Author Archives: Kat Summers

Tricia Rickard joined the Guest Services corporate team twice. First in 1986 as an admin when boxy word processors and eight-by-eight floppy disks were the latest rave in technology, way before the internet revolutionized everything. She left in 1998 and returned again in 1999 to become the Intranet Webmaster, a position she still holds 17 years later.

For Tricia, Guest Services provides that sense of being “home” and her co-workers are just like family. At Guest Services, “we’ve all gone through life together.” And when you go through life together, “you’re comfortable with one another and you value each other, which makes for a more productive work environment.” And she would know. Through the birth of her daughter, a wedding and several funerals, her Guest Services family has stood by her side.

“We’ve all gone through life together. And when you go through life together, you’re comfortable with one another and you value each other, which makes for a more productive work environment.” – Tricia Rickard, Corporate Webmaster

The Guest Services family includes more than 4,000 employees, each providing the best in food operations, hospitality, and recreation management services for more than 35 million people annually at more than 300 unique sites nationwide. With over 100 employees who have been with the company for more than 25 years, Guest Services is proud of its legacy of investing, honoring, and maintaining positive relationships with their team.

In 1988, Guest Services had enough employees reach or surpass the 25-year benchmark that they began the Twenty-Five Year Club – a tradition they continue to this day. “There was [even] one person who had been with the company for over 60 years,” recalls Tricia. “The Twenty-Five Year Club Dinner grows every year. With so many people who reach that level, you know there is just something special that makes people want to stay.”

When People Are The Bottom Line

How does a 100-year old company keep employees around for entire careers?

For Troy Cardwell, Managing Director of The Marbella at Pelican Bay, it comes down to one thing: finding people that love to work with people. “I like leading people who like to take care of people and truly enjoy what they are doing,” he says. And Troy has been taking care of people at Guest Services for more than 16 years.

“The traditional values of Guest Services are a reflection of my personal values,” says Addis Worku, a district manager of the National Mall parks in Washington, D.C. and a 25-year tenure employee. “They value hard work, respect, and ethics. I cherish these, too, as my personal values.”

“The traditional values of Guest Services are a reflection of my personal values.” – Addis Worku, District Manager, National Mall Kiosks

Surviving the bumpy road of business through the past century is an achievement in and of itself – especially when it comes to keeping tenured employees. Throughout America’s economic downturns, when most companies put the bottom line above employees, Guest Services put its team first. “During the tough times, when the economy was in bad shape, Mr. Gabrys said to us ‘we’ll get through this without laying people off. We’ll just have to buckle-down,’” recalls Tricia.

Back in 2001, after September 11, Troy was working at a luxury property in Washington, D.C. when he watched the hotel occupancy rate drop from 80% to 3% overnight. The entire industry was suffering and suddenly everyone needed to find a new job. Instead, Troy was hired by Guest Services that same year. “That changed my life,” he said.

Through Good Times, Through Bad Times

A few years ago, Tricia was taking her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer, back and forth between doctor appointments. During a stop in the Guest Services’ cafeteria, several executives sat down to talk with her mother. Her mother was surprised at the gesture. “That would not happen at my company,” she later remarked. When her mother eventually passed away, a lot of folks who knew Tricia at Guest Services also attended the funeral. “To work with people who care enough about you to come to a funeral and support you, that means a lot,” she says.

And that applies to the good times, too. When Tricia married her husband, present and past friends from work were there to celebrate, joking, “We weren’t sure if it was a wedding or a Guest Services reunion!”

When Jennifer Wallace, an award-winning managing director for several Guest Services properties, needed to take time off to attend to her father, it was never a question. “It’s these human interactions that are integral to guiding a sense of loyalty,” she says.
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Seventeen years later, Tricia still leads the company’s efforts to keep pace with technologies near-constant evolution as the company Webmaster. It’s a skill Guest Services has entrusted her with, investing and elevating her along the way. Just like it will and does with each of its 4,000 other positions.

When Troy Cardwell got promoted as the Managing Director of The Marbella at Pelican Bay, a luxury retirement community managed by Guest Services, Inc., he finally landed his dream job. “It was a position that I’ve been reaching for since the start of my career,” he says. After spending more than 31 years in the hospitality industry, Troy knows what it takes to deliver the best in guest service experiences: excellent people, great client relationships, and community partnerships. And while in the hospitality industry “they all say the guest comes first,” he says, “Guest Services was the first place where they truly meant it.”

