Legends of Service Excellence: The Habits of Seven Highly Effective Hospitality Companies

This article identifies hospitality firms that are frequent subjects of positive customer storytelling and examines these firms for common practices. Seven exemplar firms were identified. Themes drawn from data were categorized into 10 theme clusters. A single theme—related to customer and employee obsession—was determined to be the common thread. An assessment of customer and employee practices from the exemplar firms is provided to give illustrations of specific practices. By understanding some of the practices of exemplar firms, managers can gain insights into how customer and employee treatment strategies can be incorporated into their businesses.