Certification
The steps to become initially certified as A Place of Hospitality are outlined here.
Of course the purpose of earning the designation of A Place of Hospitality is not to implement processes but
to deliver the experience of heart-felt caring -- hospitality -- to every patron, every time.
Once a participating restaurant demonstrates that it can perform to our minimum standards -- which are likely
higher than any local competitor -- they can be certified A Place of Hospitality and can represent
themselves as such to the public. Internally, they are known (only within our system) as a one-star operation and
we challenge them to deepen their commitment to hospitality by working their way to achieve full six-star
status.
As an operation progresses toward certification as a six-star Place of Hospitality it would certainly be
evolving into a great training organization, so the program includes a process to develop those skills as well. No
restaurant is in this alone. So among other things, for a three-star restaurant to earn their fourth star, they
would help a one-star operation reach their next level and so on.
In this way, each operation learns that success comes from giving not from taking. This fosters a community of
operators who stop fighting over pieces of the pie and start working together to make the pie larger ... while
making each other better.
We have developed a methodology that can actually quantify the level of hospitality provided in a restaurant. Aided
by an online guest feedback system, the performance of each restaurant will be rigorously monitored and the results
fed back to the owner in close to real time.
Certification as A Place of Hospitality would be meaningless unless it was backed up by standards of performance
that were measurable ... and monitored. Should any participating restaurant fail to meet the standards required by
its designation, they will receive coaching to get back in compliance. Operators who fail to deliver the results
will not be allowed to remain in the program.
Certification as A Place of Hospitality cannot be purchased and restaurants cannot pay to keep it.
Read on to get an idea of the general certification standards for the first three levels.
Phase One Standards
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