bryan k. williams
The Key to 5-Star Ratings
Dr. Bryan K Williams | August 14, 2024
By Dr. Bryan K. Williams I recently had dinner with the restaurant manager in a very upscale hotel. He explained to me that one of his main goals was for guests to rate the restaurant a “5," as measured by their guest satisfaction survey. The survey asks a series of questions, with a corresponding scale that follows: (1=very dissatisfied, 2=dissatisfied, 3=indifferent, 4=satisfied, 5=very satisfied). The manager told me about all the initiatives he recently implemented to get the 5 rating from guests. There is a new coffee cup storage system to ensure that cups are always available for service. Then, there is the cycle-time initiative...
Service Excellence: Through the Eyes of a Server
Bryan K. Williams | November 4, 2019
By Dr. Bryan K. Williams Back to my roots. There’s something deeply moving and rejuvenating to go back to where it all started. My professional career began almost 30 years ago in a fine-dining French restaurant called “The Palm Terrace”. I started as a busboy, then worked my way up to various roles. However, the job that transformed me; the one that made me feel like I was flying...the one that fully consumed me, was as a restaurant server. Oh, I loved that job. In fact, I still view myself as a server today! Many of the articles, books, keynotes and workshops that I’ve created were inspired by my time as a server. I studied...
Leadership Lessons: Pull the Weeds
Bryan K. Williams | October 29, 2019
By Dr. Bryan K. Williams Do you know what annoys a gardener more than anything else? A weed. They hate weeds. As soon as a weed rears its head the gardener pulls it out! In my analogy, the "gardener" is the leader and the "weed" is not the problem employee... it is the undesirable behavior (blaming other depts, bad attitude, etc). If your goal is to have a thriving garden (team), here are some keys to note regarding weeds: *You never have to try to make weeds grow. *Weeds don't start big. They always start small. *It's always easier to pull weeds when they are small. *Weeds are a sign of neglect. Whenever you see weeds, it mean...
Dr. Bryan K. Williams to Receive the ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award
Bryan K. Williams | February 11, 2019
Monday, 11 February 2019 - The International SPA Association (ISPA) is pleased to announce Dr. Bryan Williams as the recipient of the 2019 ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. As an international speaker and author, Williams first spoke to ISPA members in 2006 and continues to inspire with his focus on service excellence and leadership effectiveness. "Bryan's passion to inspire leaders and elevate the importance of providing unparalleled customer service has left a lasting impression on the International SPA Association," said ISPA President Lynne McNees. "We are grateful for his continued support and dedication to the ISPA community." Wil...
Leaders Communicate the Purpose (Keynote Video Clip)
Bryan K. Williams | September 5, 2018
By Bryan K. Williams Excellence is one of those words that is thrown around everyday, but many people don't stop to truly grasp the full meaning. The root word in excellence is excel, which means to go beyond. Beyond what? (I'm so glad you asked). To go beyond what is expected. It means to exceed expectations, and exceeding expectations has NOTHING to do with meeting expectations. They don't like each other, and are always in a fight. Like light and darkness, one is always seeking to dominate, but only one can prevail. If I order a cup of green tea, and you bring me the cup of green tea, that is not excellence. Even if you are smiling a...
The #1 Rule in Service Excellence: Keep the Customer
BW Leadership Academy | August 3, 2017
By Bryan Williams United Airlines is now a case study for how not to treat customers. Especially paying customers…who are about to receive the service they paid for…and are obviously unhappy about how they are being treated. There is so much to learn from this scenario. Horst Schulze, who is the former President and COO of the Ritz-Carlton (and one of my biggest influences) always said that rule #1 is to keep the customer. For any organization to be successful, they must become proficient at keeping customers (and not lose them). Keep them happy. Keep them engaged. Keep them so well that they eagerly look forward to return...
BW Leadership Academy Supports DonorsChoose.org to Help Classrooms in Need
BW Leadership Academy | April 13, 2017
Washington DC (April 13, 2017): The acclaimed BW Leadership Academy, founded by hospitality executive, Dr. Bryan K. Williams, is coming to Phoenix, Arizona! In addition to providing attendees with an impactful learning experience both before and after the event, a portion of the revenue will go towards funding a classroom project in the city. "As a long-time supporter of DonorsChoose.org, I am excited that we will be using proceeds from this upcoming Leadership Academy to fully fund one (or more) teacher projects in the Phoenix metro area. No child should ever be in need of learning supplies. Together, we will make a meaningful differen...
Recognizing Excellence on Your Team
Bryan K. Williams | April 12, 2017
Plaques. Pizza Parties. Parking Spaces. The list can go on and on. After all, who doesn't like to to be recognized and get prizes, right? There are even popular books that give hundreds of ways to recognize your employees. In the quest to provide employee recognition, companies often assume that more incentives will lead to higher employee morale. Take it, like it & be happy about it. In many companies, if you win "employee of the month", the award is a plaque. This plaque may even be coated in gold with your name etched in elegant writing and bedazzled with jewels! Well, what if you don't like plaques? You get th...
