What do you think?
Rate this book
Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, co-author of Built to Last: "Horst Schulze created a culture of service that should be a model for all of us. By committing to the highest standards of professionalism - and creating the right systems to achieve them - he inspired thousands to embrace the core ideal of sheer unadulterated excellence. Schulze now shares his story, and his methods, so that the rest of us can be uplifted and taught by the master himself."
Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO, Chick-fil-A: "Horst Schulze's influence on my family and our business is undeniable. His approach to customer service revolutionized the hotel industry and set a high bar for all of us. His new book, Excellence Wins, weaves Horst's personal story with the practical wisdom he's gleaned from an incredible career of servant leadership. It's a must read for leaders and anyone passionate about serving people."
***
Your blueprint for becoming the very best in a world of compromise.
Horst Schulze knows how to win. In Excellence Wins, Schulze, in his absolute no-nonsense approach, shares the visionary and disruptive principles that have produced immense global successes over the course of his still-prolific fifty-year career.
As the cofounder and former president of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Schulze fearlessly led the company to unprecedented multi-billion dollar growth, setting the business vision and people-focused standards that made the Ritz-Carlton brand globally elite.
Schulze's principles are both versatile and utterly practical to leaders of every age, career stage, and industry. You don't need a powerful title or a line of direct reports--you have everything you need to use them right now.
Unleash the disruptive power of your true potential, beat the competition, own your career trajectory, and experience the game-changing proof firsthand: Excellence Wins.
Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO, Chick-fil-A: "Horst Schulze's influence on my family and our business is undeniable. His approach to customer service revolutionized the hotel industry and set a high bar for all of us. His new book, Excellence Wins, weaves Horst's personal story with the practical wisdom he's gleaned from an incredible career of servant leadership. It's a must read for leaders and anyone passionate about serving people."
***
Your blueprint for becoming the very best in a world of compromise.
Horst Schulze knows how to win. In Excellence Wins, Schulze, in his absolute no-nonsense approach, shares the visionary and disruptive principles that have produced immense global successes over the course of his still-prolific fifty-year career.
As the cofounder and former president of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Schulze fearlessly led the company to unprecedented multi-billion dollar growth, setting the business vision and people-focused standards that made the Ritz-Carlton brand globally elite.
Schulze's principles are both versatile and utterly practical to leaders of every age, career stage, and industry. You don't need a powerful title or a line of direct reports--you have everything you need to use them right now.
Unleash the disruptive power of your true potential, beat the competition, own your career trajectory, and experience the game-changing proof firsthand: Excellence Wins.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
March 10, 2019
I work in hospitality industry used to know a GM who was a department head of a Ritz-Carlton. He was the one who got me interested in the brand, and then I read and watched anything I could find about Horst Schulze and his story.
This book summarizes all what he said in his speeches on youtube, which I still recommend to watch as no book can show the level of passion and commitment this man has for creating excellent service.
The beautiful thing about his philosophy is that it neatly combines various business theories, psychology and produces something that really works.
Key points:
-People don't come to work for money. We seek purpose and relationships.
-Key measurements. Guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, lead indicators (sales)
-Who are our customers? What do they want? How can we serve them better than competition?
-Customers look for the following in any product or service: no defects, timeliness, friendly people
-Personalize service. Adjust to the needs of each client
-All problems come down to interactions with guests
-Service: warm welcome, comply with guest wishes, warm farewell
-Objective of a business: 1. Keep the customer. 2. Get new customers. 3. Encourage the customers to spend as much as possible!—but without sabotaging Objective Number One. 4. In all of the above, keep working toward more and more efficiency.
-Make no excuses. Anything can be done
-If you have a complaint. Own it immediately
-Defect prevention is key to service excellence
-CARE. Clean and repair everything
-motivator in our lives isn’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements.
-management is caring for people
-My point is, leaders are dreamers. They set their sights on worthwhile goals that will be good not only for themselves but also for their
-Leadership implies that somebody has a destination in view and is taking people along to that destination.
