Profile | Rauf Malik

Rauf Malik wakes up every day at 4:45 am and runs 12 kilometers on the treadmill before starting work at the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park, of which he is general manager. The routine has become habitual. It clears his head and sets him up for the day ahead.

Instead of shutting himself away behind closed doors, he mingles with associates and chats to customers. The idea is to create a family-like environment, he says. This is something he has found to have a special resonance in Chinese culture.

"If I sit in the office for the whole day and don't say a word to my associates, how can I take good care of our guests?"

He also listens to feedback and is not averse to performing tasks that could easily be delegated to subordinates, from giving directions to polishing shoes. But don't expect to see him walking around with the shoe brush too much these days.

Having spent 25 years with the Marriott hotels, Malik knows just the level of commitment and passion that is required to deliver a world-class level of service and stay on top of the game.

He says he regularly travels around to sample regional delicacies and familiarize himself with the local culture.

This explains why the hotel's various restaurants and snack bars offer comfort food from minority cultures around the country.

Knowing your customers' habits translates into better service and more smiling faces, he says. It also means more repeat business.

"Chinese people are paying more attention to the service sector these days, so we have to meet these upgraded demands from young clients by providing a variety of signature dishes from different regions in China, as well as from other countries."

It is lessons like this that Malik makes a point of drumming into the heads of his staff. He considers this an important part of his legacy.

"If someday I leave China, I'll leave a lot of talented people behind me. I'm very proud of having produced so many general managers and executives, after contributing to China's hospitality in the last 11 years," he says.

Located opposite Changfeng Park and standing close to the banks of Suzhou Creek, the hotel offers a refreshing resort feel in a natural setting despite its proximity to the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

"We're creating this area as a destination. Our guests conduct their business downtown, but when they want a more peaceful and quiet environment, they love to come back here, as the spirit of the Marriott is to deliver a brilliant service," he says.

Malik has spent over a decade in China, including the last four and half in Shanghai. He has seen profound changes over this period, and has also steered the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park to become the best Marriott hotel in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of guests' satisfaction.

"In just 20 years I've witnessed a dramatic upgrading of China' hospitality business, especially in Shanghai," he says.

Malik remembers when he first visited the city in 1995, Pudong was mostly rice paddies. Now it boasts one of the world's best skylines and is putting the finishing touches to the tallest building in the country.

"Everything has completely changed, from the people's living standards to their consumption power," he says.

"I've noticed that Chinese businessmen are more open-minded, more international, and have a broader vision these days. They want to be connected to the world."

yuran@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/28/2013 page15)