Labor Day Reflection: Ismeta’s Story

The subject line of the email was just two words: Customer Feedback. I probably hesitated for a second before opening it. Marriott is in the business of welcoming customers and around the world at any given time we have hundreds of thousands of associates working to make our guests’ experiences as close to perfect as humanly possible. Done well, this service happens in the background – expediting a guest from hotel entrance to their room, preparing a delicious waffle at a breakfast buffet, providing cleaning services that contribute to a sense of wellbeing, helping guests make the most of their visit to a new destination.

But it’s not always perfect despite standards, training and a culture of taking care of our guests. There are sometimes mistakes – human or computer errors – but more often than not, our associates do their best work every day in service of our guests. When I do get emails about a guest’s stay, it is generally to provide feedback of a critical nature and I’m fine with that. An important part of our culture is believing that success is never final, so we learn from customer feedback – whether from digital surveys, on property suggestion boxes, social media comments or emails to the CEO – and use it to improve our operations.

Let’s face it, most people don’t take the time to provide the “that was great” feedback. When was the last time you weighed in on a terrific experience at a store, hotel or restaurant? It’s human nature:  When things go wrong, we want to say something. When things go right, then everything happened as it should – no need to say anything. 

Which is why when I opened that email with the Customer Feedback subject line I was prepared for a problem. What I got instead was praise.

Praise for Ismeta. Ismeta works as a food and beverage attendant at one of our franchised hotels in downtown Chicago. In her role, she is on the front line with weary business travelers, anxious families with patients receiving care at local hospitals, exuberant sightseers looking to enjoy Chicago. Her job is to help ensure that the breakfast goes off without a hitch at a hotel that often serves 1,000 guests in a morning.

One email like this to the CEO about an associate in the course of a career would be extraordinary. I’ve received nearly a dozen about Ismeta.

“She truly is a lovely, lovely person with a rare quality for being able to connect with people in such a way that brings out the best in all of us and has a way of making you feel so welcome,” said one fan. Another noted, “I really appreciated her cheerful attitude and the demonstrating the “Marriott spirit to serve!” One had a suggestion for me: “You should video her and use it as a training video on how to treat guests.”

Behind the smile and extraordinary customer care is a woman who has experienced unthinkable sadness. Ismeta left Bosnia 19 years ago after losing members of her family in that country’s brutal genocide. Picking up the pieces, she made her way first to Germany and then to Chicago and began working for White Lodging, which franchises a Residence Inn and more than 100 other Marriott properties. An award submission prepared by a colleague notes of Ismeta that in her nine years at the hotel “she never has a bad day” at work and that “no guest leaves her presence without a smile on their face.” Ismeta’s journey is an example of individual resilience and the powerful impact of a good job where both you and your work are valued.

At a time when the debate in Washington is focused on building walls and reducing legal immigration, my thoughts turn to Ismeta. Our economy and our society benefit from immigration done right. But the conversation on immigration seems to be one of extremes – from blocking the entrances out of fear to flouting the law in sanctuary cities. We need to make sure our borders are secured as well as our airports. But we also must recognize that immigration is essential to numerous industries – including hospitality – and that so many immigrants are contributing to the greater good of our country, just as millions of immigrants have before them, my family and likely yours, included. Finding a solution that benefits American citizens, our economy as well as the immigrants themselves should be the priority in Washington.

Ismeta’s life is now an American story, an expression of this country’s ability to provide opportunity to those willing to embrace it. She is making the experiences of our guests better, she is making Marriott better and she is making our country better. And I can’t think of better feedback than that.

#LaborDay