Isador Sharp Biography

The founder of Four Seasons is a person, as not paradoxical, non -public and modest. Having built the empire, he did not fully understand how this happened. We guarantee that we will deliver the order to the number in 15 minutes. This is the new Four Seasons policy. If not, he pays the hotel. Each person in the company, regardless of the position held, can offer an idea.

We stimulate employees so that they do not stop thinking. The company operates a system for working shortcomings. Any employee can get up and say: "Guys, I screwed up." And they will thank him for his frankness. When choosing a hotel, I do not focus on star or ratings. Charisma is important to me. I stayed in hotels without stars that I remember. A brand is a reputation.

If you built a brand based on reputation, you cannot let him fade. People want to take part in the life of the company and receive recognition for work. People want to prove to you that they can make your company better. When you treat people with respect and trust, they answer the same. They want to justify trust. To succeed, you need to believe in what you are doing.

This faith should be unshakable, because everything always goes not according to plan. People have become sophisticated. This is what has changed. The level of comfort in hotels in recent years has increased, which led to a change in the perception of the hotel as such. If even 40 years ago, slippers and robes were considered luxury, today their absence is surprised.

I gave a single example reflecting what is happening in the hospitality industry. The needs of travelers themselves are unlikely to have changed a lot. People want a warm attitude and personal service. But what became different is the technology that changed the industry. Thanks to smartphones, tablets, computers, we are in touch 24 hours a day. We book tickets and hotels, without resorting to the help of travel agencies.

Intermediaries are not needed. People have become independent - this is the main trend of the coming era. What does this mean for us, hoteliers? We are forced to adapt to these changes in order to correspond to the spirit of time and withstand competition. Register at the hotel or write out from it with a smartphone is no longer a luxury, but a familiar phenomenon. If the hotel does not provide such a service, it causes bewilderment.

The paradox is different. No matter how much technology develops, personal communication will remain a determining factor in the success of the project. Robots will not replace people. Hotels that refused to be staff? I do not believe in the success of such initiatives. I don’t even go to the computer. I don't need it. I'm afraid to become a hostage to progress and technology. The administrative assistant helps me.

She has been working with me for 30 years. He receives letters, sorts, prints. He knows what is important and what to delegate to the deputies. Thus, I am aware of what is happening in the company, but not “glued” to the computer and do not read hundreds of letters that I do not need and are not interesting. How do you succeed? The hotel business is already a thousand years old. We do not invent anything.

We bring small innovations to this industry. We are looking for that it is useful for guests. Therefore, from the very first day we - I am not an exception - are responsible for the innovations that have changed the industry: from shampoo in bathrooms to lighters in the bar. These little things became the norm, and forty years ago it never occurred to anyone to put a shampoo in the rooms.

I thought about it. Because I thought like a traveler - what is I missing? So these small, but the necessary changes occur. We continue to introduce new standards in Four Seasons. Among the first, they refused to take from the guests a fee for the use of the Internet. But now, few people will surprise this, and then it was a breakthrough. The company has people who think, how else to help customers and how to surprise.

One more idea was born relatively recently: we realized that we can deliver the order to the number in 15 minutes. We checked the theory in life - it turned out and really possible. And now this is Four Seasons policy. What else? At resort hotels, we created zones only for adults. The idea was phenomenal success. It turned out that on vacation people want silence and solitude and choose hotels that provide such conditions.

Everyone in the company is allowed to offer an idea. We stimulate subordinates so that they do not stop thinking. The employee, it doesn’t matter - the general manager or an electrician, knows: he contributes to the development of the company, changes it for the better. It doesn't matter to us who offers the idea. If it is cool, we will introduce the idea.

We ask employees to make even absurd offers and return to those that we liked. We are constantly conducting a dialogue. And we listen to people. And people are not afraid to express thoughts and admit their mistakes. Every morning, flyers are held in each hotel, the purpose of which is to identify errors. Mr. Jones expected breakfast by one time, and the delivery service was late for 15 minutes.

It is important that the situation does not understand the punishment of a guilty, it does not work. We analyze the problem so that errors are not repeated.The General Director of the hotel calls Mr. Jones and says: “I am aware of your problem. She is being decided. In the meantime, drink champagne in the bar at the expense of the hotel. ” This approach works for guest loyalty.

In the meantime, we analyze to understand where we allowed a mistake and do not scold anyone. In Four Seasons, people are not afraid to talk about their misses.

It is important to create a comfortable atmosphere. We make mistakes, no one is perfect. I make mistakes. There is no evolution without errors. But if you develop and strengthen trust, you will receive a million vivid ideas. But is time left for yourself? Do you travel to pleasure, and not at work, outside the role of the head of the company? I left the post of executive director of Four Seasons some time ago, so I am no longer involved in daily business processes.

But at the same time, I still work with partners as the chairman of the board.