Transformer Modules

Transformer Modules

tra nSformer moduleS

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Sofitel How to gu ide

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SOFITeL HOW TO GuIDe

IntroductIon

my passion) from the Guest Experience Blueprint and explains how to inspire and empower your fellow Ambassadors to realize the desired experience with our guests. Below you will find detailed instructions on how to start! This Kick-Off session will need to start off with an incredible celebra- tion. This celebration will be known as Sofitel Ambassadors’ Day.

Welcome to our ‘How To’ Transformer Guide. This guide will help you to bring the Sofitel Guest Experience to life. This will be done through a Kick-Off session, a first Module ‘Feel Welcome & Feel Valued’ and 60 sessions of 10 minutes each. Each set of approx. 15 sessions (there are not always exactly 15 ses- sions per optimal employee behavior) describes one of the four opti- mal employee behaviors (I am genuine, I am generous, I care, I share

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WHY

WHo

HoW

Together we have built a beautiful blueprint in order to create experiences where our guest feel welcomed and feel valued. But simply creating a blueprint is not enough. We need to integrate this into our day-to-day lives, and make sure that we live the blueprint everyday in everything we do.

This guide will give you, our Transformers, all the tools you need to empower your fellow Ambassadors to live and breath our blueprint. The Kick-Off session is to be facilitated by you and by the General Manager of the hotel. The other modules will be facilitated by you only. All Ambassadors will go through all modules.

These sessions plus the Kick-Off module and the ‘Feel Welcome & Feel Valued’ module have been designed to embrace the blueprint through experiencing what behavior we want our Ambassadors to exhibit in all our hotels worldwide. In order to bring the blueprint to life, we want to create the right atmo- sphere for our Ambassadors to craft magnifique moments. You, as leader and Transformer of this challenging route, must create an inspiring community, one where our Ambassadors are coached, motivated and empow- ered to deliver those great guest experiences every day. Needless to say that preparation is key to the overall success of this global rollout. Remember: Before anything else preparation is the key to success.

Set up of this guide In this ‘How to’ guide you will find: a. 2.5 hour Kick-Off session. The Kick-Off must be facilitated prior to any of the sessions in order to build context and create understanding for our colleagues. b. Module 1 must follow the Kick-Off ses- sion although it is not necessary to do this on the same day. Module 1 must be facilitated in one 45 minute session. c. 60 sessions to be facilitated consecutively, back to back or on separate occasions. For example: – Example A: (15 min) Introduction | Session 1 | Conclusion – Example B: (1 hour 15 min) Introduction | Session 1 | Session 2 | Break – Session 3 | Session 4 | Conclusion • If you facilitate the sessions back to back you only need to use the “introduction” once. • If you facilitate in separate sessions you will need to add the “introduction” and “conclusion” when you run the session every time. • You can pick and choose sessions from the various modules according to the training needs in the hotel.

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WHAt

Module 4 | I care 1. Why do we care? 2. Traits & characteristics of care at Sofitel 3. Caring mindset 4. Feedback is a gift 5. Small things make the differ- ence 6. Being there for the guest 7. I know you !!! 8. Value the guest 9. Making the experience memo- rable 10. Valuing self – believe in your strengths 11. Valuing colleague Ambassa- dors 12. Insider Know how 13. French culture

Module 3 | I am generous 1. Bonding, part 1 2. Bonding, part 2 3. Complementing 4. Random acts of kindness 5. Hidden fortunes 6. Efficiency – 1,2,3 clap 7. Make your stay magnifique 8. Taking initiatives 9. Self confidence & passion collage 10. Summer night city 11. Flowers & Presents 12. Supercalifragilisticexpialido- cious 13. Stop, Start, Continue

This guide consists of 1 Kick-Off, 1 ‘Feel Welcome & Feel Valued’ module and 60 10-minute sessions. Kick-Off 1. Feel Welcome & Feel Valued 2. Where is our north? 3. Exercise - The Human Knot 4. Reverse Thinking 5. Reverse Thinking - what does this mean for us?

Module 2 | I am genuine 1. Authenticity/Being Genuine, Qualities 2. Authenticity/Being Genuine, Qualities, Pitfalls and Challenges 3. Making guests feel welcome Letting guests feel welcome 4. Body language - part 1 5. Body language - part 2 6. Eye contact - part 1 7. Eye contact - part 2 8. Mindset, choose your attitude 9. Mindset, make their day 10. Mindset, be there 11. Mindset, make them happy 12. Listening - part 1 13. Listening - part 2 14. Listening, The Pilot 15. Questioning, only yes and no 16. Questioning, open ended questions 17. Caring/interested/committed; use all your senses! 18. #welcoming 19. Welcoming 20. Communication, draw my picture 21. Concrete behaviors in being genuine; Happy Families

6. Our Sofitel Blueprint 7. Experience Pyramid

8. Exercise - Go for the Great 9. Stimulating Working Climate 10. Evaluation Module 1| Feel Welcome Feel Valued: 1. FWFV video

2. Bring FWFV to life 3. Partner to success

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IconS

mAterIAlS

PArtIcIPAntS

All modules contain icons. At a glance, these icons will assist you to identify actions to be taken.

You will receive the handouts and materials to facilitate all modules. There will be a “materials needed” section at the beginning of each session.

The ideal number of participants is 7-10 but it should not exceed 12.

