"As with any GM, the goal is always to continue to grow the business, despite the challenges and competition, while ensuring that W Shanghai remains the go-to place for new and exciting experiences."
Meet Jerry John, the general manger of W Shanghai – The Bund. Jerry hails from Melbourne, Australia, is a veteran hotelier with over 30 years of experience in hospitality. Recently I made a visit to Jerry to learn about his news and views on the industry.
1. Tell us about your journey, how did it all start?
Happened quite by accident as my first job was working as a casual waiter while I was pursuing my Engineering degree. After three years, during which time I had grown into an Assistant Restaurant Manager, I realised that working in the hospitality business was something I had grown to love.
- What made you decide to pursue a career in the hospitality industry?
My early days working in a restaurant slowly led into other opportunities in bars and clubs, which just continued to convince me that it was the hospitality business I wanted to pursue as my career.
- How would you define the purpose of a hotel?
Though the basic purpose used to be to provide food and lodging, especially for travelers, it has morphed into a lot more now offering complete experiences that includes luxury accommodation with personalized service, curated food and beverage experiences designed not just to satisfy your palate but allow you to discover new dining concepts, where every touchpoint is designed to wow you and leave you wanting to come back for more.
- What experience have you had in hotel industry?
Done almost every role in the restaurant, bar and hotel business including leadership in various capacities across a variety of countries in Asia Pacific and Australia.
- What motivates you about working in hospitality?
I love meeting people, and today can say that many of my friends around the world were once my hotel guests, but even more I do it because I love the opportunity to create memorable experiences for my guests.
- Why do you want to be a manager for this hotel chain?
This brand is unique in the luxury space because it delivers service in a more relaxed yet personalized way, and encourages our talent to push the boundaries when delivering this unscripted style of luxury that result in new and exciting concepts and experiences.
- What have and what will you try to accomplish in this hotel?
As with any GM, the goal is always to continue to grow the business, despite the challenges and competition, while ensuring that W Shanghai remains the go-to place for new and exciting experiences.
- What category of guests do you receive? Leisure, business, domestic?
Since the re-opening of China after the pandemic, we now receive guests from all segments, both international and domestic.
- What is the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the hotel? How has the hotel positioned itself in this competitive market?
Our key USP is our brand philosophy of delivering “luxury liberated” which means that guests feel much more relaxed in an environment that is design-focused, while our talent are empowered to deliver unscripted luxury service, with their own personality, but always ensuring that guest’s expectations are exceeded.
At the same time our hotel’s location on the North Bund means that guests can experience uninterrupted views of the Pudong skyline from most of our rooms, restaurants and bars and even swimming pools, all of which are designed to create a unique experience for our guests.
- Could you tell us about some new initiatives that the hotel has recently unveiled?
Last year the hotel decided to leverage on the growing trend for al fresco dining by (i) enhancing the outdoor terrace of The Kitchen Table restaurant to create an enhanced outdoor dining experience with amplified views of the Pudong skyline (ii) Creating a new concept for intimate events as well as for a unique dining experience on our 5F rooftop garden aptly called The Secret Garden. The latter has already become a popular venue for luxury product launches and this year will commence outdoor dining options including two private cabanas ideal for groups of 8 – 10 guests.
- What are the sustainable practices that the hotel follows?
As part of Marriott International we currently have a number of sustainability programs in place including reducing the use of plastics, energy, and water and food waste as well as use of responsibly sourced ingredients such as cage-free eggs. We also continue to look at new initiatives that will help us contribute to Marriott International’s goal of achieving Net Zero emissions no later than 2050.
- In your opinion, what factors contribute to excellent customer service?
I believe excellent customer service comes from firstly understanding the basics which are (i) delivering what a guest has purchased or requested in a timely manner, free of defects and delivered in a manner that demonstrates our appreciation to be of service to the guest. Then building on these basics by engaging with the guest to understand their preferences so as to be able to deliver personalized service while also learning to be intuitive and ensure the service was anticipatory, all of which when combined ensures that guest’s expectations are exceeded and loyalty created.
- What is your leadership style?
I like to empower my leaders to be innovative and keep striving for improvements in our business, but at the same time hold them accountable for achieving mutually agreed targets. I am fair, have high expectations but always willing to provide support through suggestions so leaders don’t feel they have to do it alone. I am also not averse to getting my hands dirty by helping in different areas of our operations as required.
- What are your greatest strengths?
The two that stand out for me are:
My attention to detail and the ability to notice almost every defect which helps me maintain high standards in our hotel
My affinity for numbers and an ability to quickly analyse them to come up with ideas for revenue opportunities, cost-saving ideas, and ensure we were always maximizing our revenue despite the up and down nature of our business.
- In your opinion, what is the most challenging aspect of a hotel manager’s job?
One of the most challenging aspects of a hotel manager’s job, especially in the luxury space is ensuring that everybody on the team understands and delivers on our brand promise, while doing everything to exceed the guest expectations. Though regular communication and training helps to ensure this happens often, having a workforce that comprises of full-time, both experienced and new, as well as part-time staff, means that we do see shortfalls in our service delivery almost every day, which will result in the need for service recovery actions.
16. Tell us about a time when you demonstrated your leadership.
The 3 years of COVID provided many opportunities to show leadership, both in the way we took care of our guests, as well as our staff. Here in Shanghai this included many hotel lockdowns in 2022 which were constantly disrupting our business and impacting guests and staff. The fact that we were able to retain most of our staff during this time whilst also keeping our most loyal guests must be an indication of a job well done.
17. How would you motivate the staff of this hotel to try their very best each day in work?
Staff of today seeks recognition as well as opportunities for growth and development. It’s not always possible to meet every member of the team everyday but I try and make sure I say hi to them on special days including birthdays and cultural festivals. At the same time we continue to build and re-enforce the W culture that gives them a sense of belonging. I also encourage my leaders to always engage with their teams to provide continuous learning and development opportunities so that the staff remains motivated to work hard.
18. On that note, what advice do you have for other GMs insofar as staff retention, staff training and staff motivation?
Retention is harder today than ever before because of the constrained labour market with so many hotels opening and so few staff available or even willing to come to first tier cities for work. This is further exasperated by the attitude of the younger Gen Z and Gen Y who seek continuous excitement and lose interest quickly if doing the same role for an extended period of time. My only suggestion to retain and motivate is to continuously keep them engaged whilst at work, and to provide training and development so they have the opportunity to learn and grow if that is what they desire, but at the same time providing them regular non-work related activities that gives them a chance to unwind and relax.
19. Please walk us through your typical day at work.
Usually starts before I come to work when I go through the daily reports to understand the performance of the hotel the day before and any and all incidents that occurred. I then take the time to review any online feedback we received from guests, both good and bad. My work day starts with a traditional briefing with my leadership team and continues with scheduled meetings during the day. I do walk the property, both back of house and front of house as many times as possible, interacting with both staff and guests at every opportunity, whilst ensuring that everything is as it should be. As much as that would be a typical day, most days usually throws up unexpected issues that require additional discussions and or review/planning which also ensures that my days are generally full.
20. Have you in the last 12 months read something or taken a class about hospitality?
I believe that even as a General Manager, we should be continually growing through learning. Working for Marriott, we are provided ample opportunity to participate in learning and are also assigned self-learning courses. My most recent course was a leadership course that was conducted over 6 months last year that included both in-person sessions as well as online sessions. This year I again intend to participate in some online management courses.
21. What experience do you have with marketing and promotions?
I think every GM has an opinion of how their hotel should be marketed and promoted but rely on their Marketing teams and even corporate teams to come up with the ideas and execute. Coming about with creative and bold ideas is something I have always loved to do and actually directly oversee my creative marketing team. Here at W, marketing is important as it is what sets us apart from the rest of the crowd based on our sometimes “irreverent” approach to the traditional hotel marketing. Our marketing meetings are more a think tank for ideas and a collaboration of many experts that results in some unique ways in which we choose to market the hotel and keep W ahead and on the edge!
22. Describe someone you coached or mentored. What were they doing initially and what are they doing now?
As a leader in the hospitality, I have had the opportunity, and still do, to mentor young leaders I have work with. One person that stands out is a young lady I worked with a few years ago who was my Director of Spa. Her desire to grow was apparent in all her actions and interactions in meetings and discussions at work. I helped her get onto a Leadership program run by the company and in the following years was her sounding board as she grew in her career. Today I am proud to say she is a General Manager of a wellness resort.
23. How will you react to a negative review or complaint from a guest while staying at the hotel?
Almost every negative review is an opportunity to re-look at our operations and make improvements, and I encourage my team to dive into the causes for the bad experience rather than focus on the guest giving the feedback. Complaints are nothing more than feedback given in person and in almost all cases is simply because we didn’t get the basics right. Though there will always be those that complain or provide negative feedback to gain something, these are few and can be quickly identified for what they are.
24. How would you deal with a difficult customer?
I prefer to think of guests as having high expectations rather than being difficult. It is also important to remember that every guest is different and must be taken care of in a personalized manner so they feel that they are being heard. That is not to say that taking care of difficult guests is easy, but there is a huge sense of satisfaction when you are able to turn a difficult guest into a lifelong and loyal guest.
25. How do you stay current with industry trends?
Lots of reading especially online, staying connected with peers on social platforms like LinkedIn and taking the time to personally experience new dining concepts in the city and places I visit
26. Have you or your hotel received any industry accolades and awards?
Like most luxury hotels, we too receive more than our fair share of awards every year for different areas of our operations, including the coveted Conde Nast Gold List in 2023. Many of these are gained through relationships and necessary form a marketing perspective. However the most meaningful and desirable awards are those that are earned because we have done a great job in providing our guests excellent service on a consistent basis.
27. What do you see yourself in 5 years？
Hopefully in a role that allows me to use my experiences and learning to helping an organization grow while contributing in a positive way to the communities in which it operates and providing an avenue for growth and career for young people.
28. What are your interests outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy travelling and seeing new places whenever the opportunity arises. Spending time with family is also equally important especially given the amount of time I spend away from them due to work.
29. What advice would you give to youngsters joining the field?
This is an industry that can provide you endless opportunities and pathways to build a meaningful career but what you will get out of your journey will depend very much on how much you put into it. Learn at every opportunity and always ask questions as a way to increasing your knowledge and helping your growth. And always look at hard work as a way to demonstrate your keenness to grow and thrive in this business.