-Belief systems work. Culture works. The slogan or statement must be simply an interpretation of the real meaning and life within an organization.
-“You won’t accomplish what you don’t measure.”
-Do with excellence what the customer loves, and the money will follow.
-There is always room at the top.
This book summarizes all what he said in his speeches on youtube, which I still recommend to watch as no book can show the level of passion and commitment this man has for creating excellent service.
The beautiful thing about his philosophy is that it neatly combines various business theories, psychology and produces something that really works.
Key points:
-People don't come to work for money. We seek purpose and relationships.
-Key measurements. Guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, lead indicators (sales)
-Who are our customers? What do they want? How can we serve them better than competition?
-Customers look for the following in any product or service: no defects, timeliness, friendly people
-Personalize service. Adjust to the needs of each client
-All problems come down to interactions with guests
-Service: warm welcome, comply with guest wishes, warm farewell
-Objective of a business: 1. Keep the customer. 2. Get new customers. 3. Encourage the customers to spend as much as possible!—but without sabotaging Objective Number One. 4. In all of the above, keep working toward more and more efficiency.
-Make no excuses. Anything can be done
-If you have a complaint. Own it immediately
-Defect prevention is key to service excellence
-CARE. Clean and repair everything
-motivator in our lives isn’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements.
-management is caring for people
-My point is, leaders are dreamers. They set their sights on worthwhile goals that will be good not only for themselves but also for their
-Leadership implies that somebody has a destination in view and is taking people along to that destination.
-Belief systems work. Culture works. The slogan or statement must be simply an interpretation of the real meaning and life within an organization.
-“You won’t accomplish what you don’t measure.”
-Do with excellence what the customer loves, and the money will follow.
-There is always room at the top.
May 26, 2019
I loved this book! I found the heart behind customer service to be something I can and should use in everyday relationships.
March 22, 2020
Was asked to read this for work in client services and it did have some good pockets of information. He was successful, which is admirable but there is an underlying red thread of ego throughout it
October 16, 2020
Not so much about Ritz-Carlton but about leadership in general. Simple quick read at a 30k foot view. Probably deserves 3 stars but this man is just too damn likable to give anything less than 4.
May 24, 2019
Tons of great insight from a gold standard in the worlds of hospitality and service!
April 1, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. It’s engaging, written in plain language, full of stories, so well done and helpful, especially if you manage people.
January 30, 2023
I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. It’s very readable, and there’s many interesting stories to keep the informative nature of the book from making it too dry. Schulze has an interesting story, and that combined with his passion make him a likable author. Multiple helpful insights and pieces of advice are contained in the book. It truly is applicable for someone working in about any field, and Schulze’s belief in valuing other people and treating them well (with sincerity!) is a great basis for his philosophy.
April 29, 2020
Great principles that can be applied across industries. An authentic account of how he approaches opportunities and problems and how he led with excellence mindset that makes the crucial difference between good and great. A reminder that when one stewards one’s career well, their influence increases to enable them to change the course of history in the sphere of their influence. That is inspiring. Thankful to be exposed to individuals like these through their willingness to spend time on making a written account of their lives.
October 1, 2019
Loved this book! Horst does an excellent job highlighting the importance of motivating team members by sharing an inspiring vision. His concepts are simple and easy to understand - amazingly basic strategies that are unfortunately so frequently second-guessed or forgotten that many business do indeed end up compromising or losing market share. The businesses that hold true to core values, instill employee desires to be part of something greater than themselves, and consistently perform above average will always outshine their competitors - everyone benefits in this model. Can't say enough good things about this book - an easy read - the stories are inspiring and Horst's moral compass is set on due North!
Read
September 9, 2021Though this is framed as a book of business advice, I think it's best read as an example of a lived capitalist/Christian ethic – and a fairly rich one at that. There's plenty of ideas and concepts, explicit and implicit, to unpack and critique.