Module 5 | I share my passion 1. Personalize & make it special 2. I love my job! 3. Share your emotions – to do or not to do 4. Storytelling, part 1 5. Storytelling, part 2 6. Elevator pitch 7. I dare to share my pas- sions 8. Commonalities 9. Influencing by building rapport 10. Surprising our guests 11. Sofitel speeddate 12. Magnifique 13. Where am I on the scale?

Here is a list of all icons used:

Time – How long does this session last Where does the session take place (indoor, outdoor) Markers How many participants Flip chart Transformer script Take-aways (learnings of each session)

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SuStAInABIlItY

roll out PlAn

Some of the sessions are written with a follow up/ post-session-activity for when they get back to their workplace. As a Transformer you need to keep track of that in the following way: a. Make notes in your communication calendar when you need to check if the ‘post-session- activity’ is to be handed in/actioned upon b. Make notes in your communication calendar if you need to action something yourself (send a card, return a picture) c. Should attend the morning briefing or luxury forum once a week and give feedback on what is coming out of the various sessions Furthermore, you need to agree and decide with the General Manager of the Hotel on how they are going to keep it alive (sustainable) after your sessions. When you agree for example that they will have a special ‘Feel Welcome Feel Valued team’ who are going to have monthly meetings, you may want to make note of that in your communications calendar too, so you can check every month on how the hotel is doing.

This is an important part of your responsibility. It will be quite a challenge to plan all sessions in your hotel and in some cases in other hotels. Here are ideas on how to make your calendar: Number of hotels in your region: X Number of employees per hotel: (let’s say) 100 Actual days per hotel needed: • Kick-Off = almost 3 hours (170 minutes) • Module 1 = 45 minutes • Module 2 - 5 = 60 sessions x 10 minutes = 600 minutes Total of 815 minutes per employee, which is almost 14 hours, so 2 working days per em- ployee. You may also use a smartsheets.com account to keep track of the participants. Be sure to share this with GM and relevant hotel staff.

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You can use a chart like the one below to keep track of who has done what. It would be ideal to form “groups” of Ambassadors who go through the sessions together. Keeping these groups consistent for all of the modules. This would be easier to keep track than 1 specific person.

Group 1

Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10

Group #

Date of completion

Kick-Off

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10

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Feel Welcome Feel VAlued: Your role

You Are An eXPerIenced trAnSFormer

of since? Have you had opportunities to connect with our guests already.

Today I will give you more information about what we really mean when we say [insert desired behavior]. Knowing exactly what we mean by that will give you a lot of confidence when dealing with guests. You will know exactly what kind of behavior we want you all to display. You will see that having a more intense contact with our guests will make your job even more fun than it already is.

What is your role in the roll out of the Feel Welcome Feel Valued guest experience? As a Transformer you need to behave in a certain way to bring Feel Welcome Feel Valued to life during the sessions. You are the Brand advocate and initiator of this program and it starts with you as Transformer. Here are some useful tips and tricks to make the colleagues feel welcome and valued at your session: • Be genuine, be yourself • Introduce yourself properly by sharing personal guest experiences for example • Say and show that you are for the full 100% behind this program • Greet colleagues in your sessions like we would greet guests in our hotels, ie. Use their name, shake hands, say you are happy they are there, say you look forward to making their time with you a useful one • Answer their questions with patience and respect; there is no such thing as a stupid question • Respect a difference in opinion (not everybody will be joyful to join your sessions – they prefer ‘just to do their jobs’)

You have been selected to facilitate this global roll-out because you have a passion for training. Therefore the sessions are written in a ‘minimalistic’ manner. That means that your normal ‘introduction + conclusion’ are not fully scripted. You will need to decide yourself on a short (2-3 minute) Introduction for each 10-minute session and a 3-5 minute Conclu- sion. Unless you decide to run more than 1 session at a time, then you only need to do 1 Introduction and 1 conclusion (see earlier comment under ‘How’). We will just give you a short list of reminders of what is important when facilitating sessions and groups of colleagues: Introduction: Ask them to switch of their phones, think of why they should be there – what is in it for them, tell them what you will talk about (topic), tell them how long it will last (time), what is expected of them in terms of participation and lastly what they will learn today (learning objective), encourage them to ask questions. Some ideas for your introduction: • Ask them a question about the topic to get them involved • Share a (personal) story about the topic • Do a small quiz/energizer if it relates to the topic Introduction #1 Good morning everybody! Welcome to our [insert module] which is called [insert name]. Ask a variety of questions to break the ice: How have you experienced our previous session? What did you enjoy? What have you been thinking

Explain what the flow of the session is and what the Ambassadors can expect.

Ask if there are any questions and start the session.

Conclusion #1 Say: We have now come to the end of our session and I would like to do a mini quiz to see how much you have remembered. Split the group in 2 teams and give each team a buzzer. Explain that you will ask a question and that as a team they need to decide on the correct answer. As soon as they agree on an answer, ring the buzzer. The team who has most questions correct wins the box of chocolates.

Ask Questions about the module Celebrate the winning team.

Make a link to the next session and when that will take place. Wish everybody good luck in practicing of their behavior.

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Conclusion #2 Say: We have now come to the end of our session and before we leave I would like to ask each of your to share with all of us how & what 1 thing will be that you will take to the hotel and start tomorrow. When all pairs have presented, conclude with the take away’s [per session]: Make a link to the next session and when that will take place. Wish everybody a great day. The reason the sessions last only 10 minutes is that it is easier to get Ambassadors ‘to attend’ for such a short time, than for entire days. However, if it is logistically easier to organize half or full days, then please do (see also Roll out plan).

