“Quality” was the simple title of the first workshop discussion in the “St. Moritz 360” series. The St. Moritz spa and tourist association had invited 13 St. Moritz service providers to attend. Hospitality, the creation of an ombudsman and deficiencies in the infrastructure and its maintenance were central topics of the engaged discussion. Although not everything is always for the best, St. Moritz should also not constantly make itself worse than it is.
The quality of St. Moritz as a holiday resort comes from the people our guests meet here: In addition to basic infrastructure issues, the first workshop discussion in the “St. Moritz 360” series focused primarily on the local people and how to deal with criticism.
Many companies today systematically evaluate feedback from their guests and customers. Nevertheless, according to the tenor, there are many cases in which guests are simply ignored with complaints or other feedback. St. Moritz therefore needs an ombudsman to promote quality: It should serve as a point of contact for guests as well as locals who do not feel understood by companies in all sectors with their concerns.
An ombudsperson could act as a mediator between guests or customers and providers. The mere fact that someone deals with a complaint reduces the reputation risk posed by a dissatisfied guest. As a point of contact for guests and locals, a quality assurance center would also quickly gain insight into possible quality problems, at individual companies or in St. Moritz as a whole, and could thus warn of reputational risks at an early stage.
Regular reporting should make work transparent and publicize existing problems and their solutions. In presentations and training courses, it should also contribute to quality assurance and quality promotion.
Hospitality is the people
There was a lot to talk about about the topic of hospitality: It starts from all of us, regardless of whether we work for a tourist service provider or simply meet the guests on the street. It also doesn't matter whether “we” are of Graubünden, Swiss or, for example, Italian or Portuguese descent.
“Our employees aren't just here to work,” underlined one interviewee. “Only those who feel at home here can also convey their enthusiasm for St. Moritz to our guests.”
Events and other offers aimed specifically at employees of local companies should therefore be increasingly promoted. Just like many locals, employees often only have modest amounts of money available for entertainment or shopping. Offers tailored to them can help improve their quality of life. They feel more at home in Engadin and treat guests as better hosts.
The employee ball taking place at the Palace Hotel on Wednesday was cited as a very positive example of this. However, hospitality is also the result of continuous work. Supervisors in all industries play a key role in this. Only those who set an example of openness, friendliness and helpfulness to their employees can expect them to be just as hospitable to their guests.
Serious infrastructure deficiencies
However, the people our guests meet in St. Moritz are only one side of the “Top of the World”: When guests compare us with other places, they also rate the infrastructure in particular. Hotels, ski school facilities, mountain bike trails and chair lifts are rated in the same way as the simplest basic infrastructure in the village.
And this is where the workshop discussion participants identified serious deficiencies: The condition and cleanliness of public toilet facilities, for example in the Quadrellas car park or on Via Maistra between the former Testa Sport and Elektro Pomatti, are very often harshly criticized by guests.
The cloakroom facilities at the Ludains artificial ice rink or the fact that there is no downhill slope from the ski area also bring St. Moritz negative points that are incompatible with the “Top of the World” attribute.
The example of public toilets reveals another shortcoming: Locals hardly ever use them and therefore do not know them. The same applies to many hotels or other tourist offers, which our guests know very well, but the locals themselves barely know.
However, knowledge of local offerings would be crucial if you want to give guests good tips as a good host. Locals and their employees should therefore move around town more like guests and also see St. Moritz through the eyes of the guests.
Join the discussion!
This post is also on the Website of the St. Moritz Kurverein appeared. It can be commented on and discussed online there.
St. Moritz 360
Workshop discussions on changing topics take place four times a year. The St. Moritz spa and tourist office invites service providers from various industries to attend.
Two event notes about this
- “Black and White”: On Wednesday, March 26, a ball with orchestra will take place at Badrutt's Palace Hotel for all employees of the HotellerieSuisse businesses.
- “Please Disturb Us”: On Sunday, March 30, HotellerieSuisse is hosting the “Open Room Doors Day”. Under the motto “Browse, ask and discover in Swiss hotels for a day”, hotels all over Switzerland can take a look behind the scenes. Participating hotels in St. Moritz: Crystal, Hauser, Kulm, Laudinella, Schweizerhof. www.pleasedisturb.ch
Ideas from the conversation
- Volunteers in the village: Volunteers could be available to provide information to our guests.
- Sensitize young people to tourism and its importance in the valley: Students visit businesses. New school subject “Tourism”.
- Cosy furniture in the pedestrian zone could invite you to relax.
Quotes on the topic “Quality”
- “Quality is meeting expectations.”
- “What makes the local happy also makes the guest happy.”
- “We need to work towards reminders.”
- “Everyone pulls the same rope at major events; the trick is to be top of the line in everyday life.”
- “The extraordinary creates our value.”
- “Our products are interchangeable, our employees make the difference.”
- “Standards are changing rapidly. We must constantly adapt ourselves, our offerings and our infrastructure.”
- “Free WiFi is sometimes almost more important than food in a restaurant.”
- “Don't just criticize, but also be happy about what you've achieved.”
- “The extraordinary can also sometimes be something very small.”
- “Our employees must also feel good.”
- “Employees are locals too.”
- “When it comes to hospitality in particular, leading means setting an example.”
- “Prevent tunnel vision, which only sees everything poorly.”
- “Quality measures must be incorporated into the structures of the company.”
- “An ombudsman is a quality manager.”
- “Diversity is quality.”
participants
The Kurverein would like to thank the participants in the workshop discussion on March 20, 2014:
- Maja Bonetti (Hotel Sun)
- Martin Berthod (St. Moritz Sport)
- Roberto Clavadätscher (Loga Real Estate)
- Richard Dillier (President of Kur- und Verkehrsverein)
- Eveline Fasser Testa (St. Moritz Art Masters)
- Yves Gardiol (Badrutt's Palace)
- Markus Hauser (Hôtel Hauser)
- Thomas Kriemler (Kriemler Müller)
- Franco Moro (St. Moritz Ski School)
- Jolanda Picenoni (Rhaetian Railway)
- Philip Probst (Hotel Randolins)
- Silvio Staub (White Turf)
- Irmi Torri (Belverde/Village Club)
- Hans-Jörg Zingg (The Paradise)
Project responsibility at Kur- und Verkehrsverein St. Moritz
Richard Dillier, President
St. Moritz 360 project management and moderation
Christian Gartmann, gartmann.biz