sewer services to the community. This utility recently completed a new sewage treatment plant at a cost in -
excess of $800,000 which is projected to handle further growth in the community for years to come.
- commercial development, including national franchises such as Days Inn, Radio Shack, and Smiths Food King, has accelerated in recent years to meet the needs of an expanding population in the Pahrump Valley.
Growth Statistics:
Therein lies the challenge of providing and operating facilities and amenities that are compatible with the area enhance the value of the development and do not prove to be a drain on the Developer's bottom line.
The original amenity package planned for in the 60's has undergone a tremendous transformation.
Two 18 hole golf courses
Equestrian Park - Bridal Trails Gun Club
Utility Company to provide central water and sewage service
Mobile Home community (complete with its own recreational amenities) Grocery Store
Bank
Air Strip
As the community has grown, some of these amenities have proved to be successful, others have not.
Boom in popularity of golf
Less interest in gun club and equestrian park
Growth of the community has demanded an ongoing review which has led to the establishment of.
An interval ownership RV Park Resort
Sports and Health Complex
Establishment of a community library
Construction of a new hospital with 24-hour emergency care Expanded and more efficient utility services
Model Home community
Create a partnership with the community
Examine the evolution of the Amenity Package and the synergy of operations You cannot micro manage this program, it helps to take a macro approach.
(2) 18 hole golf courses - traditional avenues of establishment of profit centers
1) Pro Shop merchandising
2) Food and Beverage service
a} Range ball
4) Creation of yardage book - that incorporates sales information
5) Signage, benches at Executive Course
6) Cart Rentals
7) Flexibility in pricing of greens fees
8) Irrigation by effluent which enables the Developer to transfer fresh
water rights for grey water effluent (enables future development)
Provides for efficient and cost effective disposal for the utility
9) Sale of sludge as fertilizer
10) The right personnel - encourage marketing of facilities for
corporate outings and tournaments of all kinds
11) Partnering with local hotel and casino to provide overnight golf packages
(Stay and Play)
Utilities:
Turn a minus into a plus
Locate the sewage treatment plant in the middle of the golf course eliminate need for spray fields and lagoons
- sell the effluent to the golf course
freed up land for the Developer to subdivide at a future time
RV Park:
Response to the independent and flexible lifestyle of the typical 90's customer
1) Took a piece of property 7 acres in size that would have been
subdivided into 1/2 acre lots, generating sales of approximately $500,000
2) 250 site RV Resort
Each pad sold 10 times (undivided interest)
Generating sales of $9,875,000, certainly a more significant
yield for the initial sale
3) Reduced marketing costs, we draw from our typical land
buyer profile -- how many would we have lost?
4) RV support local economy (play golf, retail establishments, and casinos)
5) Repeat buyer - purchase land - statistics?
Supports the association:
Use of vending machines on site Laundry facilities
Provides fees to utility company through the establishment of specialized dumping stations. Daily, weekly memberships in Sports/Health complex and Executive Golf Course
Strategic placement of Library and Chamber of Commerce offices adjacent to Sales Office a d d Mode . How /
'Model Home Complex captures the drive-by or walk-in market '
1) Development of design centers
Sometimes the property itself can be turned into profit centers
1) Main highway/commercial sites can and are utilized for billboard leases
2) Gravel - sold to local contractors
3) Farming and ranching (ground leases on property that development was some time in the future)
Development of the winery into a tourist destination
from a marketing perspective
Airstrip - landing fees and establishment of a fixed base operation for fueling, repair and maintenance of
aircraft.
In the past 15 years, the Master Planned community has revolutionized the real estate industry, and the name and concept is now as familiar to the public as "Mortgage" and "Escrow".
The mission established for Calvada was to provide and encourage a rural lifestyle with residential
neighborhoods while integrating elements necessary to the establishment of a total community, which included recreational amenities, office parks, retail centers, civic centers, public schools, churches and a system of parks and trails. The plan was to provide a community of balanced land uses, with a portion of the land reserved as open space, to not only protect the ecological balance but also to preserve the rugged beauty and southwestern character of the land.
Monday, April 24, 1995
10:30 am to 12:00 noon
Frederick Conte, RRP- Panelist
American Resort Development Association 1995 Annual Convention and Exposition April, 23-26, 1995
Disney's Contemporary Resort Orlando, Florida
Notes and Bullet Points for ARDA Discussions
Community Development
A. BACKGROUND
Preferred Equities Corporation ("PEC") is a privately held Nevada corporation engaged in retail land sales, resort timeshare and other real estate activities. PEC is one hundred percent (100%) owned by Mego Financial Corp. ("MEGO"), a publicly owned corporation listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. PEC's activities include acquiring and developing unimproved real estate parcels and lots and marketing them on a retail basis for residential, commercial, industrial and recreational use. PEC also engages in the business of selling timeshare interests in resort hotels located in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Brigantine, New Jersey (located just outside Atlantic City).
PEC through certain of its subsidiaries also sells larger unimproved land parcels, primarily located in Colorado In addition, PEC operates a recreational vehicle facility at its Calvada Subdivision in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada, where it sells timeshare interests in vehicle pads and hookups and also runs a recreational facility.
Land Sales: PEC is engaged in the sale of land at the retail level for residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational use.
The retail land sales business involves the acquisition of lots and large tracts of unimproved land followed by tract subdivision and retail sale. PEC has made a substantial portion of its retail land sales for residential, commercial and industrial use in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada.
Calvada: One of the Company's major developments is a planned community called Calvada located in the Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada. Pahrump is situated near the Nevada California border about 58 mile; northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Calvada Property consists of seven subdivisions totaling 18,148 acres: Calvada Valley (11,919 acres),
Calvada North (1,834 acres), Calvada Meadows (2,440 acres), Country View Estates (242 acres), Country Play II (291 acres), and Golden Spring Ranch (1,320 acres). These subdivisions consist of 28,752 residential and commercial lots.
Since 1969, the Company has constructed roads, utility infrastructure, and other improvements at a cost in
excess of $30 million and now operates amenities at the development including two 18-hole golf courses and mobile home residential community with a clubhouse, pool and two tennis courts.
