We are sometimes teased about our passion for the Marriott Way of doing things. If you happen to work in the hospitality industry, you might already be familiar with our encyclopedic procedural manuals, which include what is probably most infamous of the bunch: a guide setting out 66 separate steps for cleaning a hotel room in less than half an hour…(p.16).
In Marriott’s case, our principal product is probably not what you think it is.
Yes, we’re in the food-and-lodging business (among other things). Yes, we “sell” room nights, food and beverage and time-shares.
But what we’re really selling is our expertise in managing the processes that make those sales possible.
And that expertise rests firmly on our mastery of thousands of tiny operational details… (p.23).
Marriott’s major selling point – the fuel for our growth since 1978 – has been
our ability to show investors [and franchisees] that we know what we’re doing when it comes to running a hotel…So when I say that the company’s prosperity rests on such things as our sixty-six-steps-to-clean-a-room manual, I’m not exaggerating… (p.24).
Excerpt: Bill Marriott Jr. The Spirit to Serve. Harper Collins
