When you think of the term “guest services,” odds are you think of the customer service desk or ticket sales window. Yet great guest service depends on the involvement of every department. That’s why more and more managers are taking a hard look at organizational structures, and retooling them in ways that go well beyond training. The key, simple (not secret) management tactics are interdepartmental communication, moving staff around to meet demand, and employee empowerment.

At Stratton, Vt., there has been a resort-wide movement to focus on streamlining various processes to improve the overall guest experience. One of the avenues we have taken has been realignment of different departments to allow for better communication, quicker decisions involving multiple departments, and better utilization of staff and resources. When different departments have the same goals and are under the same supervision, their training, processes, and experiences are all synced for a seamless guest experience.

It also helps to see our resorts as our guests do. To figure out how to smooth our guests’ on-mountain experience, for example, the mountain operations division analyzed the typical routes of travel our guests take at the resort.

CONSISTENT SERVICE

We then assembled our front line departments together to help standardize each department’s service. The resort hosts, ticket validation, lift operations, information desk, tubing and resort-wide OSHA compliance all fall under my purview as resort safety and services manager. While this collection of departments may not be normally mapped out on a typical organizational structure, it has allowed us to deliver training and expectations similarly from department to department. This then provides an added level of consistency when it comes to customer service with many of our front line staff.

The other benefit to this has been better cooperation between departments. Decisions are made faster. Departments are more aware of when help is needed elsewhere and lend a hand. Employees look out for one another.

Lastly, more employees have knowledge of multiple departments than ever before, and we use this capability every day. When one department is backed up or short-staffed, we have employees who we can dispatch to assist them. This has evolved into a better resort-wide understanding of customer service. We now have employees who understand and consider how their operation and decisions impact other departments either positively or negatively. That can be, and is, an amazing thing.

This approach has led to improvement in our Net Promoter Scores. Perhaps as important, it has provided a stage for eager and capable staff to shine. “Empowerment” is not a new idea in management circles, but it’s still a useful one. When implemented correctly, it can be a key tool for the success of any business. It provides regular opportunities for employees to make decisions, and think outside the box to provide a great experience for guests on their own.

The new wave of guest services managers is almost being forced to take this route. Following the flow of the guests throughout the day necessitates constant movement throughout the resort on the part of managers, and focus on the task at hand. This makes micromanaging difficult—you can’t be in several places at once—and provides opportunities for delegation, and requires trust in the supporting teams. All of that creates an excellent environment for empowerment.

Safety may seem to be the oddball in the customer service mix, but including it is showing results for us. Overseeing the various departments allows me to reach a large number of employees who have a higher risk associated with their jobs. We make safety a mindset with daily discussion. This creates an environment in which teams are on the lookout for potential hazards, which can then be corrected before there is an injury. Last year we saw a 15 percent reduction in injuries in the lift operations department alone.

Our focus on the guest experience has also led us to take a look at our hiring process. We now screen applicants to determine where they might best fit in the overall staffing of the resort. Then they are steered toward a suitable division. Our managers then interview the candidates to find the best fit for the employee. So, instead of interviewing for one department, applicants actually interview for several. This process provides better experiences for our employees, and for their Net Promoter Scores. When employees are working in a place they fit, they are successful.

But that’s just us. In talking with guest service managers at other resorts around the country, I’ve found that each has taken steps that suit their own unique needs and organizations. They, too, have found ways to improve the guest experience with steps that go beyond the basic (and important) measures of success: setting goals and communicating clear expectations to employees, organizational skills, time management, conflict resolution, and process management.

DIFFERENT STROKES

Chris Coberg oversees the guest service, scanning and photography departments at Breckenridge Ski Resort. These job responsibilities enable him to take the pulse of the resort and help meet its needs. His areas of responsibilities require him to interact with other divisions and strengthen working relationships around the resort.

While quickly working his way up the ranks, Coberg has learned that providing his teams with clear expectations and goals is critical to team efficiency and, ultimately, his own success. If staff know the goals and have expectations spelled out, it makes it that much easier to achieve them. With this mindset, the scanning team has had the freedom and support to truly have fun at their jobs. They play games in the lift lines, and, when the team is having fun, the department’s Net Promoter Scores soar. One example: Coberg’s team created T-shirts that said, “I Love Breck Scanners,” and they use a slingshot to toss them into the liftlines on busy days. It’s a clever way to entertain guests and connect with them at the same time.

Coberg has also recognized and embraced the importance of communication. By staying in close communication with the base operations manager, ticketing, and food and beverage, each of the departments runs smoother. The knowledge of each other’s operation, as well as the rest of the resort, trickles down to the staff, and everyone is focused on the big picture rather than walking around with blinders on. Breckenridge has created an environment in which departmental barriers are being erased.

At Killington Ski Resort, Jordan Spear oversees all guest services desks, ticket and season pass sales, management of operations at Pico Sports Center, and the ambassador program. He knows his ticket sellers are more than just that, and has merged many of the responsibilities of the guest service agents and ticket sale agents. This has provided a seamless experience for the guests, eliminatinginstances of “I can’t help you at this desk, you will need to go to…” as well as eliminating the frustration of employees who want to help but can’t.

Spear spends most of his busy Saturdays checking in on and assisting on the front lines. With five base lodges, this hands-on approach makes for a busy day. Communication with everyone on his team happens daily and is essential to the success of his teams. They are provided information about in-house groups, events, activities, and mountain conditions.

Spear is also an RTP administrator, and that allows him to work with his team to either help them better understand an issue or fix it on the spot. He understands the flow of the guests, and uses that knowledge to assist his teams when they need it most.

All three of these different mountains have focused on simple (not secret) management tactics to help in their success: communication, setting (and communicating) clear expectations and goals, and empowerment. These tactics, combined with the management skills of the individual managers—organization skills, time management, and conflict management—have led to their team’s success.