In addition, there is a separate $1.0 million sports complex offering indoor and outdoor tennis, bowling lanes, and a complete health club. The Company has also developed the Preferred RV Resort in Calvada, which has its own clubhouse, pool and organized activities for its members.
The Company has donated land and facilities for the six schools, local Chamber of Commerce and community library presently located on the Calvada Property as well as a community medical center, a 33-unit senior citizen's village, and county park which contains three little league baseball fields along with concession stand In addition, the Company also owns and operates Central Nevada Utilities Company, which provides water and sewer services to the community. This utility recently completed a new sewage treatment plant at a cost in -
excess of $800,000 which is projected to handle further growth in the community for years to come.
- commercial development, including national franchises such as Days Inn, Radio Shack, and Smiths Food King, has accelerated in recent years to meet the needs of an expanding population in the Pahrump Valley.
Growth Statistics:
Therein lies the challenge of providing and operating facilities and amenities that are compatible with the area enhance the value of the development and do not prove to be a drain on the Developer's bottom line.
The original amenity package planned for in the 60's has undergone a tremendous transformation.
Two 18 hole golf courses
Equestrian Park - Bridal Trails Gun Club
Utility Company to provide central water and sewage service
Mobile Home community (complete with its own recreational amenities) Grocery Store
Bank
Air Strip
As the community has grown, some of these amenities have proved to be successful, others have not.
Boom in popularity of golf
Less interest in gun club and equestrian park
Growth of the community has demanded an ongoing review which has led to the establishment of.
An interval ownership RV Park Resort
Sports and Health Complex
Establishment of a community library
Construction of a new hospital with 24-hour emergency care Expanded and more efficient utility services
Model Home community
Create a partnership with the community
Examine the evolution of the Amenity Package and the synergy of operations You cannot micro manage this program, it helps to take a macro approach.
(2) 18 hole golf courses - traditional avenues of establishment of profit centers
1) Pro Shop merchandising
2) Food and Beverage service
a} Range ball
4) Creation of yardage book - that incorporates sales information
5) Signage, benches at Executive Course
6) Cart Rentals
7) Flexibility in pricing of greens fees
8) Irrigation by effluent which enables the Developer to transfer fresh
water rights for grey water effluent (enables future development)
Provides for efficient and cost effective disposal for the utility
9) Sale of sludge as fertilizer
10) The right personnel - encourage marketing of facilities for
corporate outings and tournaments of all kinds
11) Partnering with local hotel and casino to provide overnight golf packages
(Stay and Play)
Utilities:
Turn a minus into a plus
Locate the sewage treatment plant in the middle of the golf course eliminate need for spray fields and lagoons
- sell the effluent to the golf course
freed up land for the Developer to subdivide at a future time
RV Park:
Response to the independent and flexible lifestyle of the typical 90's customer
1) Took a piece of property 7 acres in size that would have been
subdivided into 1/2 acre lots, generating sales of approximately $500,000
2) 250 site RV Resort
Each pad sold 10 times (undivided interest)
Generating sales of $9,875,000, certainly a more significant
yield for the initial sale
3) Reduced marketing costs, we draw from our typical land
buyer profile -- how many would we have lost?
4) RV support local economy (play golf, retail establishments, and casinos)
5) Repeat buyer - purchase land - statistics?
Supports the association:
Use of vending machines on site Laundry facilities
Provides fees to utility company through the establishment of specialized dumping stations. Daily, weekly memberships in Sports/Health complex and Executive Golf Course
Strategic placement of Library and Chamber of Commerce offices adjacent to Sales Office a d d Mode . How /
'Model Home Complex captures the drive-by or walk-in market '
1) Development of design centers
Sometimes the property itself can be turned into profit centers
1) Main highway/commercial sites can and are utilized for billboard leases
2) Gravel - sold to local contractors
3) Farming and ranching (ground leases on property that development was some time in the future)
Development of the winery into a tourist destination
from a marketing perspective
Airstrip - landing fees and establishment of a fixed base operation for fueling, repair and maintenance of
aircraft.
In the past 15 years, the Master Planned community has revolutionized the real estate industry, and the name and concept is now as familiar to the public as "Mortgage" and "Escrow".
The mission established for Calvada was to provide and encourage a rural lifestyle with residential
neighborhoods while integrating elements necessary to the establishment of a total community, which included recreational amenities, office parks, retail centers, civic centers, public schools, churches and a system of parks and trails. The plan was to provide a community of balanced land uses, with a portion of the land reserved as open space, to not only protect the ecological balance but also to preserve the rugged beauty and southwestern character of the land.
LECTURE NOTES OF PRESENTATION AT UNLV
GLOBAL CONNECTION 9
PARTNERSHIP IN PROGRESS... THE BOTTOM LINE
SEPTEMBER 9-11, 1993
SPEECH OUTLINE
Speaker: Frederick Conte
Organization: Preferred Equities Corporation
Panel Discussion: Property Management
Subtopic: PEC's Quality Program
1) The Evolution of Quality in Business- 60 years ago to
present:
A) How quality in business got its start.
B) With the arrival of the 1990's, we are on the
threshold of a new industrial revolution- QUALITY- everyone is embracing the cause.
C) Business and industry are finally coming to realize that the cost of poor quality is substantial.
D) Improved quality of goods and services goes hand in hand with lower costs, improved productivity and increased profitability.
2) The Transition:
A) Establish an objective- be recognized by customers, suppliers and competitors as a quality leader.
B) Set out with a mission to strengthen the bottom line and increase profits.
C) Deliver a first rate service and product without compromise.
D) Build quality in from the start.
E) Transitional thinking and applied innovation- quality can be achieved with the people you have right now simply by leading and training them differently.
3) Beginning steps to Implementation of A Quality Program:
A) Take a hard look at what you are doing and why you are doing it.
B) Collect data- quality improvement is a methodical
process. The first steps require you you to deal with infor-
mation almost scientifically. Make objective observations to
form a hypothesis and react upon it.
