A Colorado couple was inspired by Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau Director and Community Coordinator Christina Hayes’ visit to the Denver Travel Show at the end of May. They 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. 

“They checked in and asked, ‘hey, we’re here from Denver for the birds,’” she said. Basically the front-line person said ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’”

“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. At the minimum, the clerk could have mentioned the “amazing little zoo.” 

“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,” Hayes said. “The people here at the front lines need to know what we have going on and what we have available.”

Enter Be Our Guest in Great Bend Academy, what Hayes calls the CVB’s capstone program. Plans are roll it out this coming January.

“We are going to create an easily accessible, online training program that’s customer service friendly,” she said. It is being done in partnership with Barton Community College. 

Businesses can sign up their front-line staff. Participants will then learn insights to local attractions and group events, and hopefully know something about Great Bend.

This is needed “because word travels fast,” Hayes said. Visitors can quickly share their negative experiences with customer service and damage the community’s reputation.

“We do have a logo and all that,” she said. “It is rolling nicely so far.”