As Guest Services, Inc. reflects on our legacy of service during the America250 era, we look to leaders like Jayme Waters, General Manager of Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, to understand how “honoring the mission” translates into operational success. Recently awarded the Q Award for an excellent 97.15% Quality Assurance score, Jayme’s team demonstrates that elite performance is not a performance for an audience, but a daily rhythm rooted in pride and partnership.
A Culture of Collective Success
At the heart of this achievement is a rejection of the “silo” mentality. On Jayme’s team, every individual understands how their role carries the guest journey forward. “From check-in to launch to the stories shared on the water, each person adds to the current that helps shape the experience,” Jayme explains. “When we move together, the day feels seamless.”
This seamlessness is bolstered by a team that acts as each other’s “hype team,” celebrating smooth water and learning from the current together. As Jayme notes, “That balance of preparation, accountability, and pride is what keeps our quality strong and our team moving in rhythm.”
Building Readiness Through the “Why”
For Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, QA readiness isn’t a switch to be flipped when a visit is scheduled, it is a year-round state of being. This is particularly vital when training seasonal staff, where the focus is on the “why” just as much as the “how.” “Teaching the ‘what’ is easy; explaining the ‘why’ is what connects the role to a purpose,” says Jayme. “When people understand the impact of their role and how it ties to the guest experience, pride follows. It is also not hard to take pride when your office view includes sweeping canyon walls and the magnificence of Hoover Dam!”
This cultural alignment was put to the ultimate test during the most recent evaluation. “During this last QA visit, I was the only one who knew it was happening,” Jayme shares. “The team operated exactly as they always do. Steady, prepared, and aligned. That level of consistency comes from ownership and pride, not pressure.”
Moving from Standard to Superior
To bridge the gap between a “good” score in the low 90s and an “elite” score of 95% or higher, Jayme emphasizes that it isn’t about a major overhaul, but about tightening the small gaps. For her team, the biggest shift came from making expectations visible and repeatable through clear checklists and defined ownership.
“My advice to other GMs is to focus on routine over intensity,” Jayme concludes. “Build ownership instead of anxiety. When your team understands the standards, sees leadership reinforcing them consistently, and feels part of continuous improvement, the higher scores follow naturally.”
Celebrating Our Standard of Excellence
While we congratulate Jayme and the Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures team on this achievement, we also want to recognize the Q Award runners-up and every team across the country striving for these high-water marks.
Achieving a high QA score is a testament to the daily, often unsung work of maintaining our nation’s most precious spaces. To everyone who shows up with the discipline to “tighten the gaps” and the heart to serve our guests: thank you. Your commitment to quality is what makes the Guest Services legacy possible.