C) Set up a Quality Assurance budget.
D) Focus your program on continuous improvement.
E) Tap the brainpower of everyone in your organization.
F) Develop a strategic plan of action- one that is realistic and well defined in its execution.
4) Implementation:
A) Get everybody on board from the start.
B) Continuously measure quality so you can manage it.
C) Preferred Equities Corporation's 10 step quality
program.
5) Conclusion:
A) Results- quality improvements will clearly save time and money.
B) Be patient- quality will not be delivered overnight. It takes a concerted team effort.
C) The benefits- owner satisfaction and increased sales.
D) Only 100% will do- be unwavering in delivering your program to master quality excellence.
PARTNERSHIP IN PROGRESS... THE BOTTOM LINE
SEPTEMBER 9-11, 1993
SPEECH OUTLINE
Speaker: Frederick Conte
Organization: Preferred Equities Corporation
Panel Discussion: Property Management
Subtopic: PEC's Quality Program
1) The Evolution of Quality in Business- 60 years ago to
present:
A) How quality in business got its start.
B) With the arrival of the 1990's, we are on the
threshold of a new industrial revolution- QUALITY- everyone is embracing the cause.
C) Business and industry are finally coming to realize that the cost of poor quality is substantial.
D) Improved quality of goods and services goes hand in hand with lower costs, improved productivity and increased profitability.
2) The Transition:
A) Establish an objective- be recognized by customers, suppliers and competitors as a quality leader.
B) Set out with a mission to strengthen the bottom line and increase profits.
C) Deliver a first rate service and product without compromise.
D) Build quality in from the start.
E) Transitional thinking and applied innovation- quality can be achieved with the people you have right now simply by leading and training them differently.
3) Beginning steps to Implementation of A Quality Program:
A) Take a hard look at what you are doing and why you are doing it.
B) Collect data- quality improvement is a methodical
process. The first steps require you you to deal with infor-
mation almost scientifically. Make objective observations to
form a hypothesis and react upon it.
C) Set up a Quality Assurance budget.
D) Focus your program on continuous improvement.
E) Tap the brainpower of everyone in your organization.
F) Develop a strategic plan of action- one that is realistic and well defined in its execution.
4) Implementation:
A) Get everybody on board from the start.
B) Continuously measure quality so you can manage it.
C) Preferred Equities Corporation's 10 step quality
program.
5) Conclusion:
A) Results- quality improvements will clearly save time and money.
B) Be patient- quality will not be delivered overnight. It takes a concerted team effort.
C) The benefits- owner satisfaction and increased sales.
D) Only 100% will do- be unwavering in delivering your program to master quality excellence.
MANAGING FOR SUCCESS
Timeshare Investment Conference
Orlando, Florida
Managing For Success Presented by Frederick Conte
In order to manage for success, the stage must be set in a manner that provides a
reasonable expectation to succeed. Successful organizations have one common
central focus: Customers. It doesn't matter if the organization is involved in timeshare, professional practice, a hospital or even a Governmental Agency; success comes to those, and only those, who are committed to looking after and continually developing its customer base.
Advertising, product positioning and market share pricing strategies are all important, in
fact vital in our business. But when all is said and done, goods are not sold; products and services are bought.
Eight years ago, the quality wave was breaking over us. Through this process, we
realized quality is not enough. Today, customer service is swelling larger than the
quality wave. Why? Human beings all have fundamental, emotional needs that must be recognized when delivering a service. They also have expectations. The challenge is to exceed these expectations during each and every customer service contact. Customers have come to expect more in our products and services. This wisdom is not a secret; talk to your customers. They know all the buzzwords the hospitality industry conveys in the pursuit toward quality.
Our owners and guests are educated. With today's rapid pace, speed is considered a
service, but let us remember that the speed of a computer will not replace a kind word
or a human touch.
Saying you value your customers on a poster in the employee lounge without a
program, a vision, or a defined process to deliver the message will not get the job done.
In order to deliver exceptional service and for your customers to have a rewarding
experience, you need to carefully examine what their expectations are, then exceed them. Each timeshare owner while on vacation expects:
• Efficient check in and check out
• Courtesy from all staff and associates
• Quality service during every phase of the stay
• Clean, tastefully-appointed accommodations
Have you ever known one of your customers to expect less? If your organization has a solid quality program, all of these expectations will be met - not necessarily exceeded.
Our job, in this unique business, is to exceed expectations creatively and with
enthusiasm.
Think 3-D: - Decide - Discover - Deliver
Customers, generally speaking, have simple needs. They are no different than you or me. We must first decide if we understand these needs. By listening to the customers, we can discover ways to exceed and deliver these needs.
Our secret to success is to discover consistently what the customer wants and to deliver more. If you are truly committed to this process, it is a commitment of a distinct, long term relationship with endless marketing opportunities.
Fostering programs that create excitement is the key to keeping owners happy. Some
of these services and activities include:
• Home away from home atmosphere
• Theme-based programs
• Elements of surprise
• Personal touches
• Message that you value your customers
• Consistency which engenders credibility
• Value, value, value - consistent emphasis on creating value for your customers
Our company works and lives the three M's:
Mission - Center your mission on your customers. Focus on it, embrace it, practice it, live it!
Mentor - Lead by example, teach and walk a path of integrity, understand
your role is that of a coach, build your partners to be strong -- train,
train, train.!
Measure - Develop your quality plan with built-in checks and balances, ask for feedback from every owner and employee and react to it. Plan but be prepared to modify any plan when change is necessary.
Every one in your organization needs to be a salesperson. Opportunities are endless
when you celebrate the relationship of your company to its owners. The key to
delivering the mission is through your employees, in essence, your true business
partners. They must be an integral part of the process. We use all of the traditional methods: teaming, mentoring, internal competition, reward and incentive programs, and
training. Our new approach is empowering our employees to understand, embrace and
celebrate the relationship with our customers.
