Kor Hotel Group
, the Los Angeles-based boutique hotel operator, holds a fundamental policy: Service starts with guest needs innovatively anticipated, then uniquely accommodated. To this end, Kor recently retained the services of Freeman Group Solutions to assist with the integration of a unique service-training process. Freeman’s practice-oriented methodology is well known for promoting hands-on training and will extend to every employee in the Kor family, from top-level management to front-line service staff. By establishing five-star service standards at each of its properties, Kor Hotel Group seeds the creation of a new niche market within the design-savvy, boutique hotel sector.
“Kor chose Freeman Group Solutions based on its reputation and success record with industry leaders such as Four Seasons and The Peninsula,” said Brenda Tscharner, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for The Kor Group. “One principle that makes Freeman’s methodology so effective is that it removes learning from the stale environment of classrooms, and develops a schedule of on-site training sessions in contexts that are relevant—where people actually work. The retention and comprehension levels obtained by this method are incomparable.”
Dallas-based Freeman Group Solutions perceives business relationships as perpetually growing partnerships, rather than finite contracts. Their Golden Rule? Training isn’t complete until every employee consistently exhibits a working knowledge of hotel standards through everyday routines. Freeman helps institute an integral system of ongoing verification and follow-up training to ensure this ever-evolving goal is met.
For Kor Hotel Group, Freeman has been hired to launch a comprehensive plan that will prepare Kor’s self-sufficiency for its long-term goals. “Since our hire, we have helped Kor develop a unified set of standards for the company overall,” said Bill Freeman, Founder and CEO of Freeman Group Solutions. “We have worked with Kor executives to create a custom-designed framework that reflects each property’s individuality, as opposed to the generic methodology that so many hotels buy into ... most importantly, we’ve taught Kor how to effectively implement these standards in an everyday practice.”
Once Standards of Performance Manuals had been customized for operational departments at every property, Freeman assisted Kor’s in-house instructors in “Train the Trainer” seminars, through which managers were taught to train their service staff to implement standards on an every-day basis. The subsequent and ongoing sessions are held in the thick of day-to-day business—at the front desk, in the laundry room, etc.—and utilize a question-and-answer structure that elicits knowledge from employees.
Through an ongoing cycle of customer and employee surveys, feedback sessions, service shops, and follow-up training, this new component of Kor’s infrastructure ensures the highest possible quality in customer care. With a mantra to overlook no detail or desire, the entire Kor staff is focused on delivering a seamless experience—for each guest and every request.
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