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moVIeS During the roll out of the Transformer modules, in the script you will come across several movies which need to be shown during several sessions.

blueprint, they are bringing the blueprint to life).

Ambassadors of the event. This poster is on a Power- Point format to allow you to change the text for the translation into the local language.

Take individual and group Ambassador pictures before they enter the Kick-Off area, and photograph all at a fun Photo booth. THE PHOTO BOOTH Have a dedicated photo booth setup with many different props in the foyer/ meeting space to allow Ambassadors to dress up a little and take memorable pictures at the event. A picture is available in the Ambassador Day kit for inspiration. Some popular costumes/ wigs could be included as an added idea. AFTER THE KICK OFF 2 minute HD video, or picture slideshow must be submitted to the Global Talent & Service Culture Team, Singapore. This will be released on the intranet for us to see what you have accomplished during the Kick-Off, and letting The Ambassador shine. orGAnISAtIon & loGIStIcS It is important not to have too many Ambassadors at the same time for the Kick-Off, to have their full at- tention. The recommended format would be to have approximately 60 Ambassadors each time until all your Ambassadors have experienced the celebration, but larger sessions can be done according to hotel size. We recommend you to organize at least 3 general Ambassador meetings of 60-90 minutes or split over 2 days. You have also received an “Ambassador Day” poster that could be displayed in the heart of the house areas to inform your

room Set uP/ decor Foyer / Greeting space

The movies will be found on the AccorHotels vimeo site.

Food Stalls filled with different types of elegant finger food, drinks and desserts for Ambassadors to enjoy. Sofitel Brand markers to be considered. Sofitel brand colors to be used as much as possible in the décor – example balloons, ribbons. Ambassa- dors could also be given ties and scarves to wear for the day’s celebrations. Main hall Stage with a themed backdrop. Sofitel brand colors to be used where possible while elegantly reflecting the Sofitel brand. Seats In the audience could have coloured liners for the event. You could have a red carpet so that it feels like the release of a major motion picture, except here the blueprint will be released. A video projector/LCD/screen, special lighting where possible, microphone, speakers. You will need a camera to take video/pictures of the event.

celeBrAtIon dAY-Blue- PrInt releASe PArtY- KIcK oFF GuIdelIneS The theme this year will be “Feel Welcome Feel Valued” and kicking off this great program. It is tar- geted towards reflecting Sofitel. The Ambassador will experience what it feels like to feel welcome and feel valued first hand. During the celebration day we will also be introducing the FWFV program and the im- portance of our guest experiences, through Reverse Thinking and will be unveiling the Blueprints. BEFORE THE KICKOFF Communicate the Kick-Off at least one month prior to the event. Design a stage where you and the GM will hold the Kick-Off together. DURING THE KICKOFF Install performing stage (with backdrop of the theme) and all required materials (beamer/LCD/ projection/ audio appliance). Play some exciting and energetic Sofitel Brand music. Create a red carpet for the Ambassadors and treat each and everyone of the Ambassadors like the stars of the show. (They are the main “characters” in the

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We also recommend you to take high resolution photos/videos during this presentation in order to place these pictures on your notice boards and/or TV screen in the heart of the house.

The hotel HR team can display their hotel e-card on screens in the heart of house areas or printed on their bulletin boards. Recommendations Please ensure all pictures are taken in high reso- lution & email the finished card with a maximum of one photo and message to the Global Talent & Service Culture Team. Instagram & Twitter Hashtag Print Stations Another concept gaining increased popularity is the creation of event-based Instagram & Twitter social media print stations, so users can hashtag photos on their mobile devices in order to print and display them in real time at your event. This can be done by partnering with an external company if budget allows. A picture is available in the Ambassador Day Kit for inspiration. enGAGInG SocIAl medIA And GettInG tHe BuZZZ In the weeks leading up to the event, an idea is to use the hotel Facebook page or twitter and post stories on why our Ambassadors love working for Sofitel and choose to be loyal to the brand. This can be managed by the hotel marketing team. Recommendations • Small yet powerful messages – Example – “It’s the only place that made me feel like home, since leaving home”- Jason Xiang, Butler, 21. • Ambassadors who have great stories about their experiences with the brand

SuPPort Facebook Brand Page

In order to be aligned with what you present on your hotel social media platforms, the Global Talent & Service Culture Team will have a post dedicated to Ambassadors for 3 weeks after 16 June.

FlASHBAcK A 10-15 minute presentation in either ppt/ video format with pictures and video clips on key Ambas- sador and guest interaction moments from the year in your hotel (or in your region). You can add a few slides with positive hotel reviews. This can be com- piled at hotel level. Recommendations GM to introduce this presentation with Transformer and set the guest experience scene… “why are we

These will be depicted on • Google +: • TumblR: • YouTube:

focusing on our guests” 10 minutes minimum

An option would be to award their cousu main of the month or cousu main of the year at this point. (if you want to incorporate awarding/rewarding at this point)

KIcK oFF Hotel PHoto Every hotel could do a group photo involving all Ambassadors in various uniforms to build team spirit prior to the event. This photo is then put into a consistent template with a personalised message/ greeting from each hotel. The finished e-cards could then be sent to the Global Talent & Service Culture Team, who will share a selection of these worldwide on the Accor intranet.

