Wequassett Resort believes every employee has the opportunity to make a difference with the service he or she provides. During orientation, Wequassett dedicates an entire day of training to teach employees how to excel at memorable customer service.
Program Details
Every Tuesday, orientation began with a tag-team effort between the managing partner and the director of learning. Together, they were able to paint a clear picture of what it takes to succeed at service. This talk celebrated the successes of 2014 while laying the groundwork for what was to come in 2015. The collaborative effort focused on storytelling training techniques to connect emotionally with each employee. The goal was for all employees to envision themselves as the hero in every story shared. While the juices were flowing, the “Special 12” were introduced. The “Special 12” is what the Wequassett Academy considers the building blocks of customer service. Every employee is tasked with memorizing these 12 steps and embodying them into their personas at the resort.
In addition, video, social media, and gaming are incorporated into the customer service training. Video training focuses on the “happiness advantage,” made famous by Shawn Achor. Social media training demonstrates the impact of the emotional connection between Wequassett guests and their experiences at the resort. The impact of the social network sites was astounding and solidified the company’s message of how important every interaction can be. Finally, there is the “Personalization Game” in which every employee is responsible for filling in the blanks for various sentences. This game shows the team how different members’ values, likes, and dislikes are from each other. Employees are able to see just how important customization is to continually delighting guests.
Results
Wequassett’s profit margins have increased due to its commitment to service. The Wequassett Academy’s tagline is “where passion meets proficiency.” It taught employees how to be efficient at their job while providing customized service to each guest. This combination showed true profit in many areas of the resort, but was most notable in the food and beverage operation. Thoreau’s, the smallest restaurant on property, grew to be a successful part of the operation. With emphasis on personalized service, it increased revenue over 2014 by 16.46 percent.
Likewise, guest satisfaction scores have increased with the focus on customer service. In 2015, Wequassett’s Guest Satisfaction Index (worth 9 percent of the Performance Index) reached some all-time high scores. “The level of personal service received” hit 96.94 percent exceptional, a 1.27-point increase to an already high score in 2014. And “The attitude of staff” is at 97.96 percent, a .31-point increase from the previous season.
