Four Seasons

goes to Paris
By group 2
Deepa PURANIK 18070
Pranav MG 18078
Vishnu MENON R 18086
Athul VINOD 18095
Srinivas PRASAD 18110
Veena SHRAVANI 18113
Nisarga GANESH 18116
 • Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four
Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is an international
luxury hospitality company headquartered in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Isadore sharp founded four season in 1960
• Four Seasons operates with 53 properties all in 24
countries.
Introduction • Four seasons believe in recognizing a familiar face,
welcoming a new one and treating everyone we
meet the way we would want to be treated
ourselves.
• Four State hotel company currently is aimed
towards expanding from France to open a branch in
Paris.
 Acting friendly toward and smiling at guests,

Common Making eye contact with passers-by to acknowledge their presence,

service Creating a sense of recognition with guests by using their first

names naturally but discreetly,
culture Using a clear and unpretentious voice,
standards Being well informed about the hotel, their products and services,
followed by and taking ownership to help guests solve their problems,

four seasons Always appearing well groomed, clean, and well fitted, and finally

Always and everywhere showing their concern for the guests

 Approach to international growth

• Diversity & Singularity - According to Corinthios (President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa)- “Our
strength is our diversity and our singularity. While the essence of the local culture may vary, the process
for opening and operating a hotel is the same everywhere.” What changes is that people do it with their
own style, grace, and personality; in some cultures you add the strong local temperament. As a result,
“each hotel is tailor made” and adapted to its national environment
• Globally Uniform Standards - The seven Four Seasons “service culture standards” expected of all staff
all over the world at all times. The standards were set by the firm’s senior vice presidents and Wolf
Hengst, president, Worldwide Hotel Operations. Exceptions to the standards were permitted if they
made local sense.
• For instance, We had a rule about the number of different types of bread rolls to be served at dinner and
number of varieties of wine to be offered at lounges. In countries where no bread is eaten at dinner and
no wine consumed, that’s pretty stupid. To evaluate each property’s performance against the standards,
Four Seasons used both external and internal auditors.
 • Delivering “Intelligent, Anticipatory, and Enthusiastic
Service” Worldwide - Our distinguishing edge would be
exceptional, personal service—that’s where the value
is. We need employees who are as distinguished as our
guests. If employees are going to adapt, to be
empathetic and anticipate guest needs, the ‘distance’
between the employee and the guest has to be small.
• The products were always comfortable—so much so
that at guests’ requests, the company made its pillows,
Cont… bedspreads, and mattresses available for sale.
• Human Resources and “The Golden Rule” - Human
resource management at Four Seasons started and
ended with “The Golden Rule,” which stipulated that
one should treat others as one would wish to be treated.
“The Golden Rule is the key to the success of the firm,”
founder and CEO Sharp emphasized, “and it’s
appreciated in every village, town, and city around the
world. Basic human needs are the same everywhere.”
 Issues/differences at paris

Entering the French hospitality market meant becoming a French employer, which implied understanding
French labour laws, business culture, and national idiosyncrasies.
• A particularly tricky area of labour management in France involved terminations. The termination stick
is more challenging because you really need a very, very good cause and to document everything
carefully. If you have one gap in the documentation, you will have to rehire the terminated employee.
• There was a great disparity between North American (U.S. and Canadian) national culture and that of
France. Attitudes on performance evaluation was one difference. European and Middle Eastern
managers have a hard time sitting across from people they supervise and talking about their
weaknesses. The culture is not confrontational.
• The greatest challenge in France is to get managers to take accountability for decisions and policies. In
the French hierarchical system, there is a strong tendency to refer things to the boss. We, at Four
Seasons, require that operating managers be present, deal with the issue, and lead the discussion.
 • Most of the workforce in France did not know what
Four Seasons was all about. For example, they did not
think we were serious about the Golden Rule. They
thought it was way too American.
• For several Four Seasons managers, working in France
required a “bigger cultural adjustment” than had been
necessary in other countries. The French have a very
CONT… emotional way of doing things,” an F. S. George V
manager explained. “This can be good and bad. The
good side is that they can be very joyous and engaging.
On the bad side, sometimes the French temper lashes
out. ”
• North Americans have been characterized by cultural
researchers as having a “monochronic” culture. In
contrast, the French were said to be “polychronic”.
 • Entering France was a great
challenge by the company
Strategies used • They realized the difference between
by Four Seasons French and American managers styles
• Implemented 35 hour work week
• Strong recruitment and selection
process
• Promoted communication
• Four seasons also launched employee
of the month and the year program
and annual evaluations as well
 • The success of Four Season all bases on a simple idea –
Golden Rules
• George V has been renovated successfully through by
Conclusion understanding the cultural awareness and adapting to
the local market with universal standards.
• Four Seasons was successful in implementing various
strategies
• They used cultural cocktail to create a French hotel with
international features
• The successful management is not only required the
qualifications but also be able to take accountability for
decisions and policies, with the positive attitude, exhibit
entrepreneurial skills and flexibility to create ethical
work environments.
• To conclude, Four Seasons has grown effectively over
half a century and provides exceptional services to the
customers across the globe
THANK
YOU!