Often times management receives the message from the customer then attempts to convey it to other employees. We believe the message is best communicated through direct contact and close attention to detail. The key to success is to deliver service beyond the owners' expectations each and every time he/she stays at your facility. Bruce Barton once said, "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things."
Another key point is to conduct what we refer to as win/win management training. All of your staff needs to be sales and marketing savvy. Share with them the company's
desired results and give them resources to excel. Identify the human, financial, technical, or organizational support available to allow each member of your team to accomplish the company's goals and to exceed them.
Special Operational recommendations:
• Be a "High Touch" Company
• Employee and Team Empowerment to make decisions
• 10 - 90 Rule (90% Follow-Up)
• Establish Advisory Groups of Owners/Members
• Diary of Issues/Problems
• Proper training prevents problem/complaint letters and
telephone calls in the first place
• Meet 100 % of all Owners/Members personally
Action Plan for Success
Organizational Structure:
1. Create a customer focused management system designed to meet and exceed the requirements and needs of each customer.
2. Provide coaching; education and training development for implementation -
and ease of application with measurable benchmarks for continuous follow
through.
3. Be creative - seek out untapped resources and reinvest in your people and
in your customers
Customer Satisfaction Philosophy:
Instill in your employees the need for the following:
1. Listen to, and actually hear what the customer is telling you and respond to
their needs as quickly as possible.
2. Make sure you really understand your customer's expectations and needs.
3. Provide your customers with the products and services exactly as promised each and every time.
4. Provide your customers with defect free products and services.
5. Every member of your organization must care about your customers; our livelihoods and the future of our organizations depend upon it.
6. Do your best to never let the customer down.
Orlando, Florida
Managing For Success Presented by Frederick Conte
In order to manage for success, the stage must be set in a manner that provides a
reasonable expectation to succeed. Successful organizations have one common
central focus: Customers. It doesn't matter if the organization is involved in timeshare, professional practice, a hospital or even a Governmental Agency; success comes to those, and only those, who are committed to looking after and continually developing its customer base.
Advertising, product positioning and market share pricing strategies are all important, in
fact vital in our business. But when all is said and done, goods are not sold; products and services are bought.
Eight years ago, the quality wave was breaking over us. Through this process, we
realized quality is not enough. Today, customer service is swelling larger than the
quality wave. Why? Human beings all have fundamental, emotional needs that must be recognized when delivering a service. They also have expectations. The challenge is to exceed these expectations during each and every customer service contact. Customers have come to expect more in our products and services. This wisdom is not a secret; talk to your customers. They know all the buzzwords the hospitality industry conveys in the pursuit toward quality.
Our owners and guests are educated. With today's rapid pace, speed is considered a
service, but let us remember that the speed of a computer will not replace a kind word
or a human touch.
Saying you value your customers on a poster in the employee lounge without a
program, a vision, or a defined process to deliver the message will not get the job done.
In order to deliver exceptional service and for your customers to have a rewarding
experience, you need to carefully examine what their expectations are, then exceed them. Each timeshare owner while on vacation expects:
• Efficient check in and check out
• Courtesy from all staff and associates
• Quality service during every phase of the stay
• Clean, tastefully-appointed accommodations
Have you ever known one of your customers to expect less? If your organization has a solid quality program, all of these expectations will be met - not necessarily exceeded.
Our job, in this unique business, is to exceed expectations creatively and with
enthusiasm.
Think 3-D: - Decide - Discover - Deliver
Customers, generally speaking, have simple needs. They are no different than you or me. We must first decide if we understand these needs. By listening to the customers, we can discover ways to exceed and deliver these needs.
Our secret to success is to discover consistently what the customer wants and to deliver more. If you are truly committed to this process, it is a commitment of a distinct, long term relationship with endless marketing opportunities.
Fostering programs that create excitement is the key to keeping owners happy. Some
of these services and activities include:
• Home away from home atmosphere
• Theme-based programs
• Elements of surprise
• Personal touches
• Message that you value your customers
• Consistency which engenders credibility
• Value, value, value - consistent emphasis on creating value for your customers
Our company works and lives the three M's:
Mission - Center your mission on your customers. Focus on it, embrace it, practice it, live it!
Mentor - Lead by example, teach and walk a path of integrity, understand
your role is that of a coach, build your partners to be strong -- train,
train, train.!
Measure - Develop your quality plan with built-in checks and balances, ask for feedback from every owner and employee and react to it. Plan but be prepared to modify any plan when change is necessary.
Every one in your organization needs to be a salesperson. Opportunities are endless
when you celebrate the relationship of your company to its owners. The key to
delivering the mission is through your employees, in essence, your true business
partners. They must be an integral part of the process. We use all of the traditional methods: teaming, mentoring, internal competition, reward and incentive programs, and
training. Our new approach is empowering our employees to understand, embrace and
celebrate the relationship with our customers.
Often times management receives the message from the customer then attempts to convey it to other employees. We believe the message is best communicated through direct contact and close attention to detail. The key to success is to deliver service beyond the owners' expectations each and every time he/she stays at your facility. Bruce Barton once said, "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things."
Another key point is to conduct what we refer to as win/win management training. All of your staff needs to be sales and marketing savvy. Share with them the company's
desired results and give them resources to excel. Identify the human, financial, technical, or organizational support available to allow each member of your team to accomplish the company's goals and to exceed them.
Special Operational recommendations:
• Be a "High Touch" Company
• Employee and Team Empowerment to make decisions
• 10 - 90 Rule (90% Follow-Up)
• Establish Advisory Groups of Owners/Members
• Diary of Issues/Problems
• Proper training prevents problem/complaint letters and
telephone calls in the first place
• Meet 100 % of all Owners/Members personally
Action Plan for Success
Organizational Structure:
1. Create a customer focused management system designed to meet and exceed the requirements and needs of each customer.
2. Provide coaching; education and training development for implementation -
and ease of application with measurable benchmarks for continuous follow
through.
3. Be creative - seek out untapped resources and reinvest in your people and
in your customers
Customer Satisfaction Philosophy:
Instill in your employees the need for the following:
1. Listen to, and actually hear what the customer is telling you and respond to
their needs as quickly as possible.