Fun fact: Dan Cathy got the idea of requiring every Chick-fil-a employee to say “my pleasure” from Horst Schulze.
Fun fact: Dan Cathy got the idea of requiring every Chick-fil-a employee to say “my pleasure” from Horst Schulze.
November 1, 2019
Fantastic book. I really love Horst’s concepts on how to treat others (customers, employees, and colleagues). His book is mostly for those running a business, but truly it can be applied to any area of life. Do everything with excellence.
December 20, 2020
Nothing better than reading a book about a leader and management style you admire. His career and learnings he used in the book are very interesting and makes you aware of details ones might have forgotten but are essentials. Also very easy to read, quick read.
Read
October 30, 2023Top notch book on setting a high standard, casting a vision, and leading towards excellence. Applicable to all businesses, organizations, industries, etc…
July 13, 2020
I have heard Schulze speak a couple of times at Fellowship of Companies for Christ conferences. Always energetic and always on point.
Since his book came out, he spoke at another conference last year and it also was recorded. We followed much of what he espouses below with degrees of success. It all resonates with me in how to run a company with excellence.
Schultze also mentions his growing faith in Jesus and how He has affected what he does and how he does it.
Merrill collaborates with Horst Schulze and outlines his blueprint for success in business, in his case, hotels.
PART ONE:
Serving Your Customers
1. Getting Inside Your Customer's Head
- they want a product or service or other output with no defects
- they want timeliness
- they want the person with whom they're dealing to be nice to them p36
2. Customer Service is Everybody's Job
- "Customer service is just for those who face the public, it also extends to people inside an organization who deal with each other."p 50
3. Four Supreme Objectives
-Keep the customer
-Get new customers
-Encourage customers to spend as much as possible without sabotaging "keep the customer"
-In all of the above, keep working toward more and more efficiency
4. The Fine Art of Handling Complaints
- "If you get a complaint you own it, whether you personally caused the problem or not" p75
5. Three Kinds of Customers (and Three Ways to Lose Them)
-dissatisfied customers
-satisfied customers
-loyal customers
-"Loyalty is dependent on continuing performance; the minute we start thinking and acting as if we own the customer we are nurturing a dangerous fantasy." p86
PART TWO:
Engaging Your Employees
6. More Than a Pair of Hands
-"Employees respond enthusiastically to motives and objectives; they simply endure - put up with- orders and directions."p100
- Don't just hire, select p106
7. First Things First
- orientation - carpe diem
- "If the culture of your organization isn't right, it will devour your best-laid plans." p116
8. Why Repetition Is a Good Thing
- "If you intend to be a leader you need to keep reinforcing what makes you number one." p132
9. Managers Push; Leaders Inspire
- "The words used by leaders must be thoughtfully chosen not just silly slogans thrown around." p144
10. Bridging the Gulf Between Management and Labor
- "A thin layer of politeness can cover a deep reservoir of animosity." p151
PART THREE:
Building True Leadership
11. Leading is An Acquired Skill
Visions Require Decisions
#1 Strive to Inspire
#2 Don't Settle for Less
#3 Let Nothing Cloud Your Vision
#4 Always Look to Improve p175
Leadership is.... (from the top down) p177
- understanding the vision
- committing to communicate the vision
- getting started and doing it!
- maintaining focus
- energizing
12. Why Vision Statements Matter
13. A Leader's "Gut" is Not Enough
- "Results don't come from hiding ourselves from reality; results emerge as we measure our realities and make adjustments." p 201
14. Money and Love
- do what the customer loves and the money will follow
Since his book came out, he spoke at another conference last year and it also was recorded. We followed much of what he espouses below with degrees of success. It all resonates with me in how to run a company with excellence.
Schultze also mentions his growing faith in Jesus and how He has affected what he does and how he does it.
Merrill collaborates with Horst Schulze and outlines his blueprint for success in business, in his case, hotels.
