1. Ritz-Carlton Hotels: Empowerment

2. Company Attitude "My name is Horst Schulze. l'm president of this company; l'm very important. [Pause) But so are you. Absolutely. Equally important." Management recognizes the important of quality employees. Everyone has an important role and something to contribute towards the company. ¨Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.¨

3. Management´s Steps Towards Empowerment Guests and employees must be treated with dignity and respect. Take employee suggestions seriously. When a room service waiter proposed the company spend $50,000 to implement a recycling plan, Schulze took a deep breath and then agreed. The idea paid off: Weekly garbage pickups have been reduced and the hotel now sells its paper products rather than paying others to haul it off. The changes have saved $80,000 a year and typify the hotel's reliance on employee suggestions for quality improvement.

4. Working towards Customer Satisfaction Treat employees and guests with dignity and respect. Front desk clerks and managers can spend up to $5,000 to satisfy guests. When the New York Ritz was overbooked once, 20 guests were sent to another hotel in three limousines packed with champagne and caviar. The cost: $5,000. "The idea was to please guests," says the Ritz manager