东北大学《大学英语2》课件-第3讲.pdf

Unit 3 Staying at Hotels 东北大学大学英语Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Reading 3 3 Topic Preview Pre-reading Questions Text C Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Topic Preview Read the online articles about different types of accommodation.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Pre-reading Questions 1.What qualities make a hotel immortal?2.Do you know some domestic/foreign hotels which have special stories?Share with us.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Text C Text Understanding the Organization of the Text Comprehension Questions 3 3 Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Four Seasons Hotels Soared to Top Since he opened his first hotel in Toronto in 1961,everyone has told Isadore Sharp that he was crazy.His locations were wrong.His refusal to cut rates during downturns was suicidal.He was giving front line workers too much authority.Today,Four Seasons manages the operations of 90 hotels in 36 countries,including 25 of the 181 superstar properties in the Conde Nast Traveler Platinum Circle.Sharp was born in Canadas largest city in 1931 to Polish immigrants.His father was a plasterer,and the family moved 15 times during Isadores first 16 years.One day his father broke his shoulder while using a horse and plough to dig a basement.“He shrugged it off and uncomplainingly kept on working,something I never forgot,”wrote Sharp in Four Seasons:The Story of a Business Philosophy.Text C Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 After graduating from college with a degree in architecture at 21,Isadore was put in charge of his fathers construction company.Sharp kept building houses and apartments,but he was obsessed with hotels,so he turned to financial backers for a 100-room version downtown.All he heard was gloom,that it wouldnt make it because of the location.Sharp persisted.After convincing subcontractors and vendors to extend credit,he collected enough funding to start construction.The Four Seasons was born.His naming of the resort 52 years ago came from the translation of a hotel in Germany that one of his investors had stayed in.Without enough money to advertise,Sharp relied on publicity.He made the Four Seasons dining room a highlight with premium beef dishes that drew food critics.He enticed the host of a radio celebrity interview show to broadcast live from the restaurant.He borrowed a high-end retailers customer mailing list and sent invitations to the 1961 grand opening,which was covered by the local newspapers society columnist.With the Four Seasons making a solid profit,he sought another spot,this time for a 200-room resort.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 His reputation as a straight shooter attracted a bank loan,but he knew that if the resort failed,he would be in debt the rest of his life.He advanced with his vision of a hotel that would become the model for the future Four Seasons,emphasizing an unprecedented level of awareness of the needs for the most demanding customers.In the resort,he introduced ultra-comfortable mattresses and built it in a way that plumbing and electrical sounds would not disturb customers.“I knew that what they wanted more than anything was a good nights sleep,”Sharp said.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 As he expanded the chain,his other fresh ideas became the industry norm:makeup mirrors,minibars,24/7 room service,non-smoking floors,gyms,concierges.Sharps lesson is to get into customers minds and ask what your industry should provide.The recession of the early 1970s brought Sharp close to bankruptcy.Rather than throw in the towel,he made two vital changes to the business model:1.He turned Four Seasons into a brand manager with only a small ownership stake in each location.2.He concentrated on operating only midsize luxury hotels that would be known for having consistently top quality.“Quality control is a misnomer because it cant truly be implemented through elaborate appraisal systems,inspection or quality training,as you can see looking at all the motivation and management programs,”said Sharp.“These programs dont consider how the customer sees things,which is they want the most value for their money.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 “Most companies have traditionally treated frontline employees as expendable.We wanted them treated as an elite group,and that required turning the style of management that had been prevalent for a century upside down.”This required retraining for every position changing managers from bosses into behind-the-scenes coaches for those interfacing with customers.Frontline workers were empowered to make crucial decisions without risk of punishment.“We found that people will rise to the expectations you have for them,”said Sharp.“We hired those who had the right personality,rather than the best resumes.”This practice opened the way for another Four Seasons innovation:creating histories of guest preferences,with employees providing feedback.Now each hotel could provide highly customized service.Staying at Hotels UNIT 3 Not surprisingly,Four Seasons has been on Fortunes list of“100 Best Companies to Work for”since the magazine instituted the ranking i