Since its inception in 1917 to serve food to government workers in Washington, D.C., Guest Services’ foundation remains steadfast 100 years later; that in this business, being committed to excellence in hospitality means being committed to providing a team-focused work environment, personalized programs that elevate its clients, and giving back to its communities.

Investing in People Means Investing In Guest Experiences

At the DoubleTree Hilton in Naples, Fl. – one of several properties Jennifer Wallace leads as the managing director – she recalls one of her first meetings with Mr. Gerry Gabrys, Guest Service’s CEO. She sought his approval on an order for all-new bedding for an updated brand requirement, asking him if he would like to phase in the orders as is typical in the industry. His response? Order all of them.

“I remember him asking me why would we want a guest to have one experience that didn’t match their next visit,” says Jennifer. “This is rare in hotel ownership.”

And the returns show. Their DoubleTree Hilton property in Naples, Fl. has been the recipient of 12 Hilton Connie Awards – the highest hotel award for all brands across Hilton’s Worldwide portfolio and the most of any DoubleTree hotel. Among this, they have also been the recipient of several additional awards from the brand including the DoubleTree Pride Award, and DoubleTree Environmental Creating a Rewarding Experience (CARE) Award. In 2015, Jennifer was also recognized with the DoubleTree Leadership of the Year Award.

“At Guest Services, particularly with Mr. Gabrys, we understand the value of delivering a quality and consistent experience,” says Jennifer. Guest Services approach focuses on quality to drive revenues, rather than a short-term mindset that might impact customer experience and long term revenues.

Guest Services has transformed and evolved as the needs of its customers and communities have changed over the past century. But one thing remained: building a people-first company results in a people-first work culture and spectacular guest experience. “The thing that I love about working with Guest Services is that the people-first approach starts with the CEO, it genuinely permeates in the corporate office and makes its way to the teams managing properties onsite,” Jennifer says.

“The thing that I love about working with Guest Services is that the people-first approach starts with the CEO, it genuinely permeates in the corporate office and makes its way to the teams managing properties onsite.” – Jennifer Wallace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Naples

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Create Positive Customer Experiences Every Single Time

On the ground across Guest Services’ hotel properties, state and national parks, and senior living residential communities, each member of the team strives to ensure every customer experience is a positive one, regardless if they deal with just one customer or tens of thousands each day. “True hospitality is motivated by turning every experience into a positive one,” says Troy.

For Addis Worku, a district manager of the National Mall parks in Washington, D.C., that means embracing each of the millions of visitors that come to “America’s Front Yard” as an individual. “As a national park, you don’t see a lot of repeat customers since our visitation is driven primarily by national and international tourism,” Addis explains. While every cashier, utility person, or an attendant may be asked for information that is typically intended for an employee of the National Park Service, Addis educates her staff and encourages them to drive a valued visitor experience no matter what question or situation presents itself. “We encourage our staff to serve as the ‘face’ of the National Mall and take great pride in doing their best to answer every question so we ensure everyone leaves the National Mall with a positive, memorable experience. ”

Working in nationally treasured locations such as the Mall is a calling, not a job. Recently Addis encountered a visitor who was not familiar with Washington, D.C.’s rules and regulations near the Park. So when the customer visiting from out-of-town had their car towed, Addis gave them a ride in lieu of telling them who to call. “You go the extra mile to make a guest happy. Sure, that would be an instance where it’d be easy for someone to say ‘It’s not in my ‘job description’, but, we do such things for our valued guests and visitors because it’s the right thing to do,” she says.

For Troy, the loyalty, respect, and appreciation he has for Guest Services is beyond personal goals or compensation. It’s more than teamwork. “It’s not about what you receive, it’s what you give. It’s not only what you are giving a customer, it’s about what you are giving each other in order to reach the same goal. It’s about all of us getting ahead together.”

“It’s not about what you receive, it’s what you give. It’s not only what you are giving a customer, it’s about what you are giving each other in order to reach the same goal. It’s about all of us getting ahead together.” – Troy Cardwell, The Marbella at Pelican Bay