PART ONE:
Serving Your Customers
1. Getting Inside Your Customer's Head
- they want a product or service or other output with no defects
- they want timeliness
- they want the person with whom they're dealing to be nice to them p36
2. Customer Service is Everybody's Job
- "Customer service is just for those who face the public, it also extends to people inside an organization who deal with each other."p 50
3. Four Supreme Objectives
-Keep the customer
-Get new customers
-Encourage customers to spend as much as possible without sabotaging "keep the customer"
-In all of the above, keep working toward more and more efficiency
4. The Fine Art of Handling Complaints
- "If you get a complaint you own it, whether you personally caused the problem or not" p75
5. Three Kinds of Customers (and Three Ways to Lose Them)
-dissatisfied customers
-satisfied customers
-loyal customers
-"Loyalty is dependent on continuing performance; the minute we start thinking and acting as if we own the customer we are nurturing a dangerous fantasy." p86
PART TWO:
Engaging Your Employees
6. More Than a Pair of Hands
-"Employees respond enthusiastically to motives and objectives; they simply endure - put up with- orders and directions."p100
- Don't just hire, select p106
7. First Things First
- orientation - carpe diem
- "If the culture of your organization isn't right, it will devour your best-laid plans." p116
8. Why Repetition Is a Good Thing
- "If you intend to be a leader you need to keep reinforcing what makes you number one." p132
9. Managers Push; Leaders Inspire
- "The words used by leaders must be thoughtfully chosen not just silly slogans thrown around." p144
10. Bridging the Gulf Between Management and Labor
- "A thin layer of politeness can cover a deep reservoir of animosity." p151
PART THREE:
Building True Leadership
11. Leading is An Acquired Skill
Visions Require Decisions
#1 Strive to Inspire
#2 Don't Settle for Less
#3 Let Nothing Cloud Your Vision
#4 Always Look to Improve p175
Leadership is.... (from the top down) p177
- understanding the vision
- committing to communicate the vision
- getting started and doing it!
- maintaining focus
- energizing
12. Why Vision Statements Matter
13. A Leader's "Gut" is Not Enough
- "Results don't come from hiding ourselves from reality; results emerge as we measure our realities and make adjustments." p 201
14. Money and Love
- do what the customer loves and the money will follow
February 6, 2022
I had the opportunity to interview Horst Schulze for the Paparelli Podcast. To that end, I thought it to be a good idea to read his book to learn a bit more about him. My goal was to gain a unique approach for the interview that would help my entrepreneur listeners.
I didn't know what to expect from his book. I used to consume these non-fiction, semi-autobiographical business books in my younger years. But I stopped as I normally find them boring and lacking any new insight. This was not the case with Horst's book.
Right from the start, it was clear this man was called by God at eleven years old to be a hotelier. His parents in his small town in West Germany tried without success to change his mind on such an unimpressive career. But they failed. And it is a good thing they did. Horst went on to change what anyone thought possible in the hotel industry.
In this book, he shares his unassailable logic and experience, in practicing excellence in all you do. After reading the book, I walked away changed. I am now questioning how I do what I do.
One thing I learned in the interview is how Horst maintained his personal excellence all his life. He did it by questioning himself. By simply asking the question his life mentor asked Horst when he was sixteen years old. "Is this excellence?"
Well worth the read. It will change you and your business. But listen to the interview and learn a bit more of the 'why' of this legend in the hotel industry.
I didn't know what to expect from his book. I used to consume these non-fiction, semi-autobiographical business books in my younger years. But I stopped as I normally find them boring and lacking any new insight. This was not the case with Horst's book.
Right from the start, it was clear this man was called by God at eleven years old to be a hotelier. His parents in his small town in West Germany tried without success to change his mind on such an unimpressive career. But they failed. And it is a good thing they did. Horst went on to change what anyone thought possible in the hotel industry.
In this book, he shares his unassailable logic and experience, in practicing excellence in all you do. After reading the book, I walked away changed. I am now questioning how I do what I do.
