A Note from Ruby Read More Special Offer: 20% Off Ruby's Customer Service DVD's Read More Feature Article: "Customer Service Excellence Means Anticipating Every Guest's Needs" Read More Ruby's Schedule Read More	May 20, 2008 Volume 5, Issue 3 Sign up for this Newsletter or Read Past Issues
"Helping organizations make exceptional customer service a way of life through consulting, training and keynotes."

I made it back from my 4th trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It just gets better every trip! This time I invited my good buddy Carolyn Keith to join me. Here we are sitting in the lobby of the Burj Al Arab, frequently referred to as the "only 7-star hotel in the world." We didn't stay there this trip but we did enjoy a nice brunch and tour. That's Lori Caligiuri, Wild Wadi Water Park Manager (and my dear friend), on the left. We all enjoyed some great sightseeing and shopping during our visit.

I was in Dubai to present for the World Waterpark Association Middle East Conference and do more training for Jumeirah Group who operates both the Burj Al Arab and Wild Wadi Water Park along with numerous hotels. This visit, we stayed at Emirates Towers, a 5-star+ property. J Just like the Burj Al Arab the accommodations were magnificent and the service was off the charts. Today's Feature Article will give you some of the ways they maintain such a positive reputation. During the conference we had a great behind the scenes tour of Ski Dubai, the world's third largest indoor ski slope. Yes - I said indoors, in the desert! It was simply amazing! Here I am standing with Chuck Neuman, president and founder of Water Technology, Inc. And for the record, those are standard issue coats and skiwear! Not very fashionable but they sure kept us warm in the 32 degree air inside. I'll be in New York when you read this. I am consulting with the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to raise the bar in the Fan Experience for the US Open. So until my next Ezine, Keep smiling! Your fan,

Ruby's Customer Service DVD's have arrived and are ready to ship! So how about a 20% discount to celebrate?
In celebration of the completion of my Customer Service DVD's, we are offering a special 20% discount through June 1. Visit here to place your order http://www.rubyspeaks.com/products/products.asp Follow these steps to get the discount: Visit this page to select the Customer Service DVD Training Program. http://www.rubyspeaks.com/products/products.asp
1) When you get to the shopping cart, click the green "Check Out" button 2) On the Checkout page there is a "Coupon/Promotional Code" box on the right-side 3) Enter your promo code CSDVD001 into the box and click the "Apply" button 4) Your total will be recalculated with a 20% discount 5) Continue with the checkout process Happy Shopping! Remember, place your order before June 1 - go here first http://www.rubyspeaks.com/products/products.asp and then put the CSDVD001 code in during checkout to get your special deal! P.S. We also take Purchase Orders so to speed up your order just call us at 303.933.9291 and fax your PO to 303.904.2966. We'll take care of the discount on our end through June 1.

Some establishments seem to ooze customer service. Their procedures make it easy for the customer to do business with them, their amenities demonstrate that they want to make each guest comfortable and they anticipate their customers' needs even before the guest knows they need it.

I certainly experienced this first hand when I checked in for my 10 day stay at the Emirates Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates last month. For the first time ever, my bellman actually pointed out the emergency plan and gave me specific directions for where to go in case of an evacuation of the hotel.

He then showed me all the special features of my hotel room. There was a big mirror hidden in the desk and all I needed to do was lift up a panel and there it was. I wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't shown me. And how convenient that was for putting on my make up and doing my hair.

From my reservation they knew I was American so they provided the correct adapter for my electronics. It was already in the room when I checked in.

Painted on the ceiling was a discreet green arrow that pointed to Qibla, the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during Salah. Being in a Muslim country, it was important for Muslim visitors to know which way to face during their 5 daily prayers.

Most ingenious to me was the jogging map provided to guests to help them find their way around the neighborhood. The map was printed on a small card a little bigger than a name tag you would wear at a conference. On one side it had a visual map with color coded routes. On the back of the map, there was a description of each of the four route variations which included each path's distance and degree of difficulty.

The map was on hard plastic and came with its own lanyard so a runner could easily add it to their running attire. The whole thing was draped over a water bottle which came with its own Jumeirah Group logo sweat band…after all we were in the desert!

What steps have you taken to make your customers feel more comfortable? Have you anticipated their needs?
Do you offer special nuances that make it such a pleasant visit that they can't wait to tell their friends about it?

What could you do to take your level of service closer to the outstanding hospitality exemplified by Emirates Towers and the other fine properties of Jumeirah Group?

You can learn more about "Seven Star Service" in my new Customer Service DVD Training System. One whole module includes pictures and stories of my first visit to Dubai when I stayed at the Burj Al Arab. Click here to read more about how to get a 20% discount on my DVD training program!

© 2008 RubySpeaks, Inc. You are free to reprint or share this article providing you include Ruby's copyright information, leave it unaltered and include Ruby's contact information on the page.

May. 19, 2008	Consultation for US Open, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing, NY
May. 23, 2008	Training, Dodge Arena TMFC Hidalgo, TX
May 24, 2008	Presenter, Urban County Leadership Conference South Padre Island, TX
Jun. 5, 2008	Presenter, Colorado Electric Educational Institute Westminster, CO
Jun. 09, 2008	Presenter, Institute for International Research, Customer Care & Services Forum Las Vegas, NV
Jun. 18, 2008	Town of Parker "Cycle of Service Committee Kick Off" Parker, CO
Jun. 28 - Jul. 2, 2008	Presenter, Association of Luxury Suite Directors Miami Beach, FL

Recognized as a leading provider of staff development programs for the Leisure Industry, Ruby Newell-Legner has designed and presented more than 1700 programs in nine countries.

Ruby offers customized learning programs, targeted to supervisors and front line staff. As an award-winning, international speaker, Ruby works with organizations to build better relationships: from front-line employees to customers, from co-worker to co-worker, and from supervisors to the employees they supervise. She helps participants refine skills that make relationships work.

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