Christina Hayes, Great Bend community coordinator and Convention and Visitors Bureau director, was almost giddy as she gave her report to the City Council at this Tuesday night’s meeting. She had good news about the CVB’s new initiative to improve customer service for the community’s front-line employees.
“The Be Our Guest Academy is officially open,” she said. I’m so excited about this program. I’m so excited about what’s happening.”
This dates back to last summer. A Colorado couple was inspired by Hayes’ visit to the Denver Travel Show and wanted to visit the area to go bird watching.
But, they met with a blank stare when the asked for information from their hotel clerk here.
“I’ve mentioned a couple of times, we have a big issue in Great Band with people saying ‘we don’t know where to go. There’s nothing to do,’” she said. “That is a rip to the heart when we’re working so hard and we’re giving up our weekends to go promote Great Bend.”
This inspired Be Our Guest, a joint online customer service training project with Barton Community College. Hayes calls it the CVB’s capstone program and had hoped to roll it out in January.
But now, “you can officially register through our website at beourguestinGBks.com,” she said.
This training is paid for by the CVB, and it’s easy because businesses can sign up all their employees that would work on the frontline. This includes anybody who deals with the public, such as medical receptionists, gas station clerks and hotel clerks.
It is free and all online, Hayes said. If done in one setting it would take about three hours to complete, but participants have three months to finish. “It’s really quick and easy,” she said.
A star example
“I have a special guests here tonight,” she said. When those birders from Colorado came to town, these folks “helped us do some damage control.”
She introduced Larami Klein, city administrative assistant, and Amanda Gaddis, CVB visitor services representative, who helped the couple and helped create this program. She also introduced Linda Penner with the Kansas Wetlands Education Center who when above and beyond to offer assistance.
“She helped make Great Bend shine, not the time that those birders were in town, but every other time helping visitors get to where they needed and to explore new things.”
With this program, they started a Frontline Employee of the Year Award. Hayes presented that to Penner for 2022.
“Linda has provided customer service that is out of this world, not only for Great Bend but our entire county,” Hayes said. “She retired this past winter, but we want her to know that she’s so appreciated in Great Bend.”
Penner helps travelers passing through and also goes along with Hayes and here staff to trade shows to help promote the area. “She’s the best of the absolute best.”
She was getting ready to leave with Hayes Wednesday morning to a trade show in Omaha, Neb., and will be gone through Sunday.
“I want to thank everybody,” said Penner. “What a nice surprise. But I’m so eager to represent the City of Great Bend. “It’s always so much fun to represent this area and really push tourism and try to get people to our area.”
