Root Cause Analysis

Powerpoint slide of hotel desk with text: The Problem Guest satisfaction, employee morale, and revenue per room are all declining. A generic onboarding program is not preparing employees to deliver five-star service. Employees of the Grand Oasis Hotel hesitate to provide luxury service because they aren’t sure what that means and what hotel policy allows.
Powerpoint slide with image of repotting a plant. Text says: Root Causes Revealed Generic onboarding lacks information specific to GOH’s goal of delivering a luxury hotel experience. Onboarding fails to give employees a sense of empowerment and autonomy to provide five-star service. The conflict between providing luxury experiences for guests and saving money for the hotel is driving GOH employees to prioritize saving money over serving customers.
Powerpoint slide with image of staircase going up. Text reads: The Path Forward. Create a mentor program. Clarify expectations and policies. Incorporate handbook values into onboarding.
Click to download the full report.

This project reviewed the onboarding practices at a luxury hotel that was experiencing sharp declines in guest satisfaction, employee morale, and revenue per room. The analysis used design thinking to empathize with the stakeholders and determine the root causes to develop a problem statement.

Root Cause Analysis:

  • Generic onboarding is not tailored to the Grand Oasis Hotel’s (GOH) luxury brand expectations.

  • Employees want to provide five-star service but lack clarity on what luxury service looks like at GOH.

  • Onboarding fails to communicate GOH-specific norms, values, and service standards, leaving employees unsure of expectations.

  • A significant disconnect exists between training messages and daily operations:

    • Training encourages employees to delight guests and take initiative.

    • Daily operations emphasize staying within budget, leading staff to fear offering extra services.

  • This mixed messaging causes employees to prioritize cost-saving over guest experience, suppressing autonomy and reducing service quality.

Problem Statement

Employees of the Grand Oasis Hotel hesitate to provide luxury service because they are unclear about what luxury service requires and what hotel policies permit. This uncertainty leads to lower guest satisfaction, reduced employee morale, and declining revenue.