It is possible to build an awesome culture

The security guard at the hotel in Nairobi recognized me. “Welcome back, Mrs Currie!” she smiled. I had left the Tribe hotel 2 hours before to do some shopping and she had let me out. How did she remember me or even knew my name? There must have been dozens of people going out the gate that day!

I shouldn’t have been surprised. This has been my consistent experience for 3 days staying at Tribe. I felt like every person working there really saw me – the waiter who served me dinner recognised me at breakfast and asked how I was doing. The barista remembered how I took my coffee the previous day and ensured a perfect cappuccino, even arranging for a bag of coffee beans to take home. I had to find out how they did it!

Isaac Odor, the manager of the hotel, told me that they have been building a deliberate culture of customer-centricity for the last 12 months. The focus is on connecting with the guest personally – hotel employees prepare for guests’ arrival by scanning social media like Facebook and LinkedIn so that they can learn about the guests’ preferences and background. And it’s not as creepy as it sounds; when I checked in, the front desk recognized me and greeted me by name. That’s a great feeling! Isaac said they also keep a database of the guest’s likes and dislikes so that they can anticipate the guest’s needs. “If a guest had asked for a feather pillow during their last stay, we ensure that it’s in the room for their next visit.” Isaac explained. These seemingly small things make the guest feel at home and leads to a lot of return business. Because there’s a lot of competition for corporate and tourist business in Nairobi, this strategy is paying off.

Great idea. But how do you get the employees to buy into this culture? It starts with making them feel accepted and respected, Isaac said. “Every employee is encouraged to be themselves and express themselves – whether it is painted nails or dreadlocks. This makes them feel like individuals and it translates to how they respond to the guests.” Isaac said that employees know the names of about 80% of the guests staying in the hotel at any given time. Think about the commitment to learn and remember dozens of people, that changes every day! “It’s part of the Kenyan culture,” Isaac explained. “We are hospitable and welcoming as a people, and we’re not just after your money – we want you to feel that you’re a friend.”

The employee training focuses on their value of One Tribe, One Planet. There’s a distinct lack of an “us versus them” culture between management and employees. The culture is one of mutual respect, liking and easy friendships. Mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn, create standard processes and share these to improve. Because of this tradition of openness management is truly in the know of what goes on, and every employee shares ownership for the guest’s experience.

The Chieftain programme, which is only a year old, is a crucial tool to building ownership. Every guest is allocated a Chieftain for the duration of their stay, an employee who looks after them and ensures that they have what they need. My Chieftain met me at the airport after waiting for 4 hours after my flight was delayed. They walked me to the shopping centre to ensure that I got their safely (and knew how to get back!) and even recommended shops to visit. No-one had to “check with their supervisor” – they were empowered to action their ideas immediately.

I told Isaac that this was my single best experience in any hotel in the world. He has experience working in top hotels in Dubai and loved building this culture at the Tribe. I cringed when he told me of his recent trip to Johannesburg where his experience as a guest was less than great. In fact, it sucked.

So, go visit Kenya and stay in the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi. It’s an amazing experience. I cannot wait to go back. And that’s why culture is important.