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Kick-Ooff

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KIcK-OFF

IntroductIon

This Kick-Off will inform the Sofitel Ambassadors how and why we are embarking upon our Guest Service Experience journey. We will be taking a closer look at how the blueprint came about and why it is relevant for us at this time to focus on Guest Service Experience.

At tHe end oF tHIS module tHe AmBASSAdorS WIll Be ABle to

• Say in what way the Experience Pyramid affects good, great and exceptional experiences, and state what you will do in the hotel to create that Sofitel experience for our guests.

• Explain what Reverse Thinking is and say why our guests benefit from this approach. • Understand the set-up of the Blueprint and develop the confidence to start working in that context.

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WHY

WHo

HoW

mAterIAlS

In today’s rapidly changing hospitality and lifestyle scene, the only way to stay relevant and competitive is by turn- ing the spotlight on guest experiences. We want each Sofitel Ambassador to live and breathe the Guest Experience. Once each Sofitel Ambassa- dor demonstrates the desired behavior, both internally and externally, we can surprise our guests with cousu main service and blend art de vivre with local culture to create unforgettable experiences, this in turn creates raving Sofitel guests committed to the brand. Devoted fans that enrich our ever-expanding, global, Sofitel family.

Sofitel is a brand where innate French elegance artfully blends with local culture to create exceptional experiences. Sofitel dedicates its collection of authentic luxury hotels with a French soul to all modern status seekers looking for recognition through personalised service who value elegance, refine- ment and the good things in life. Our Ambassadors are guided by our blueprint to make every guests’ experience a memorable one.

This Kick-Off module has been fully scripted and lasts approx. 170 minutes. The size of the group can vary, ideally max. 10-12 participants. This module has been designed to be utilized in an ‘off the job’ location. Tip: Organize the Kick off session in one of your nicest banquet rooms; make Ambassadors feel really special. Material appropriate for your hotel (and country/ culture) to celebrate a party in a luxurious way, i.e. colored garlands, balloons, coffee and cake, (non alcoholic) cham- pagne, flower arrangements, luxury snacks appropriate for your hotel/country, etc. • Music selection: • Celebration – Kool and the gang: youtu.be/3GwjfU- FyY6M • Celebration – Madonna: youtu.be/lWTDR6ztcnQ • Party rock – LMFAO: youtu.be/KQ6zr6kCPj8 • Party – Girls Generation: youtu.be/HQzu7NYlZNQ

• Kick-Off script & presentation • Laptop, screen, LCD projector & speakers • Cards with the Reverse Thinking model • Sofitel blueprint card • Experience Pyramid handout • Service Culture & Experience Guide • Flipover • Post its • Music: Celebration – Kool and the gang: youtu.be/3GwjfUFyY6M • Video: Power movie: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CtiJnILEwkU • Video: Contrexperience: youtu.be/ bGJSEEx2pXc • Video: Simon Sinek the golden circle: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA • Video: Coca-Cola happiness machine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U This Kick-Off consists of: 00:00 Feel Welcome & Feel Valued 00:10 Where is our north? 00:15 Exercise-The Human Knot 00:25 Reverse Thinking 00:45 Reverse Thinking- what does this mean for us?

01:10 Our Sofitel Blueprint 01:35 Experience Pyramid

01:55 Exercise – Go for the Great 02.10 Stimulating Working Climate 02:50 Evaluation

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00:00 | Feel Welcome & Feel VAlued!

do this by going through this change together. So welcome everyone, welcome to the guest experience, or even better: welcome to experiencing and living the guest experience yourself. Are you ready? Say: We are going to live the guest experience together, as the Sofitel Ambassadors we are. Every part of this experience has been mapped out for us to share and follow. I am sure you are going to love this and be excited to start our guest experience ‘journey’. Say: The purpose of our guest experience is to help us to build our brand and further improve the experience in our hotels. Of course, by now with the extensive heritage, our guests know what to expect, but we want to go above and beyond, and really design environments and experiences for our guests that are in tune and in style with today’s mobile and connected world. This Kick-Off is designed so that we can discuss and learn about our guest experience. And understand how we are going to move forward in implementing our blueprint with our colleagues.

Transformer note: Play loud, active music for when the Ambassadors are walking into the room.

Greet all participants by shaking their hands, giving a warm smile and by saying that you are really happy they are here today. Explain that today is a party like we used to celebrate the Ambassador days. Ensure people have a drink and something to eat. Have people enjoy the party for approx. 15 minutes, make sure everybody is enjoying him/herself and is feeling relaxed. Play the clip below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtiJnILEwkU

After the movie ask: • What did you see? • What touched you the most? • What is the importance of Guest service? • How do you think you can personally contribute to the Sofitel Experience? Say: This is the very essence of what we will discuss here today. We will introduce you to the Guest Experience; a way by which we can treat our guests, which will set us apart from the competition. Some of you may say “why something new, some- thing different?” The answer is simple: good is no longer good enough… The trends are always chang- ing. Guest experience and making the guest a pri- ority is the new trend, and it’s here to stay. We are aiming to stay ahead of the trends and we can best

Ask: Who has a question about this so far?

Facilitate answers and move on with the introduction of this module.

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KICK-OFF

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00:10 | WHere IS our nortH?

Say: Before we start creating memories and our own experiences today, I want to show you a movie about AccorHotels LUB.

