Good Service is Key to Economic Relevance

Great post by Ronda Today's Andy Cameron. In a piece that attempted to forecast the economic impact of Michelle Obama's visit to Ronda, Cameron made an important point about service.

Cameron said Ronda's hotels and restaurants need to " re-evaluate their service standards, insist their staff smile more, and if possible, encourage staff to learn a few words of English and other major languages." That's what I call a friendly poke among friends.

Let me take it a step further. The Ronda area will never become an A-list destination unless it develops a business culture of good service. And when I say good service, I am really talking about world-class service.

Modern amenities, warm hospitality and a multi-lingual staff that have been coached in higher service standards. I am talking about the type of service that builds repeat business. Today, we live a world economy, where cheap airlines, the Internet and the cell phone have shrunk the world. As a result, Ronda doesn't just compete against other Spanish destinations. Ronda also competes against top destinations in Europe, the Americas and greater Asia.

For me, the gold standard for hotel service is what you experience at the Oberoi in India, Four Seasons in the U.S., and Grand Hyatt hotel chains in greater China. I love the attentiveness, the friendliness, and in-room check-ins. In Ronda, we have a long way to go. Of the 70 or so hotels in the area, there are only a handful of hotels that practice higher levels of service. My top three are the Hotel San Gabriel, the Hotel La Fuente de la Higuera, and the Hotel Montelirio. Outside of Ronda, I like the Hotel Bandolero, Hotel Molino del Santo and Hotel Villa Jerez .

In summary, I believe a business culture of good service is a matter of economic relevance and economic survival.

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