Creating WOW Moments at the Ritz-Carlton: The Job of a Guest Services Manager

Guest relations might be a relatively new position in the hotel world, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important than other more traditional roles. Just ask Till Haffner, Guest Services Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, who is in charge of ensuring guests have a memorable stay with the Ritz-Carlton. What does it take to make a guest’s visit unforgettable? It’s all about attention to detail and creating moments that are individually tailored to a particular guest’s preferences. This can be one of his biggest challenges, Till says, as sometimes he has no information on a guest for whom he’s creating a memorable experience. However, it also makes his job fun and interesting each day. Till believes it’s important for all hotels to employ a Guest Services Manager and says that this person should be open-minded and willing to do what it takes to surprise and delight guests. He doesn’t believe in the phrase “that’s not my job”: everything that relates to guest service and satisfaction, whether it’s a client-facing or behind-the-scenes task, is essentially his job, he assures us. Watch the video to hear more about a certain WOW moment Till helped create for one of their guests, as well as the attitude he believes is important for all Guest Services Managers to adopt.