Say: Let’s do a brief exercise that demonstrates the importance of being aligned before commencing on our journey. Please stand up and allow some space around you. State the following: I want you all to close your eyes. Image you and a couple of friends decide to do a boat trip to an is- land where you will have a barbecue. All of a sudden a freak storm hits. The boat hits rough waters and gets turned around. You are adrift and none of your instruments work. Please turn clock wise... now, you ask your friends, where is the north. Please point toward where you think the north is and open your eyes.

Show: AccorHotels LUB brand movie.

Ask: What things did you notice about this movie? What stood out?

Explain: We are Sofitel Ambassadors and this means something for all of us.

Ask: What does it mean to you as an Ambassador?

Facilitate discussion

Explain: Well, we as Sofitel (and Sofitel Ambassa- dors) stand for a few things.

Transformer note: Explain a bit about the AccorHo- tels LUB heritage, and the Sofitel brand. Keep this short and sweet (5 minutes’ max)

Transformer note: Everybody should be pointing in a different direction.

Ask: What conclusions can we draw from this exercise? (Encourage the group to comment and discuss the different remarks that are made). Wrap up and say: We all need to be headed in the same direction. If we start this process without a clear and shared goal or direction, we will not succeed. Our Blueprint defines our future context; we are going to go into more detail about this later. We will discuss the Blueprint today in order to make sure that we all have the same point of view and the same direction going forward.

Ask: What does this mean to you?

Say: Ok, let’s move on, over the next few hours, we are going to explore the ins and outs of our guest experience, together.

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KICK-OFF

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00:15 | eXercISe – tHe HumAn Knot

00:25 | reVerSe tHInKInG

Ask: Is that clear?

Say: You must now work together to untangle yourselves and create 1 circle once again (holding hands with your neighbors and don’t let go!). Go ahead! Transformer note: Once they have been untangled, and a circle has been formed once again, they have completed the exercise. Applaud! Now the exercise has been completed, ask: What did you think about the result of this exercise and what is the main lesson learned following this exercise? Conclude: Each link in the chain is of importance, therefore it can be said that you need everyone to reach your objective/goal. If you don’t communicate with each other, and don’t listen to each other, it will take significantly longer to complete the task than when you communicate. In this exercise, we reached out and connected with each other. Although this is a different kind of “connection” than what we want to do with our guests, it’s a good way to introduce one of the desired guest experiences. Say: Based on this exercise, what do you need to reach certain goals? • Teamwork • Drive • Connection • Respecting and listening to each other

Transformer note: You may use your brand and ser- vice experience guide for more details about reverse thinking. Say: It is safe to assume that it is not just the hotel properties and the beds that make a guest experi- ence. It is this assumption and thought that leads us to the model of Reverse Thinking. Our guests want an environment and experiences that are relevant, in tune and in style with the way we do things today, they want new experiences and memories.

Set up: You need a large open area where the group can freely move about. If needed to make this cultur- ally, separate the men and the women to form 2 groups. Explain the Introduction: A successful change can only happen with teamwork, we must work together, to realize this desired change. The following exercise will allow us to experience the importance of team- work in order to accomplish a unified goal. We must maintain our bond and explorer connection even if the task is challenging and difficult. Say: The exercise you will do today is about mak- ing contact with your colleagues and teamwork. You have to show that you work together well as a group. We will start off as a human knot, and the goal of this exercise is to end up in 1 big circle. In a minute, I will ask you to take each other’s hands, and not to let go throughout the exercise.

Ask: Who here can take a guess as to what Reverse Thinking is?

Say: In many companies, the product is central in everything they do, it drives the key decisions and drives the company forward overall.

Show: Reverse Thinking card and refer to the Service Culture & Experience Guide

Ask: Can you please form a circle?

Say: Reverse Thinking is a new way of looking at the way we interact with our guests. It means that we take the desired guest experience as the starting point for everything we do. Hence, we have devel- oped a more powerful retail store experience during which the guest feels even more welcome, appreci- ated, connected, and part of our tribe. Say: Let’s take a look at this and see how this works for another company, let’s take a mobile phone com- pany for an example.

Transformer note: If you have more than 12 people in the group, divide the group up so that you have 6-8 people per sub-group. Say: Now that you are in circle formation, could you please reach out and hold two hands of different people, not two hands of the same person. You must also not hold the hands of your neighbours directly to your left and right. Now that you have hold of the hands, you must not let go.

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KICK-OFF

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Once we have decided what we want our guests to experience, we can then look specifically at what actions we need to take to make this a reality. Phase 2: We can now decide in which way we want to deal with our guests to contribute to that desired experience. If everything is focused on that desired guest experience, this also means that the Accor- Hotels leadership should be focused on that aspect and on how our leaders can help our Sofitel Ambas- sadors demonstrate the required behavior. Phase 3: The leaders therefore need to be trans- formed and equipped in order to be able to trans- form, coach, assist, guide and cooperate with the Sofitel Ambassadors. Phase 4 & 5: As we will be mainly concentrating on behavior today, we will not be discussing the latter 2 phases. Ask: What do you think about this Reverse Thinking model? Have you perhaps experienced companies yourself where you felt that the service/focus was really about you? Somewhere where the employees really made an effort?

Ask: Does that approach make you feel welcome or valued?