2. Make sure you really understand your customer's expectations and needs.
3. Provide your customers with the products and services exactly as promised each and every time.
4. Provide your customers with defect free products and services.
5. Every member of your organization must care about your customers; our livelihoods and the future of our organizations depend upon it.
6. Do your best to never let the customer down.
SPEECH DELIVERED ON QUALITY CONSIDERATION
1995 Hawaii Regional Conference on Quality
Presented by Frederick Conte, RRP
OPENING
Aloha and good afternoon. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to address this esteemed group of business, community and international leaders who share a common interest:
Achieving world class quality by creating a road map to success through quality initiatives such as; benchmarking, process improvement, continuous training and development, leadership innovation and partnering with your constituents.
Today’s organizational leaders are faced with the dilemma of choosing between the status quo “reactive Leadership” to daily mishaps or a new paradigm of “Progressive Leadership”, Liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective, efficient and humane way possible.
Progressive Leadership is prerequisite to achieving world class quality. What is Progressive Leadership? It’s:
Understanding the 5 C’s – Who are your constituents and how do you serve them?
Creating a strategic momentum and a legacy… clearly thinking through your business assumptions, establishing and acting on the long range plans, and measuring your organization’s performance.
Having ideas…. An arsenal of ideas, and translating these ideas into a successful reality and,
Accepting diversity and enabling oneself to connect the multitude of contributions that people bring to the work place.
BODY
These are the guiding leadership principles and practices of Conrad Hilton, in his book, “BE OUR GUEST”, he wrote of the never ending quality efforts and the strategic leadership challenges that he faced in order to make Hilton Hotels what it is today.. a successful international hotel and gaming company.
PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP
Constituent-Base
Quality is a never ending effort with no compromise. It is a part of everything we do. From developing products, performing daily job functions, partnering the community, improving the physical plant to the delivery of services. A quality-focus must be at the very cornerstone of every endeavor in order to exceed the expectations of the constituencies we serve. In defining who our constituents are within our industry, we categorize the constituent-base into five partners:
CUSTOMERS, EXTERNAL – Whose expectations we strive to exceed, analyze and evaluate the competition’s core strong points against our own.
Customers, Internal – who create that positive guest experience. Involvement of all team members, instilling the entrepreneurial spirit with a sense of vigor, pride and shared risk and cooperation.
Corporate shareholders/owners – for whom we create profits and enhanced property and share values. Today’s profit is an essential contributor for tomorrow’s growth and success.
Community – be sensitive to the needs of the community in which we operate, be the center of activities and source of civic pride.
Community, the media – help generate the perception of the brand, be positive, publicity is more credible than paid advertising.
With this clear understanding, we are able to formulate a strategic course for ourselves, “Globalization” and a common quality focus throughout each property.
Create a strategic momentum and legacy to carry your business into the 21st century. For our industry, this translates into “Globalization”.
Global travel and tourism becomes a more powerful force every day, a 3.5 trillion dollar industry, and in order to create leadership momentum one must understand each brand or company’s culture – “It’s sense of Place” and the culture of its people – “The Work Force”.
Our program, here in Hawaii, continues to foster Hawaiian culture awareness not only among our internal customers but with our external customers, the community, corporate shareholders and owners and communication—the media. The five C’s, once again!
Consider the development of a profit enhancement program in which internal customer ideas are implemented to improve productivity, work practices, financial gains and provide for opportunity growth, continue to build a strategic course and legacy of quality, introduce the beginnings of a total quality management process.
Having ideas, an arsenal of ideas:
As leaders, we must encourage, promote and accept ideas from our constituents, have a clear vision and an open mind to gain the competitive edge in the international market place. The more we are able to step out of our boxes and understand the strengths and challenges facing us, the better we can define our quality processes and realize our full potential. We must fuel the propensity to crate a “seamless customer experience” and constantly strive to improve the customer’s encounter from the moment of the first impression, making a reservation or the purchase a retail product to the moment of their last impression, the departure from our properties or the use of the retail product.
Countless ideas must be carefully woven into the intricate mosaic that offers the most to our potential, current and returning customer. Setting quality performance standards sensitive to the structure, without becoming too ridged, must be employed to ensure consistency. Zero defects – no rework and financial gain – doing it right the first time, every time.
We must continually ask what is the price of non-conformance? The margin of error must be securely minimized in order to gain the competitive advantage for all of us in the timeshare industry, this mean achieving our mission and globalization. This can only be accomplished by the generation and implementation of ideas accompanied with the right internal framework and discipline.
Accepting Diversity
It was expressed by a famous author and professor, that without people working together, you have no organization with shared goals, values or a common mission.
Learning to accept and abandoning oneself to the strengths of others will only help to shift paradigms but will allow oneself to capitalize on endless windows of opportunity.
Max Depress, Chief Executive officer of Herman Miller, wrote, “THERE ARE THREE ELEMENTS IN THE ART OF WORKING TOGETHER AND ACCEPTING DIVERSITY:
How to deal with Change
How to deal with conflict, and
How to reach our full potential”
WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO FULLY DEVELOPING THE SK LL OF OUR PEOPLE WHETHER IT BE HOW ONE PERFORMS A JOB TASK, HOW ONE PRESENTS HIM/HERSELF, HOW ONE FORMULATES GOALS AND REALIZES RESULTS, TO HOW ONE COMMUNICATES SUCCINCTLY.
WORKING SMART AND WORKING TOGETHER WILL AID THE ENTIRE TEAM IN ACHIEVING GOALS AND GAINING THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN A FIERCE AND CHANGING INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE.
Call to Action
BEING AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION, HAWAII, TOURISM DRIVES OUR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS. OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF WORLD-WIDE TRAVELLERS AND EXCEED THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF OUR "ALOHA” PARADISE GREATLY AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THUS, IGNITING THE SNOWBALL EFFECT WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONCE IN OUR BUSINESS ENDEAVORS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN AN AIRLINE'S BOOKING PACE IS DOWN INEVITABLY HOTEL OCCUPANCIES DROP, WHEN HOTEL OCCUPANCIES PALL SO TO DO THE SALES OF LOCAL ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT AND SO ON AND SO ON.
