Behind the scenes at the Hilton... art!

One of the things I talk about in my book and workshops is the importance of an empowered staff in creating a great customer experience. If you go behind the scenes (on purpose or by chance), you can learn a lot about how the business or institution treats its front-line staff, which is reflected in the kind of customer experience that's happening out front.

Kudos to the Hilton Chicago. I wandered into the staff elevator foyer in search of the ice machine and was so impressed with these wonderful paintings.

Instead of a dreary, drab, beat-up area—as so many of these are—they had taken the time to paint these wonderful murals.

I didn't find out who was responsible, but it feels like the front line staff members did this themselves, or had a lot of input, which makes all the difference. They feel like actual portraits of real people, not corporate feel-good-or-else slogans.

It made me smile being in there and I assume it has that effect on the staff members as well.

Tip of the day: Empower your staff to enliven and personalize their spaces. Paint is cheap. Buy the pizza. Watch what happens out front.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, customer service, Hilton Chicago, behind the scenes, empowered staff, consultant