Phase 1: The telephone company wants to sell phones. In order to do so, they present telephones in the shop windows. To make sure the right phone is placed in the window, they have processes and procedures in place. Phase 2: These processes contribute to correct purchasing and transportation of telephones to the actual shop. Of course there are also procedures for the return of goods, the warranty system, etc. Phase 3: To be able to control these processes, there are managers in place to coordinate all the processes and procedures. They also manage the employees along the way. Phase 4: In turn, the employees do their very best to do a good job and therefore to apply the processes and procedures. Phase 5: And so what the guests actually experience is a direct result of these 4 phases. In those kinds of organizations, we can say that the process is leading in everything they do.

Facilitate the answers and then say: Well, it certainly doesn’t move me… Why do I not feel welcome when I hear that? Facilitate the answers and then conclude: People only feel really welcome when they can sense it was genuine. That it was not just a standard approach, but was personalized.

Say: Now is this the way we want to be seen/por- trayed at AccorHotels LUB or Sofitel in particular?

Conclude: If our guests are truly the most important aspect for us, don’t you agree that everything we do should be aimed at the experience we want to achieve for them? Introduce the video clip by saying this is a great example on how the Water company has thought about the experience of their customer.

Show the “Contrexperience” video; youtu.be/ bGJSEEx2pXc

Ask: Who can give me an example of an organization that works in this way?

( Show the model of Reverse Thinking– and explain the phases)

Facilitate the answers and then say: When a certain organization works in this way, it does not mean they are not successful. A well-known example of such an organization is McDonalds. They focus enormously on processes and procedures. Even their guest approach works according to a fixed script. When you enter a McDrive, they will always ask you the exact same question: “Welcome to McDonalds, can I take your order please?”

Phase 1: As you can see here, we’ve turned the first model around in order to ensure that we start with our guests and Sofitel Ambassadors and what we want them to experience. The experience of our guests should be central to everything we do.

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00:45 | reVerSe tHInKInG – WHAt doeS tHIS meAn For uS? Say: You may wonder what does Reverse Thinking mean to me? What can I contribute? What knowl- edge can I share to contribute to our desired guest experience?

flowers, but rather handed them out as corsages to younger girls and older women.

would find a ‘thought of the day’. If I can’t find a say- ing I like, Johnny said proudly, then I’ll make one up.

His colleagues laughed at Johnny initially but now they followed his example in every department.

When Johnny had a good saying, his dad helped him to print his ‘thought of the day’ six times on a sheet of paper. Every night they printed 50 pages. Johnny cut out each quote, and signed his name on the back of every one of them. Then he put them in a paper bag, which he took to work each day. When he’d finished packing a customer’s groceries, he put the thought of the day in their bag and said ‘thanks for shopping with us’. His colleagues wondered what he was doing so he had to explain his new approach to them. They didn’t like his idea and thought it was a waste of time but Johnny persevered, even though his colleagues questioned what he was doing. A month later, the supermarket manager was doing his rounds and came up front where the cash regis- ters are. He found that the queue at Johnny’s check- out was 3 times longer than anyone else’s. He was concerned and asked for more cashiers, to get more lanes open. But no customers would move. They all said: “no, it’s okay. We want to be in Johnny’s lane. We want his ‘thought for the day’.”

Say: Once again, this is a true story. You can imagine this action was very good for the bottom line results of the supermarket. And who was the biggest change agent? It was Johnny, a 19-year-old bagger, with a learning disability, who decided to make a difference for his customers! Say: Everyone can choose to be a Johnny! Everyone can surprise other people. He made his customers feel welcome and feel valued. Now of course, this is not exactly the way we want/mean for AccorHotels LUB properties. But use this story as an inspiration, if Johnny can do it so can you!

Transformer note: Introduce the story of Johnny the Bagger.

Say: This is the true story of Johnny the Bagger.

Ask: Who knows what a bagger is?

Explain: So it’s not a beggar (with an ‘e’), who would be begging for money. But a bagger (with an ‘a’), who is bagging groceries in an American supermarket, at the end of a cash register. Read: One day Johnny attended a workshop on customer service. You should know that Johnny had Down’s Syndrome, and at the time this workshop took place, Johnny was 19 years old. The theme was ‘how can you put your personal fingerprint on your service’. In other words, how can you personalize your service in such a way that customers actually come back because of the service that you offer, and not for the building or its groceries... Johnny was touched by the theme and also wanted to make a difference, as he told his dad later that night. But he didn’t know how, because after all ‘he was only a bagger’. Then he had an idea: he decided that every night when he came home from work, he

Ask: What do you think of this story?

Transformer note: Facilitate the discussion. Use the reactions of the group to introduce the “personal fingerprint” exercise. Say: I would like to challenge you all to come up with your personal fingerprint. How are you going to put your personal fingerprint on the desired guest Experience? How can you make the difference for, and give attention to, our guests and Sofitel Ambas- sadors alike? How can you be a Johnny? After a few minutes of individual thinking, ask everyone to share their idea(s) with the rest of the participants. Say that you would like to hear what

Some customers even had Johnny’s saying on their shopping list.