One thing I learned in the interview is how Horst maintained his personal excellence all his life. He did it by questioning himself. By simply asking the question his life mentor asked Horst when he was sixteen years old. "Is this excellence?"
Well worth the read. It will change you and your business. But listen to the interview and learn a bit more of the 'why' of this legend in the hotel industry.
October 19, 2020
The biggest take away from the book is to develop self-discipline to apply self-standards. Doesn't matter if you're scrubbing dirty dishes and serving rude customers. Those customers choose to behave that way and it's our choice to still behave in a Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen manner. We don't let such people influence our behaviour. The book also has a good view of customer service in that it's not just the job of a single department. Every single employee takes an active part. It further explains that customers aren't just the public, it's also the internal employees dealing with each other. They should be treated the same way as the public customers, and this then influences how they treat the public customers, benefitting the organization.
The book also has good tips for how to Lead rather than Manage. How not to fall into a trap of treating your employees as just a pair of hands, which demotivates them and causes job knowledge exodus due to high turn-over. How not to fall into a trap of making excuses rather seeing a way to improve. How to lead through vision and culture, rather than slogans.
From the lowest CEO to the highest dish washer, the book teaches the people in any type of organization how to behave like Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.
The book also has good tips for how to Lead rather than Manage. How not to fall into a trap of treating your employees as just a pair of hands, which demotivates them and causes job knowledge exodus due to high turn-over. How not to fall into a trap of making excuses rather seeing a way to improve. How to lead through vision and culture, rather than slogans.
From the lowest CEO to the highest dish washer, the book teaches the people in any type of organization how to behave like Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.
April 15, 2020
This is my new favorite book. Best customer service and leadership practices.
The author, Horst Schulze, was co-founder, president and COO of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and more recently is founder, chairman and CEO of the Capella Hotel Group. He begins by sharing his story of life growing up, his family background and his humble beginnings. As he matures and begins working, he gains knowledge and experience that set the foundation on which he develops leadership skills and principles that make for good customer service and promote a healthy work culture.
He shares great business practices based on many years of experience in the service industry, in leadership, and in life. He retells real stories that bring these principles to life.
Near the end of the book we learn of a sad situation to his life story. And then.. (spoiler alert) a miracle from a God.
I am convinced that anyone can gain valuable insight from this book, but it will be especially beneficial to leaders, people in the service industry, people in ministry, and anyone working with people. (Isn’t that most of us?).
The author, Horst Schulze, was co-founder, president and COO of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and more recently is founder, chairman and CEO of the Capella Hotel Group. He begins by sharing his story of life growing up, his family background and his humble beginnings. As he matures and begins working, he gains knowledge and experience that set the foundation on which he develops leadership skills and principles that make for good customer service and promote a healthy work culture.
He shares great business practices based on many years of experience in the service industry, in leadership, and in life. He retells real stories that bring these principles to life.
Near the end of the book we learn of a sad situation to his life story. And then.. (spoiler alert) a miracle from a God.
I am convinced that anyone can gain valuable insight from this book, but it will be especially beneficial to leaders, people in the service industry, people in ministry, and anyone working with people. (Isn’t that most of us?).
December 23, 2023
Horst Schulze is a fantastic leader and the foundation of his success is the principles of Servant Leadership that he packages for his entire organization to execute. The foundation is who they are “Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen” which succinctly describes the principle of serving the customer 1st and foremost in a non-degrading way.
This book reminds me to look at our customers at work (internal and external) as customers and potentially “guests” – which is the name I am going to use for the children I lead at church.
There are other gems which relate to interactions that can be used in all industries – like simply recognizing that most people just want someone to be nice to them.
I also like the concept (although I am not sure where to apply it) of going through daily reinforcements of key principles with your staff – in their case it is monthly.
The last half of the book isn’t as strong as the first, mostly because these concepts are more common and addressed in other business books. But a good read nonetheless and one I recommend to all.
This book reminds me to look at our customers at work (internal and external) as customers and potentially “guests” – which is the name I am going to use for the children I lead at church.
