Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting with my old friend, Steve Barba. While Steve presently serves as the executive director of university relations at Plymouth State University, it is his experience in hospitality that earned him this invitation to be interviewed. Steve exemplifies the American success story. As a young boy, he accepted an opportunity to serve as a caddy at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. By the time Steve left The Balsams, some 48 years later, he had risen to the position of president of that fabulous property. With this lengthy tenure, who better to ask what makes a resort employee–and, by succession–a resort, flourish.
Steve began by stating that life in the hospitality industry is reflected in the game of baseball. Each is a team activity that strongly depends on a set of individual actions. In both, dawn marks a beginning; yesterday is over. Bellmen and waitresses, like shortstops must arrive alert, prepared to perform to the best of their capabilities. Similarly, the management of a resort property, like the manager of a team, has the responsibility to prepare his charges to execute tasks when the occasion arrives. Just as the ballplayer is judged by the umpires, fans, and other players, the resort employee will face the scrutiny of guests and department managers. In each example, a well prepared individual has been prepared to act spontaneously and is fully committed to the task at hand. Success earns personal rewards; more importantly, it elevates the team to greater heights. By functioning well, a feeling of harmony is produced, resulting in audience (fans and guests alike) loyalty.
A half century ago, Steve Barba realized that he could best succeed by mastering required tasks with his own flare. Performed well, services are not only appealing to guests, but can be transformative to both the employee and the guest. The employee who simply goes through the motions fails three masters: the management, the guests, and him/herself. However, learning to express oneself through the performance of services earns one self-respect and advances the goals of the resort, and those who have chosen to patronize it.
So often, employees are concerned with their personal trials and tribulations. A good innkeeper, like a baseball manger, is one who can convey the important role the team plays in serving the public. The latter has left its normal routine and submitted to an enterprise, one they presume has been designed to accommodate everyday needs, as the guest undergoes a healing, refreshing experience. It is the resort’s . . . and, therefore, each employee’s . . . responsibility to facilitate this time of spiritual rebirth and family renewal. If the resort provides the sense of a “new day,” while a guest is on the property, it is because everyone has performed as expected. Then, when the next vacation season rolls around, “Let’s play two” (Ernie Banks, July 16, 1967) will be on everyone’s lips.
Most definitely, team work is essential in resort management; the whole goal is to make AND keep reliable paying customers. We often stay at the Sheraton in Rocky Hill CT (go back to visit the kids). On our last visit, my son said “This is a nice second home you have here Ma”. And that’s the way we’ve come to feel about that hotel. The front desk staff is always very accommodating and pleasant; the lounge area is open and welcoming; the rooms are always well maintained, the pool and fitness center are very well maintained, and the club lounge never fails us with a charming hostess, evening snacks, and morning breakfasts. In addition, the price is right!
I’m sure your friend Steve Barba has some great stories to tell of his years at the Balsams Grand Hotel. Perhaps some day he’ll start his own blog to tell those stories?