To achieve world class quality, we must:
ASK THE CONSTITUENT WHAT THEY WANT -- "HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER?" CHALLENGE THE SYSTEM! LISTEN TO THEIR COMPENDIUM OF SUGGESTIONS,
COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. TRANSLATE THESE NEEDS INTO WELL-FOCUSED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND DELIVER WHAT THEY WANT. WE MUST UTILIZE A MULTITUDE YET VERY SELECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE MEASUREMENT YARDSTICKS TO HEAR WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE TO SAY: FOCUS GROUPS, ANNUAL INTERNAL CUSTOMER SURVEY, GUEST COMMENT CARDS, GENERAL MANAGER PRIVATE LINE LUNCHES AS WELL AS “SKIP LEVEL MEETINGS”, TELEPHONE QUESTIONNAIRES - CRI REPORTS, A 24-HOUR HOT LINE AND MEETING DISCUSSIONS.
PROVIDE AND INSTILL IN ALL OF YOUR TEAM PLAYERS FROM THE FRONT LINE PROFESSIONAL TO THE SENIOR LEADERS THE NOTION OF ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION. FOSTER AND CAPTURE THE SENSE OF INNOVATION AND URGENCY THEREBY TRANSLATING FEEDBACK AND DATA COLLECTION INTO DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
THROUGH THIS LEADERSHIP APPROACH, OUR COMPANY HAS INITIATED A CONTINUOUS MASTER PLAN RENOVATION WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE CULTURAL NEEDS OF OUR GUESTS BUT THE BEAUTY AND SENSITIVITY OF OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL
REMOVE THE OBSTACLES AND THE UNLOCK BARRIERS WHICH PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PERFORMING THEIR JOB SUCCESSFULLY – ESTABLISH AND PRACTICE EMPOWERMENT
OUR TIMESHARE RESORT HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED EMPOWERMENT PROCESSES BY SUPPORTING QUALITY PROCESS TEAMS –STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNITS – WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE; BY FORMING A QUALITY COUNCIL TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED FROM THE BOTTOM; AND BY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS SUCH AS “YOU’VE GOT THE POWER” IN OUR FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS.
DEVELOP COMPANY INTEGRITY AND TRUST THROUGH CONTINUED COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PEOPLE.. RE-INVEST IN THEM.
COMMUNICATE!! THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR COMPANY’S BEHAVIORS, ATTITUDES, VALUES, GOALS AND MISSION IS THROUGH BEHAVIOR. COMMUNICATION CLARIFIES THE VISION OF PARTICIPATIVE OWNERSHIP AS A WAY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PRODUCTIVITY, AND ENSURE SUCCESS. FORCES YOU TO LISTEN, WITHOUT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL DISAPPEAR INTO A CADRE OF TRIVIAL AND BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES.
APPROACH EVERYDAY WITH ENTHUSIASM AND A FUN ATTITUDE. THIS IS PARAMOUNT TO SUCCESS…AS IT’S THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC THAT PEOPLE NOTICE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS. QUALITY STARTS AND BUILDS WITH OUR ATTITUDE AND EVERYDAY BEHAVIORS.
CONCLUSION
IN CONCLUSION, LET ME SUMMARIZE THE MAIN POINTS:
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WORLD CLASS QUALITY WE AS WORLD LEADERS MUST UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHO OUR PRIMARY CONSTITUENTS ARE AND WHAT THEY WANT:
CUSTOMERS, EXTERNAL,
CUSTOMERS, INTERNAL
CORPORATE OWNERS/SHAREHOLDERS
COMMUNITY
COMMUNICATION – THE MEDIA
WE MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE THROUGH THE “4-S’s” CONCEPT:
STRATEGY CREATE AND SUSTAIN A VIGOROUS STRATEGIC MOMENTUM. THE WILL TO SUCCEED MUST COME FROM BOTH THE HEART AND THE MIND. ESTABLISH PRACTICES TO DEMONSTRATE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH PERCEIVED ADDED-VALUE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. FIND SUBTLE BUT EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES TO TELL YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT THEY WILL GAIN BY USAGE OF YOUR GOODS AND SERVICES AND YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SHARING – DEVELOP A SENSE OF PLACE, “CULTURE” ALLOW FOR THE RICH HERITAGE OF YOUR PEOPLE TO SHINE THROUGH IN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR BUSINESS. FOSTER A CARING WORKFORCE WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND A WORKING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS FLEXIBILITY, INNOVATION AND CREATES A FUN AND SECURE ATMOSPHERE.
STRUCTURE- SET APPROPRIATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND SYSTEMS WITH SENSITIVITY TO THE COMPANY’S CULTURE. BY SETTING SERVICE STANDARDS IN EVERY FUNCTIONAL AREA AND FOR EVERY INTERNAL CUSTOMER YOU WILL CREATE A BLUEPRINT FOR “POSITIVE AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF TRUTHS” THAT CUSTOMERS WILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT, COME BACK TO AND PURCHASE TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
SKILLS – COMMITMENT TO TRAINING EVERYDAY! THIS MUST COMMENCE WITH THE TOP LEADERSHIP OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. TAKE A PERIPHERAL VIEW OF “PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESSION” AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL “JUST-IN-TIME” TRAINING APPROACH.
LEADERSHIP IS MUCH MORE THAN AN ART, A BELIEF, A CONDITION OF THE HEART, OR A SET OF THINGS TO DO. THE VISIBLE SIGNS OF ARTFUL LEADERSHIP AND WORLD CLASS QUALITY ARE EXPRESSED, ULTIMATELY, IN ITS DAILY PRACTICE.
OUR SEARCH FOR REFINEMENT, FOR COMPLETENESS, FOR OUR POTENTIAL AS WORLD LEADERS ACHIEVING WORLD CLASS QUALITY IS A NEVER ENDING SEARCH.. WHAT A SPECTACULAR HORIZON OF REALIZATION WE HAVE AS WE ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY AND CONTINUE TO GROW OUR DYNAMIC INDUSTRY.