There are other gems which relate to interactions that can be used in all industries – like simply recognizing that most people just want someone to be nice to them.
I also like the concept (although I am not sure where to apply it) of going through daily reinforcements of key principles with your staff – in their case it is monthly.
The last half of the book isn’t as strong as the first, mostly because these concepts are more common and addressed in other business books. But a good read nonetheless and one I recommend to all.
January 4, 2022
Key take-aways:I like the concept of CARE-clean and repair everything. I think at times we can get too busy or overworked to quickly manage things that should be repaired
I like the concept of helping each other and knowing who your internal customer is within the office. I like the idea of investigating issues that arise including internal ones thoroughly instead of placing blame on who we may assume is at fault. -he mentioned the idea of measuring vs inspecting i think this is a valid concept and could move the business towards an objective of "culture"
Overall this was a good read regarding company leadership and how to be successful based on proven-award winning methods by Horst Schulze. I also loved his altar call at the end where he shared his testimony of Jesus Christ and how it has changed him. This author is so authentic and likable
I like the concept of helping each other and knowing who your internal customer is within the office. I like the idea of investigating issues that arise including internal ones thoroughly instead of placing blame on who we may assume is at fault. -he mentioned the idea of measuring vs inspecting i think this is a valid concept and could move the business towards an objective of "culture"
Overall this was a good read regarding company leadership and how to be successful based on proven-award winning methods by Horst Schulze. I also loved his altar call at the end where he shared his testimony of Jesus Christ and how it has changed him. This author is so authentic and likable
February 7, 2022
A refreshing book! The author is extremely generous in providing a detailed and thorough account of his failures as well as his successes during his long and fruitful career.
His style of explaining concepts is clear and to the point. He is efficient in the way he organized this book. The choice of topics, the sequence of chapters, the choice of anecdotes and stories, the quotes, the lists, the terms and phrases used. It is impossible for a person not to benefit from this book.
I feel like I just lived an entire lifetime in 3 days. Yes, 3 days is all it took for me to finish it. 3 days to aquire this abundance of knowledge and wisdom.
This book is for anyone interested in being a leader in any field. Anyone who wants to reach the top!
It was so impactful, I am so so so lucky to have heard about it and to have read it. Exceeded all my expectations!!!
His style of explaining concepts is clear and to the point. He is efficient in the way he organized this book. The choice of topics, the sequence of chapters, the choice of anecdotes and stories, the quotes, the lists, the terms and phrases used. It is impossible for a person not to benefit from this book.
I feel like I just lived an entire lifetime in 3 days. Yes, 3 days is all it took for me to finish it. 3 days to aquire this abundance of knowledge and wisdom.
This book is for anyone interested in being a leader in any field. Anyone who wants to reach the top!
It was so impactful, I am so so so lucky to have heard about it and to have read it. Exceeded all my expectations!!!
May 23, 2019
Horst Schulze is a world-famous hotelier, co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and author of its motto: “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” In Excellence Wins, he shows leaders in any profession, including ministry, how to succeed by caring for the deepest needs of people, whether customers or employees. Schulze’s advice grows out of his faith, which sees every person as “one of the ‘others’ Jesus had in mind when he gave the Golden Rule about treating them as I would want to be treated.”
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
February 10, 2020
This book is a vehicle for Horst to provide those outside the hospitality industry insights into how he helped Ritz Carlton achieve excellence across all locations, in multiple cultures and spanning the globe.
Taken alone, almost none of his lessons seem groundbreaking, but together, and with his ability to share vision and culture and bound together by his 24 practices, he helped ensure that his ladies and gentlemen would be ready in all ways to serve ladies and gentlemen.
His journey is also one of faith, which he shares in an authentic and frank manner and like his hotels it is also shared with grace.
This gift of a book from my executive sister turned out to be an unexpected gift of a book.
