Leadership Insights: Creating a Culture of Service Excellence

Hospitality and service are often mentioned together, but they’re not quite the same. Hospitality is about creating a feeling—how we make people feel welcomed and valued. Service, on the other hand, is about the actions we take and how we measure those efforts. At 24seven Hotels, our mission goes beyond service; we strive to craft an experience that ensures every guest feels seen, heard, and truly appreciated—leaving them with an unforgettable, lasting impression.

Let’s hear from two hotel leaders at the top performing SpringHill Suites Boise West/Eagle: TJ Gibson, General Manager and Justin Sharp, Assistant General Manager.

What does service excellence mean in the context of the hospitality industry?

TJ: Service excellence begins with the guest’s first impression on arrival. Keeping the hotel exterior and entrances clean is crucial as it sets a positive tone. As guests enter a tidy lobby, they should be greeted promptly by a welcoming associate. This is one of the defining things I’ve noticed at my hotels that helps ensure an enjoyable stay. A key component of this is training our associates to follow the 15/5 rule throughout the guest’s stay – at 15 feet you acknowledge the guest with a smile or nod and at 5 feet you greet them with a “hello.” This simple practice makes a big difference. We discuss the 15/5 rule and share guest experiences during our morning meetings to keep service ideas fresh and effective.

Building our service culture though begins with a daily morning meeting – and we view it as a celebration. This instrumental for informing staff about hotel happenings to ensure they’re well-prepared. We discuss a weekly service topic, share service stories, and play a song of the week with lights for added fun and morale boosting. These five to ten-minute meetings foster teamwork and a collective atmosphere. It is tailored to keep communication open and discuss service strategies with all departments. This meeting also encourages our associates to be able to approach hotel leaders with anything that they may need. Guest surveys are also reviewed to highlight our strengths and areas for improvement, and service topics often address current guest feedback, allowing quick resolution of potential issues. This is also a great time to help them manage their workload and stress levels in effective ways.

What role does leadership play in shaping a culture of service excellence?

Justin: As leaders, we aim to continually improve our associates’ experience. I prioritize being present with my team and demonstrating to them they are important by pausing my work to address their needs. I communicate expectations clearly and lead by example, I never ask anything of them that I wouldn’t do myself. We then work together to determine what we need to do to meet our standards, ensuring they are invested in the process every step of the way.

How do you hire and train staff to embody a culture of service excellence?

TJ: During an interview, one primary focus of mine is to ensure that the candidate demonstrates a genuine passion for serving others and improving someone’s day. If this passion isn’t evident, I do not proceed with hiring. While I can provide training for job-specific duties, instilling a desire to serve our guests is innate in someone. Associates lacking this fundamental drive can negatively impact team morale and the quality of service we offer.

It’s crucial to engage with associates and understand what enhances their performance. I regularly inquire how I can improve their work experience and support their professional growth. This empowerment fosters their development, ensuring they feel confident in their abilities across any career path they pursue.

How does a hotel maintain high standards and what strategies are in place to ensure service consistency? 

Justin: Leadership sets the tone. Leaders must communicate expectations clearly and make sure department heads have what they need to meet Marriott standards and service metrics reliably. We demonstrate the behaviors and actions we expect from our team. Our associates see us working alongside them, performing the same tasks they are asked to do. This shows our support for them. We empower the team to resolve issues and ensure a pleasant stay for our guests, they understand and have confidence that we will back their decisions. We provide regular coaching and training to facilitate improvement. We utilize our systems and tools to keep detailed notes about our guests and listen to what our guests are saying. We read and respond to every review to see what is going well for us, and what is not going well and then share with our team. We share not only the guest comments, but also how we respond to each guest as well. Then we show we care by acting upon these things. I have even had guests with a bad experience leave feedback and because I followed up with them to address their concerns they will return.

What role does employee engagement play in providing finely tuned hospitality? 

Justin: I am constantly talking to my team, asking for their opinions and ideas – I’m genuinely interested in what they have to say! They feel more empowered when the ideas come from themselves, and I let them take initiative in crafting those kick-ass guest experiences. Maybe it’s offering a discount for bereavement or giving a complimentary beverage or snack for a tired guest. We let the staff know that we’re in hospitality. We don’t have to give everything away but making those small gestures with our guests goes a long way in how they feel. Ultimately, they’re the ones that must carry out the excellent service and they are more eager to do so when it genuinely comes from their hearts and minds.

 What are some innovative practices your hotel has implemented to enhance the guest experience?

Justin: We ensure that every ambassador elite member receives a welcome letter in the room. I like to put the handwritten note in the spotlight in their room with a bottle of water.

We dim lighting and set out votive candles in the lobby in the evening to create an inviting atmosphere for our guests.

I ensure that I’m present at the front desk during peak check in/out times and speak to every guest. Walking through breakfast and speaking with guests is very important to create an all-around service experience. Sometimes, the guests do not realize that I’m a manager, because I’m wearing a regular hotel uniform. I think it gives me a unique chance to listen to their feedback when they’re not realizing I’m a manager.

SpringHill Suites Boise West/Eagle has numerous Marriott Spirit to Serve award winners, tell us more about this special recognition.

Justin: Several things – empowered associates and guest engagement. I speak to guests several times throughout their stay, when they share that someone provided good service, I am honored to provide the associates name and invite them to leave a review and submit a survey.

The recognition reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional hospitality every day. We prominently display the awards in our back office for everyone to celebrate and understand that good efforts bring good rewards. Our associates not only get to celebrate together but it helps motivate them to keep pushing so they can earn one as well. When new associates are hired, I explain to them about the award to inspire them as well.

Thank you, SpringHill Suites Boise West/Eagle, for your dedication and passion for service. Here’s to continuing the pursuit of excellence, one guest at a time!

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24seven Hotels