Volume 3, No. 2. January 24, 2002
Working
10-to-5
Close counts only
in horseshoes, they say. It also counts in hospitality.
At Universal Orlando in Florida, 10 feet is close enough to score points in
customer service, thanks to the park’s “10/5 Rule” for employees.
“It’s a basic hospitality concept that we’ve been reinforcing
in the past year,” said Jim Camfield, vice president of corporate communications.
“Reinforcing and emphasizing.”
The rule is detailed in the park’s employee handbook. When approaching
a guest, at 10 feet away the team member should nonverbally acknowledge the
guest with eye contact, a head nod or smile. At five feet, the team member should
extend a verbal greeting.
The rule applies
not only to encounters with guests, but also with fellow team members: 10 feet
cue the acknowledgment, five feet extend a greeting. For team member-to-team
member encounters, the rule has a third prong: “When greeting, assisting,
or providing service to fellow team members, identify yourself and use their
names.”
Mathematically speaking, it’s obvious that 10/5 can produce two times the
results in customer satisfaction.
©2002, Minton Enterprises
LLC
All rights reserved