Team Meeting 6/17

We had our first Team Meeting of the season. It is wonderful to see all the new and talented folks who have joined the team this summer. Here are the notes from the meeting for those who couldn’t attend.

Guest Service Fundamentals

What do we say when a guest or team member says, “thank you”?

For people who are choosing to do the work of hospitality and connection, the words, “my pleasure” are most accurate. After all, you had a choice, and you chose to do this work precisely so that it could have an impact on someone else. The story we tell ourselves about the work can be fuel for finding ways to do it better.

If it’s not a pleasure, and you’re doing things like this all day, it might be a good time to find something else to do.

Horst Schulze, Ritz Carlton

What does it mean to you to be in service to others?

• Provide a friendly and welcoming greeting. This is our fundamental job; our guests are what makes all this possible.
• Address guest by name whenever appropriate. A great way to make folks feel more comfortable to to address them by name.
• Anticipate guests’ needs. There are many situations where we can figure out what a guest might need before they ask for it.
• Appropriate attire. We want to be sure to wear appropriate clothing that represents our professional position. Blue jeans and t-shirts (except Balch shirts) are to be avoided and name tags show that you are ready to assist.

Operations

Housekeeping

• Bed making correctly. How the bed looks when the guest enters the room can make the difference between a great stay and a not-so-good stay
• Not leaving until room checks done. We use room checks to ensure that another set of eyes checks to see if anything was missed.
• Country A/C. We use the cool evening air. For this to work properly, we need to close the rooms up first thing in the morning.
• Dusting headboards, lamps, and light fixtures. These little details can really make a difference for our guests’ experience
• Vacuuming all hallways and room carpets. Be sure the halls and rugs are as clean as the rest of the rooms.
• Check common bathrooms laundry baskets
• Stock Carts
• Laundry, Laundry, Laundry

Front Desk

• ResNexus training
  • Booking rooms
  • Checking guests in
  • Checking guests out
• Answering phone

Bistro

• Breakfast service
• Dinner service

Upcoming Events

• Threshing Bee 8/11

Safety, Energy and Environment

• Suggestions for safety
• Suggestions for Energy
• Suggestions for Environment

Our Guests are Loving Us!

Fantastic experience in Dufur. Lovely grounds and super comfortable rooms! So many things to do in the area, from biking, rafting, visiting museums, etc. Delicious food from the bistro and wonderful welcoming hosts.

My favorite getaway of choice for many years and it just gets better and better each time I go. It’s the only place I know of where you get personalized service and care tailored specifically to your needs and everything you could desire, including an amazing array of food and beverages, and a spa with healing treatments just down the hallway from your room. All in a beautiful garden historic setting with a view!

Our Values:

1. Exceptional Hospitality
   1. Welcoming guests and providing friendly service
   1. Anticipating guest needs
2. Elegance and Beauty
   1. Clean, luscious spaces for guests
   1. Attention to detail
3. Connection and Community
   1. Assisting guests and treating them as friends
   1. Working as a team, being comfortable with co-workers: balancing fun with why we are here
4. Sustainability and Eco-hospitality
   1.  Composting, and recycling
   1. Growing and storing our own produce
5. Creativity and Possibility
   1. Making choices and doing things that don’t seem possible
   1. Modeling new ways of living and doing business in local community