Aging, Not Gracefully
My friend Rich Deki used to manage the plant operation at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey. It was a grand facility, and impeccably maintained by Rich and his staff. Not only was everything you’d expect to be done right done right, but there were extras, too. Rich did things like create large wooden cut-out Christmas characters, and set them along the ridge line across from the highway, fully-lighted, and pleasing to the locals and passers-by as well as inviting for the weary traveler.
It wouldn’t have meant much, of course, if people didn’t get hot water or the lights didn’t work, but under his aegis, they had it all. This venerable resort hotel sits on the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi in a community that venerates golf -- there are 23 golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula -- but at least on the lodging side, they seem to have forgotten the meaning and purpose of old-fashioned service.
The Lovely Linda was presenting at the annual California Bar confab on Sunday morning from 10 to 12 across town, and when I called the front desk the evening before to get a late check-out -- they wanted us gone at 11:30, I was told I'd have to call back in the morning. Pshaw! And when I called back in the morning and explained our logistics, "the best I can do" said the chippie, is 12:30.
That doesn't really work, I said in a pleasant tone, let me speak with a manager. On hold for 40 seconds, then Debbie got on the line. Are you a manager? I asked. An assistant manager, she said, defensively, scrounging for pride. I told her the situation. Oh, she said generously, I can give you until 1:15. We're talking Sunday at a facility with hundreds of rooms, at least some of which are made up late in the afternoon.
Did I mention that the rates had gone up? Substantially, 'cause they could get 'em, 'cause there are so many lawyers in California, and 'cause so many of them are delighted to write off a trip to Monterey. At least in our case the Cal Bar was picking up the tab for the bed, but we were careful not to use the phone, which carried a buck surcharge for local calls and even for 800 numbers. Plus the hotel put out two plastic bottles of water on the credenza for which they wanted four bucks a pop. I mean, granted the tap water isn't the best but that kind of money could buy a drink on an airplane. And wouldn't it be ingratiating to supply a coupla bottles of cheap stuff instead?
The facility felt tired, and unattended. The television didn't work well, the program selection was meager. There was no ventilating fan in the bathroom, which probably explained the mold. In one of the elevators the ceiling access panel was pulled back, leaving the controls exposed...for two days. Also a tile was missing from the elevator floor, which is not only cheesy, but invites a fall and a suit. When Rich was in charge, none of that would have been possible.
A lot of businesses that get it right at the beginning have trouble maintaining. It's usually due to poor management, both locally and nationally. Especially with megaliths like Hyatt, where despite all of the MBAs, no one seems to have learned about economics of scale. This essential rule which one studies in Econ 101 says, simply, you can get too big. Which explains why people who require quality find another place to rest their heads.
And that's SetonnoteS...I'm Tony Seton.
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