Only weeks later, Johnny’s example was followed in every department. In the butcher’s store, there was a girl who collected snoopy stickers and started putting them on the customer’s meat packs. And in the flower shop, they no longer threw out broken

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I want the guests to feel welcome and valued, this means that I will…

they are going to do to inspire their colleagues or/ and guests and how they are going to demonstrate bringing the Blueprint to life. We will discuss our Sofitel blueprint in our next section. Discuss the exercise by asking some of the following questions: • Does anyone have any examples of when they have received great service either inside or outside Sofitel and/or AccorHotels properties? How do you feel about that? • Do you think this kind of thing will have a positive effect on our guests? (Yes of course) • In what way do you think that leaving personal fingerprints will create raving fans/loyal colleagues or and guests? Why/How? (Absolutely, colleagues or guests will talk about it and come back because they want more)

I will share an example with you to set you off on the right track: • If the guests are leading in everything I do, this means that I will NOT walk past a guest without making eye contact and without greeting him with a personalized comment. • I will ensure that every regular guest is greeted by name with a genuine smile. Transformer note: Discuss the answers that the pairs came up with, make sure that they are talking about behaviors which they can change, and not just ge- neric statements.

Show: Part 1 of Brand Experience Movie Sofitel.

Do you think Sofitel will benefit if you start to deliver personal fingerprints? Why/How?

Finalize this topic of “Reverse Thinking – What does this mean for us?” with the following exercise in pairs: Say: I would like you and your partner to each come up with a few behaviors that answer some questions below: • If the guests are leading in everything I do, and I want the guests to feel welcome and valued, this means that my behavior must… • If the guests are leading in everything I do, and I want the guests to feel welcome and valued, this means that I will NOT… • If the guests are leading in everything I do, and

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01:10 | our AccorHotelS luB- SoFItel BluePrInt

Let’s think about that for a minute. We will map out this desired experience in the following way. • I want to ask you to take 3 post-its each and please answer the question; “How do I want Sofitel to be experienced by our guests?” (We already know we want our guests to experience AccorHotels LUB as Feeling Welcome and Valued) • Then write 3 answers to that question on your 3 post-its.

Ask: How do the words you have written down match the words on the official blueprint?

Explain: How the experience leads to our behavior, which in turn leads to the ideal working climate and lastly that determines the leadership role. YOU are the ultimate influence on that guest experience. You create that unique style for our guest. By surprising with Cousu Main service. You create that lasting and memorable impression. You connect to our guests. YOU are the new experience. Wouldn’t it be great if we were able to achieve this together? I am convinced that we will!

Explain: Our guests too are increasingly aware of what they want, and the only way of ensuring that they continue to come back to us is to turn them into life-long Raving Sofitel fans.

Show: Simon Sinek the golden circle www.youtube. com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

Say: Now that you have answered those questions, can you please stick your post-its on the flip chart.

Ask: What do you see?

Say: Let’s take a look at what you’ve posted. Let’s take a look at the Sofitel blueprint that has been decided upon.

Facilitate discussion

Handout: Sofitel blueprint and refer to the Service Culture & Experience Guide.

Ask: Do you know the #1 job requirement for someone who wants to work for Apple? You must love Apple, the rest can be taught. If employees love Apple, they will talk about Apple with love and care, they will sell more and they will talk about the product with passion and emotion. Explain: It starts with the Who/Why – if you say: our being changes, then everything else changes. Who/ why are desired experiences, this is the world of being. Then you move onto the “how” – doing. Using this principle and this basis, we have come up with our WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW. What do you guys think about this?

Show: Blueprint.

Show: Part 2 of Brand Experience Movie Sofitel.

• Desired Guest Experience, in every contact with a Sofitel Ambassador we want the guests to feel welcome, feel indulged, feel valued/special and feel magnifique. • Optimal staff (Ambassador) behavior to facilitate this desired guest experience is, I am genuine, I am generous, I care and I share my passion. • In order to stimulate this desired guest experience, we must have the optimal stimulating working climate. We work together in a trusting, empowering, appreciating and celebrating environment, one where we blend performance and enjoyment. • Optimal Brand experience leadership (our leaders help us to create an exceptional guest experience) a leadership that supports, coaches, recognizes and rewards.

Facilitate discussion

Say: Let me ask you some broad questions, if you are to create a new experience for Sofitel, we first have to understand and create a desired guest experience.

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01:35 | eXPerIence PYrAmId

Transformer note: You may use your brand and service experience guide for more details about the pyramid of experience. The Guest Experience starts by answering one key question: “What do we want our guests to experience and what do we want them to say about us?” Explain: When was the last time you went out for din- ner? It is very likely that before you chose the restau- rant you not only consulted the Internet, but also asked your friends about their experience. With today’s mod- ern technology, everyone is connected; Social media and Internet are accessible to everyone. Restaurants, hotels, and retail stores are now reviewed, judged… People are more exposed and experienced than ever before and therefore expect more than ever before. In order to live up to those expectations, we must first get the basics right. Our processes, standards and norms must be of a very high standard. Satis- fying expectations is just as important. However, simply satisfying our guests is no longer enough. We need to go for the great, if we want to gain and maintain Raving fans we must go above and beyond, we must consistently exceed expectations.

Handout: Experience pyramid and refer to the Service Culture & Experience Guide

Explain: That the difference between fulfilling ex- pectations and exceeding expectations can mean the difference between guests and Raving fans. It is our

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Exercise: Divide the group in 2 sub-groups.

Transformer note: In principle, the conclusion should be that because of the exceeded expectation, the guests will have enjoyed the contact a lot and be left inspired in a positive way. He/she will tell his/her friends and family about that positive experience and will come back, because it was so amazing. And even better…he/she will bring his/her friends and family along! Creating Raving fans along the way!

mission to maintain our current guests; additionally we want to convert new guests into Raving fans as well. We can only create and maintain these Raving fans through creating unique and personalized guest experiences. Unique to AccorHotels LUB and Sofitel.

