Case Study $2.$ Loews Hotels: Training for Four$-$Diamond Service and MoreMost people expect to receive great service at four$-$diamond hotels. But thats not good enough for Loews. The New Yorkbased hotel chain, which has properties in $16$ cities across the United States and Canada, tries to wow every one of its guests with high$-$quality accommodations, impressive surroundings, personalized service, and thoughtful amenities for a luxurious experience.A key element of success at Loews is the extensive training it provides to its employees. Whether they work at the front desk or as housekeepers, accountants, or marketing managers, all employees learn about the big$-$picture goals of the company and how the quality of service differentiates one company from another in the hotel business. The key is to train all departments of your organization to be customer$-$centric, says Jon Tisch, the companys co$-$chairman. Thinking about customers cant be left to marketing and sales alone. Manufacturing, R&D$,$ strategy, management, all have to be focused on the needs and desires of the customer.Customer$-$facing employees at Loews undergo classroom training, including role$-$playing and simulations to learn how to deal with customers. Living Loews, a $2-$day training program, teaches employees not only the finer points of etiquette but how to really sell the Loews experienceeven when things go wrong. Were all human, so mistakes can happen, Tisch explains. But when they do$,$ we train our coworkers to impress our guests with an extraordinary recovery that we hope theyll remember even more.Training sessions such as Green training, Loews Meeting Experience, Loews Pool Concierge program, Spa $101,$ and the YouFirst guest loyalty program ensure that customers of all types who use the hotels various services get top$-$notch service.The training does not end with the sessions, though. Once the sessions are over, training managers go out on the front lines to do spot checks and offer feedback to employees to make sure the training really sticks. A train$-$the$-$trainer program and other managerial workshops such as Communicating Loews help managers promote the hotel brand and inspire their employees to do so as well. A comprehensive executive training program covers topics ranging from communication and salesmanship to public speaking and presentation skills.Loews also tries to grow its own talent. Most training managers, for example, are promoted from line$-$level jobs or from operations, so they know the companys processes and culture firsthand. The company also has a tuition assistance program.To recruit undergraduates, Loews offers paid summer internships. Interns work in a variety of areas such as the rooms division, food and beverage department, sales and marketing, and human resources. Each intern is assigned a mentor and given opportunities to network by attending operational meetings. At the conclusion of their internships, they complete a report on their experience. Successive$-$year internships give them exposure to additional functional areas, project work, supervisory experience, and ultimately the opportunity to join the companys management training program.To keep things interesting, Lowes recently began using gamification to create quick$-$burst mobile games to upskill, onboard, and improve the productivity of employees. The games are used to translate existing training materialsmanuals, tests, and videosinto a platform that is engaging and fun. So successful is the training at Loews that even trainers are impressed. Douglas Kennedy, the founder and president of the Kennedy Training Network, which specializes in hospitality training, says he was knocked out by his experience while conducting training at Loewss various properties. Kennedy says hes gotten very spoiled during his overnight stays at Loews hotels: Im sure it will be a rude awakening next month when I return to staying in more typical upscale hotel.

Questions

$1.$ How do the training programs at Loews

relate to the companys business strategy?$2.$why does the company encourage its employees to focus on the customers needs versus other metrics?