THANK YOU AND ALOHA!
Presented by Frederick Conte, RRP
OPENING
Aloha and good afternoon. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to address this esteemed group of business, community and international leaders who share a common interest:
Achieving world class quality by creating a road map to success through quality initiatives such as; benchmarking, process improvement, continuous training and development, leadership innovation and partnering with your constituents.
Today’s organizational leaders are faced with the dilemma of choosing between the status quo “reactive Leadership” to daily mishaps or a new paradigm of “Progressive Leadership”, Liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective, efficient and humane way possible.
Progressive Leadership is prerequisite to achieving world class quality. What is Progressive Leadership? It’s:
Understanding the 5 C’s – Who are your constituents and how do you serve them?
Creating a strategic momentum and a legacy… clearly thinking through your business assumptions, establishing and acting on the long range plans, and measuring your organization’s performance.
Having ideas…. An arsenal of ideas, and translating these ideas into a successful reality and,
Accepting diversity and enabling oneself to connect the multitude of contributions that people bring to the work place.
BODY
These are the guiding leadership principles and practices of Conrad Hilton, in his book, “BE OUR GUEST”, he wrote of the never ending quality efforts and the strategic leadership challenges that he faced in order to make Hilton Hotels what it is today.. a successful international hotel and gaming company.
PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP
Constituent-Base
Quality is a never ending effort with no compromise. It is a part of everything we do. From developing products, performing daily job functions, partnering the community, improving the physical plant to the delivery of services. A quality-focus must be at the very cornerstone of every endeavor in order to exceed the expectations of the constituencies we serve. In defining who our constituents are within our industry, we categorize the constituent-base into five partners:
CUSTOMERS, EXTERNAL – Whose expectations we strive to exceed, analyze and evaluate the competition’s core strong points against our own.
Customers, Internal – who create that positive guest experience. Involvement of all team members, instilling the entrepreneurial spirit with a sense of vigor, pride and shared risk and cooperation.
Corporate shareholders/owners – for whom we create profits and enhanced property and share values. Today’s profit is an essential contributor for tomorrow’s growth and success.
Community – be sensitive to the needs of the community in which we operate, be the center of activities and source of civic pride.
Community, the media – help generate the perception of the brand, be positive, publicity is more credible than paid advertising.
With this clear understanding, we are able to formulate a strategic course for ourselves, “Globalization” and a common quality focus throughout each property.
Create a strategic momentum and legacy to carry your business into the 21st century. For our industry, this translates into “Globalization”.
Global travel and tourism becomes a more powerful force every day, a 3.5 trillion dollar industry, and in order to create leadership momentum one must understand each brand or company’s culture – “It’s sense of Place” and the culture of its people – “The Work Force”.
Our program, here in Hawaii, continues to foster Hawaiian culture awareness not only among our internal customers but with our external customers, the community, corporate shareholders and owners and communication—the media. The five C’s, once again!
Consider the development of a profit enhancement program in which internal customer ideas are implemented to improve productivity, work practices, financial gains and provide for opportunity growth, continue to build a strategic course and legacy of quality, introduce the beginnings of a total quality management process.
Having ideas, an arsenal of ideas:
As leaders, we must encourage, promote and accept ideas from our constituents, have a clear vision and an open mind to gain the competitive edge in the international market place. The more we are able to step out of our boxes and understand the strengths and challenges facing us, the better we can define our quality processes and realize our full potential. We must fuel the propensity to crate a “seamless customer experience” and constantly strive to improve the customer’s encounter from the moment of the first impression, making a reservation or the purchase a retail product to the moment of their last impression, the departure from our properties or the use of the retail product.
Countless ideas must be carefully woven into the intricate mosaic that offers the most to our potential, current and returning customer. Setting quality performance standards sensitive to the structure, without becoming too ridged, must be employed to ensure consistency. Zero defects – no rework and financial gain – doing it right the first time, every time.
We must continually ask what is the price of non-conformance? The margin of error must be securely minimized in order to gain the competitive advantage for all of us in the timeshare industry, this mean achieving our mission and globalization. This can only be accomplished by the generation and implementation of ideas accompanied with the right internal framework and discipline.
Accepting Diversity
It was expressed by a famous author and professor, that without people working together, you have no organization with shared goals, values or a common mission.
Learning to accept and abandoning oneself to the strengths of others will only help to shift paradigms but will allow oneself to capitalize on endless windows of opportunity.
Max Depress, Chief Executive officer of Herman Miller, wrote, “THERE ARE THREE ELEMENTS IN THE ART OF WORKING TOGETHER AND ACCEPTING DIVERSITY:
How to deal with Change
How to deal with conflict, and
How to reach our full potential”
WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO FULLY DEVELOPING THE SK LL OF OUR PEOPLE WHETHER IT BE HOW ONE PERFORMS A JOB TASK, HOW ONE PRESENTS HIM/HERSELF, HOW ONE FORMULATES GOALS AND REALIZES RESULTS, TO HOW ONE COMMUNICATES SUCCINCTLY.
WORKING SMART AND WORKING TOGETHER WILL AID THE ENTIRE TEAM IN ACHIEVING GOALS AND GAINING THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN A FIERCE AND CHANGING INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE.
Call to Action
BEING AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION, HAWAII, TOURISM DRIVES OUR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS. OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF WORLD-WIDE TRAVELLERS AND EXCEED THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF OUR "ALOHA” PARADISE GREATLY AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THUS, IGNITING THE SNOWBALL EFFECT WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONCE IN OUR BUSINESS ENDEAVORS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN AN AIRLINE'S BOOKING PACE IS DOWN INEVITABLY HOTEL OCCUPANCIES DROP, WHEN HOTEL OCCUPANCIES PALL SO TO DO THE SALES OF LOCAL ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT AND SO ON AND SO ON.