Task (5 min): On your Post-it notes, I would like you to write down behavior that you – our Sofitel Ambassadors – demonstrate in your day-to-day job. Try to categorize it under one of the headings of our desired behavior; I am genuine, I am generous, I care, I share my passion.

01:55 | eXercISe – Go For tHe GreAt!

Evaluate exercise (5 min): Ask the groups to explain their results. Facilitate the discussion.

Say: As I just explained, we want to behave in a certain way that will contribute to exceeding guest expectations; we want our guests to feel welcome, feel indulged, feel valued/special and feel mag- nifique. Say: Let me show you a video www.youtube. com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U (Coca-Cola happiness machine)

Finalize: Decide where on the pyramid these behaviors written on post-its, fall. Are they exceeding guest expectations, meeting expectations or are these behav- iors the standard expectations? This can then be hung up at a place in the heart of house for example, where Sofitel Ambassadors will constantly be reminded of what behavior to demonstrate in order to exceed expectations. Transformer note: The difference between meeting expectations and exceeding expectations varies per guest; what is exceeding for you, could be “just” meeting expectations for me… Important that the answers here are therefore not “black and white”, it can vary as long as the argumentation is there. Discuss the exercise by asking some of the following questions: • Do you think that when you try to exceed guest expectations, it will help you in terms of delivering a surprising experience for our guests? Why/How? • Will it contribute to creating more enthusiastic Raving fans? Why/How?

Ask: What does this video show us? How does this make you feel about Coca-Cola?

Say: Now, back to us, let me talk you through a few examples of what we are looking for here. In the Service Culture & Experience Guide (show it to the Sofitel Ambassador), you can see the following ex- amples for Sofitel Ambassador behavior:

Transformer note: Read some examples from the guide.

Say: We need to show all of these types of behavior, but I think you’ll now see the difference between a satisfactory experience and an exceptional experience.

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02:10 | StImulAtInG WorKInG clImAte

Prepare in advance: 2 sheets with these 2 questions: • What still needs to be done/ what steps should be taken by us to deliver the desired working climate? • What can we do more of, less of, or differently? To do: Hand out 2 Brain writing sheets with 2 differ- ent questions to each subgroup of 2 Sofitel Ambassa- dors. This way, all of the 2 questions are answered in each group.

Step 1 Say: We are going to start and take our first step. Please all start writing down your first 3 ideas. After 3 minutes I will give a signal and then every- body passes their sheet to the person to their left. Transformer note: After 3 minutes, give a signal to pass the sheets. If all groups are ready before this, feel free to let them pass the sheets earlier. To do: To be sure whether everybody understands the 3 ideas that are written on the sheet, give the Sofitel Ambassadors one minute to ask each other questions. Say: Please read the ideas on the sheet. Do you understand everything? You get 30 seconds to ask each other questions for clarification. After 1 minute, say: Now please add 3 ideas related to the question. Feel inspired by what is already written or try to come up with out of the box ideas that put everything into a different perspective. Feel free to write down any idea that you find worth sharing. Transformer note: Give a signal after each 3 minutes until everybody has received their original sheet back (with lots of ideas written down on it). Allow the participants 30 seconds’ time to ask for clarification between each round. Step 2 Say: Everybody has received their original sheet back again. Please take a minute to read what is written down on it, and circle the 2 ideas that you think are best. Write those ideas on a post-it.

Say: So let’s take a deeper look into the meaning of the Blueprint boxes related to the working climate. Now you will focus on what we need to do in the future to deliver the Sofitel Experience Blueprint. Show the blueprint and explain that the optimal working climate is in place in order for us to deliver the most optimal desired experience. Explain: We are making exceptional experiences for our guests right? Well, wouldn’t you agree that an optimal working climate, one that is stimulating, is a (major) contributing factor to guest experience success? I think so! Transformer note: You can read text from the Service Culture & Experience Guide in order to read the ex- amples from the stimulating working culture. Say: In order to do this, we will complete a brain writing session based on some key questions that relate to the journey ahead of us. Explain: Brain writing is simple. Rather than yelling out ideas (a serial process), you are going to write down your ideas about a particular question or problem on a brain writing sheet for a few minutes; then you pass your sheet with ideas on to the Sofitel Ambassador to your left (clockwise), who reads the ideas and adds new ideas. After 3 minutes, I will ask you to pass your sheet again, and the process is repeated. After 10 to 15 minutes, I will collect the sheets and we will discuss the ideas.

Prepare in advance, two sheets with these 2 questions:

• What still needs to be done/ what steps should be taken by us to deliver the desired working climate? • What can we do more of, less of, or differently? Explain: Everybody’s knowledge, experience, thoughts and opinions are valuable. In subgroups, you are going to discuss the key questions, which are presented on your sheet. To do: Share the Brain writing etiquette: All ideas and responses are welcome so I would encourage you to have an open dialogue. It is important to listen to the views of your colleagues, which will help you to collaborate and build on each other’s ideas. Please make sure you…

• Concentrate on what is important • Contribute by sharing your ideas

• Speak from your heart and use common sense • Read and ask questions to understand and gain new insights • Connect and link different ideas • Enjoy!

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