Members and staff at The Club at the Dunes, a Troon Privé property in Naples, Fla., were just beginning to get full enjoyment from new facilities and amenities brought about through a $10.4 million club redesign when the pandemic brought things to a sudden halt. When activity resumed, the club’s workforce had a much different makeup; many employees who were in the U.S. on H-2B visas had been sent home, and the staff had to be rebuilt with more inexperienced local personnel. This episode of C+RB’s video series describes the special training and motivational initiatives, with an emphasis on both mental and physical wellness, that have helped to get the front and back of the house working smoothly together.
“The Road Back” video series from Club + Resort Business provides fresh insights into how club and resort properties are meeting the challenges posed by the pandemic and finding new and innovative ways to boost business levels and start their return to full operation.
This episode looks at The Club at the Dunes, a Troon Privé property in Naples, Fla., has implemented special training and motivational initiatives, with an emphasis on both the mental and physical wellness of employees, to get the front and back of the house working smoothly together as club operations have picked up again (including the introduction of many new services such as grocery programs and curbside pickup for holiday meals) following pandemic-imposed disruptions.
As the 2019-2020 season peaked, members and staff at the club were just beginning to get full enjoyment from new facilities and amenities brought about through a $10.4 million club redesign that included expanded restaurant seating in a covered terrace and a new poolside tiki bar. Then things came to a sudden halt, and when activity resumed, the club’s workforce had a much different makeup, because many employees who were in the U.S. on H-2B visas had been sent home, and the staff had to be rebuilt with more inexperienced local personnel.
In this episode, Club General Manager Robert Podley, CCM, joins with Food & Beverage Manager Michael Broughton, Executive Chef Lee Sonsky and Sous Chef Robert Drennan to describe how even simple measures like daily “clapping lines” to welcome staff for each shift have been combined with complimentary blue-zone inspired healthy menus and access to personal training and wellness evaluations to boost morale and engagement.
In addition to increased member usage and satisfaction, the benefits of this comprehensive and concerted effort to have “happy and healthy associates,” Podley says, have included increased retention and new-hire attraction. And on an individual basis, he adds, there have been many examples of how the new approaches have helped to provide needed support to employees who are experiencing “bad days” when they arrive at work.
(Viewing time: 14 minutes)
View episode here:
Previous episodes of The Road Back series can be viewed at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/category/the-road-back/
Upcoming episodes will highlight two different clubs’ development of inventive and successful new twists on “Iron Man” competitions and how a club has simultaneously revived its aquatics facility and programming.
If you have a great idea or success story you’d like to see featured on a future episode of “The Road Back,” contact editor@clubandresortbusiness.com.
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