Did you know that Ritz-Carlton gives each and every one of their ladies and gentlemen (every Ritz-Carlton employee is referred to as a lady or a gentleman) up to $2,000 per guest per day to satisfy any flaw in their service. Disney gives their cast members (every Disney employee is referred to as a cast member) nearly free reign to satisfy their guests. No permission is needed, they just do what is necessary to satisfy the situation.
Each organization spends a great deal of time and resource training for such circumstances, drawing from a wealthy archive of examples. So, it would suffice to say there are built in governors to giving employees that kind of power. Each organization would suggest the power to satisfy is rarely abused and often times has brought about very creative thinking. The bottom line is that it works. It works in the way of empowerment which leads to engaged employees and amazing experiences for guests. And, those experiences create stories that are repeated over and over and over again.
What are you doing to empower your employees to satisfy vendors, prospects and residents?