To achieve world class quality, we must:
ASK THE CONSTITUENT WHAT THEY WANT -- "HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER?" CHALLENGE THE SYSTEM! LISTEN TO THEIR COMPENDIUM OF SUGGESTIONS,
COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. TRANSLATE THESE NEEDS INTO WELL-FOCUSED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND DELIVER WHAT THEY WANT. WE MUST UTILIZE A MULTITUDE YET VERY SELECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE MEASUREMENT YARDSTICKS TO HEAR WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE TO SAY: FOCUS GROUPS, ANNUAL INTERNAL CUSTOMER SURVEY, GUEST COMMENT CARDS, GENERAL MANAGER PRIVATE LINE LUNCHES AS WELL AS “SKIP LEVEL MEETINGS”, TELEPHONE QUESTIONNAIRES - CRI REPORTS, A 24-HOUR HOT LINE AND MEETING DISCUSSIONS.
PROVIDE AND INSTILL IN ALL OF YOUR TEAM PLAYERS FROM THE FRONT LINE PROFESSIONAL TO THE SENIOR LEADERS THE NOTION OF ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION. FOSTER AND CAPTURE THE SENSE OF INNOVATION AND URGENCY THEREBY TRANSLATING FEEDBACK AND DATA COLLECTION INTO DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
THROUGH THIS LEADERSHIP APPROACH, OUR COMPANY HAS INITIATED A CONTINUOUS MASTER PLAN RENOVATION WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE CULTURAL NEEDS OF OUR GUESTS BUT THE BEAUTY AND SENSITIVITY OF OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL
REMOVE THE OBSTACLES AND THE UNLOCK BARRIERS WHICH PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PERFORMING THEIR JOB SUCCESSFULLY – ESTABLISH AND PRACTICE EMPOWERMENT
OUR TIMESHARE RESORT HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED EMPOWERMENT PROCESSES BY SUPPORTING QUALITY PROCESS TEAMS –STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNITS – WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE; BY FORMING A QUALITY COUNCIL TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED FROM THE BOTTOM; AND BY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS SUCH AS “YOU’VE GOT THE POWER” IN OUR FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS.
DEVELOP COMPANY INTEGRITY AND TRUST THROUGH CONTINUED COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PEOPLE.. RE-INVEST IN THEM.
COMMUNICATE!! THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR COMPANY’S BEHAVIORS, ATTITUDES, VALUES, GOALS AND MISSION IS THROUGH BEHAVIOR. COMMUNICATION CLARIFIES THE VISION OF PARTICIPATIVE OWNERSHIP AS A WAY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PRODUCTIVITY, AND ENSURE SUCCESS. FORCES YOU TO LISTEN, WITHOUT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL DISAPPEAR INTO A CADRE OF TRIVIAL AND BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES.
APPROACH EVERYDAY WITH ENTHUSIASM AND A FUN ATTITUDE. THIS IS PARAMOUNT TO SUCCESS…AS IT’S THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC THAT PEOPLE NOTICE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS. QUALITY STARTS AND BUILDS WITH OUR ATTITUDE AND EVERYDAY BEHAVIORS.
CONCLUSION
IN CONCLUSION, LET ME SUMMARIZE THE MAIN POINTS:
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WORLD CLASS QUALITY WE AS WORLD LEADERS MUST UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHO OUR PRIMARY CONSTITUENTS ARE AND WHAT THEY WANT:
CUSTOMERS, EXTERNAL,
CUSTOMERS, INTERNAL
CORPORATE OWNERS/SHAREHOLDERS
COMMUNITY
COMMUNICATION – THE MEDIA
WE MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE THROUGH THE “4-S’s” CONCEPT:
STRATEGY CREATE AND SUSTAIN A VIGOROUS STRATEGIC MOMENTUM. THE WILL TO SUCCEED MUST COME FROM BOTH THE HEART AND THE MIND. ESTABLISH PRACTICES TO DEMONSTRATE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH PERCEIVED ADDED-VALUE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. FIND SUBTLE BUT EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES TO TELL YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT THEY WILL GAIN BY USAGE OF YOUR GOODS AND SERVICES AND YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SHARING – DEVELOP A SENSE OF PLACE, “CULTURE” ALLOW FOR THE RICH HERITAGE OF YOUR PEOPLE TO SHINE THROUGH IN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR BUSINESS. FOSTER A CARING WORKFORCE WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND A WORKING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS FLEXIBILITY, INNOVATION AND CREATES A FUN AND SECURE ATMOSPHERE.
STRUCTURE- SET APPROPRIATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND SYSTEMS WITH SENSITIVITY TO THE COMPANY’S CULTURE. BY SETTING SERVICE STANDARDS IN EVERY FUNCTIONAL AREA AND FOR EVERY INTERNAL CUSTOMER YOU WILL CREATE A BLUEPRINT FOR “POSITIVE AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF TRUTHS” THAT CUSTOMERS WILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT, COME BACK TO AND PURCHASE TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
SKILLS – COMMITMENT TO TRAINING EVERYDAY! THIS MUST COMMENCE WITH THE TOP LEADERSHIP OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. TAKE A PERIPHERAL VIEW OF “PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESSION” AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL “JUST-IN-TIME” TRAINING APPROACH.
LEADERSHIP IS MUCH MORE THAN AN ART, A BELIEF, A CONDITION OF THE HEART, OR A SET OF THINGS TO DO. THE VISIBLE SIGNS OF ARTFUL LEADERSHIP AND WORLD CLASS QUALITY ARE EXPRESSED, ULTIMATELY, IN ITS DAILY PRACTICE.
OUR SEARCH FOR REFINEMENT, FOR COMPLETENESS, FOR OUR POTENTIAL AS WORLD LEADERS ACHIEVING WORLD CLASS QUALITY IS A NEVER ENDING SEARCH.. WHAT A SPECTACULAR HORIZON OF REALIZATION WE HAVE AS WE ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY AND CONTINUE TO GROW OUR DYNAMIC INDUSTRY.
THANK YOU AND ALOHA!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