Taken alone, almost none of his lessons seem groundbreaking, but together, and with his ability to share vision and culture and bound together by his 24 practices, he helped ensure that his ladies and gentlemen would be ready in all ways to serve ladies and gentlemen.
His journey is also one of faith, which he shares in an authentic and frank manner and like his hotels it is also shared with grace.
This gift of a book from my executive sister turned out to be an unexpected gift of a book.
August 26, 2020
Well, it's a nice little book telling all kinds of nice stories on how to be nice when communicating with people that might or might not be nice and how it helped author in hotel business. There is nothing in the book that I'd add this one to "must read" because well, at least at this point all that seems common sense, but maybe not always, not for all. And all these advises though they are specifically important for people who work directly with customers or clients, we all work with customers or clients one way or another - internal ones or external. So, good read, nothing groundbreaking, grab it if you have time for some light reading
March 12, 2024
Look, the cover of this book is absolutely goofy. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found a welcoming, super easy book to blaze through, a book with tons of insightful idioms and actionable teachings. The majority of illustrations are from Schulze's personal experiences in serving as cofounder and president of Ritz-Carlton Hotels. But even that constant return to his own stories came with a healthy dose of humility and authenticity.
You don't have to be in the hotel business to get something from this book. You simply need to be in the people business.
You don't have to be in the hotel business to get something from this book. You simply need to be in the people business.
October 6, 2019
First time I’ve completely read a book of this nature in two days. And that includes taking the time to go back and highlighting the great stuff!
This is a must-read for anyone in the business of providing a service for people. Mr. Schulze has a no-nonsense way of laying out the principles of leadership and customer service that have led to him literally becoming the best in the business. He also shares plenty of powerful and transparent stories of when he got things right, and when he admittedly didn’t.
A quick and value-adding read, I highly recommend it.
This is a must-read for anyone in the business of providing a service for people. Mr. Schulze has a no-nonsense way of laying out the principles of leadership and customer service that have led to him literally becoming the best in the business. He also shares plenty of powerful and transparent stories of when he got things right, and when he admittedly didn’t.
A quick and value-adding read, I highly recommend it.
January 7, 2021
I read this book for "work" and found several great gems that I am excited to implement in my current role. I have always loved the Ritz Carlton brand (although it has gone a bit downhill since Marriott took over) and appreciate their motto of "Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen. I love the high level of customer service that I experienced as a guest on many occasions and liked to see behind the curtain as to how they made that magic happen. A great read for anyone leading people in a business.
August 9, 2022
Excellence Wins is an excellent book! I loved Horst Schulze's tales about serving his customers in the very best way possible- and then going even furthere than that. The stories along the way were rich and full of detail, and by the end of the book I felt so empowered to work on my own journey in customer service. Having heard him speak at a few events, I could hear his voice while I read my book, and that made the book even better.
This book should be required reading by anyone in the service industry
This book should be required reading by anyone in the service industry
October 20, 2019
Loved this simple little read. Principles are solid and based on common sense and dignity. You can hear Horst Schulze’s thick German accent in every page and each story carries that twinkle in his eye. His no-nonsense approach to leadership and management is worth striving for. He has set the standard for us all. At the end of the read I don’t know if I want to stay at the Ritz or work for the Ritz. Both!
December 12, 2021
I found this particularly encouraging and inspiring. My employment is in mid level management for a sales team of a manufacturer. Although the overall concepts were neither new nor ground breaking, it was just the reminder I needed to refocus our team’s priorities and begin the new year with renewed focus. I intend to reread this annually as an opportunity to reevaluate opportunities for continuous improvement and excel in relationship based customer excellence.
June 7, 2022
Anecdotal stories on excellence throughout were good but the title including the word “guide” led me to believe it would be more of a how-to establish excellence within our own businesses and that wasn’t the intent of the book. After reviewing my own expectations and disappointments, I appreciated the book more for what it actually was- and the stories were good and reminiscent. The final chapters on leadership were some of the best parts of the book - just wish there’s been more of that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews