Jonathan Tisch

Revisiting the trenches reminds a chief executive of each employee's value

By Scott Hume, Executive Managing Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/1/2004

Guests at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel last June probably didn't recognize the bellman who carried their bags. He was Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. For an episode of The Learning Channel's reality show "Now Who's Boss?" that aired last month, Tisch spent time working shifts for six entry-level jobs at the hotel—front desk, bell staff, housekeeping, room-service waiter, short-order cook and pool attendant—to look at his company from the bottom up. Another episode of the series featured California Pizza Kitchen co-founders Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield.

Q. How did it feel to put on a uniform instead of business suit?
A. What was interesting was it offered a chance to go back and revisit so many jobs I had done at various stages of close to a 35-year career in lodging. I've done every one of these jobs at various times, but obviously my position has changed and our industry has changed, so it was fascinating to go back and rethink how the jobs are done.

Q. Where did you see changes in the business?
A. In a sense things have not changed in our industry in hundreds of years. When you are in the hotel business, you have to create partnerships with employees and guests. And that certainly hasn't changed, no matter how much technology we have. What has changed is the business of hotels. We are in a very technical, highly competitive industry, and my observations reinforced how important our employees are and how proud they are of their jobs, especially when they put on their uniforms.

Q. How has the experience changed the way you manage Loews Hotels?
A. My immediate reaction was that all executives at Loews Hotels need to go through this experience because they'll learn a lot. And instead of trying to articulate it to them, let them experience it themselves. So we [had] a Now Who's Boss? day at our home office and at all our properties a few days before the show aired in March.

Q. And for line employees?
A. I got to experience some problems with uniforms, for example. Miami Beach is hot; we shot in June. I understand that you can't have all-cotton uniforms because they get laundered every day, but there has to be a middle ground because I knew I was sweating a lot. We're working with our uniform provider to see if we can make [the fabric] a little more comfortable. There also were some technology issues that I wasn't aware of that we need to look at to make the guest experience more enjoyable.

Q. What was the toughest job?
A. Housekeeping. I have tremendous respect for the ladies and men who do this task. It's physically demanding and it's lonely. Except for morning call or lunch when the staff is together, you're really doing the job by yourself. There is a moment of suspense 14 or 15 times a day when you open a door to a room. You don't know what to expect.

Q. How were your cooking skills?
A. Terrible. They were terrible before and they're just as bad now. It's not one of my strong suits. That's another hot job.

Q. So, will we be seeing you playing a dramatic television role soon?
A. Well, my agent is fielding all offers, but I'm sticking with my day job as chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels.