In Hospitality

As we celebrate this Christmas season, I thought I would share with you another of my favorite recipes for making and giving this year.

Glazed Lemon Drop Cookies
Drop Cookies
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
    * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
    * 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    * 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    * 1 cup granulated sugar
    * 1 large egg
    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze
    * 2 cups confectioner's sugar
    * 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
    * 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest with a fork.
3. In a large bowl beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined.
5. With mixer on low beat in flour mixture.
6. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto baking sheets.
7. Bake one baking sheet at a time in the center of the oven until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. When cool, spread lemon cookies with lemon glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

Lemon Glaze: In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, and 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice until smooth and of a good spreading consistency. Add more lemon juice to thin the glaze and more sugar to thicken it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and please share your favorites with us.  This recipe makes about 2 dozen Glazed Lemon Cookies.

Do you ever get so focused on finding that new guest that you overlook the discipline of retaining the guests you have?  It can happen to the best of us.

Here are some practical strategies that will help.

1.  Empower your employees - let them fix the small stuff.  Employees are typically the ones that your guests are dealing with on a day to day basis while they are at your property.  Sometimes a small issue can become big while an employee is looking for their manager to provide a solution.

2.  Listen and Act - take the time to hear what you long-term guest's are saying and let them know you were listening by acting on what you heard.  Guests will love seeing the results of their feedback and that will make them ambassadors for you.

3.  Solve problems and meet needs - if your dealing with guest group's inevitably your meeting planner will encounter problems. It will only strengthen your relationship if you are helping to solve those problems and meet those needs.

4.  Be Hospitable - If you aren't, your employees won't be.  If you and your employees treat people well, your property will become a place that people want to be.  Make sure your policies don't limit your hospitality to guests.  Hospitality is the key to re-booking business.

Remember -
     *  Make it easy for groups to come back another year
     *  Keep in touch - make sure your meeting planners know they are wanted
     *  Remember that history is valuable
     *  Fight for your group - it's about ministry not convenience

If you take the time to consistently, thoughtfully and intentionally care for your guests, you will succeed in keeping them.

Here are some great tips on saving money when planning you next meeting or event.

1.  Be flexible - If you have the ability to be flexible on your dates and better yet, days of the week you need to meet, facilities can work with you budget by working your event in between other events or scheduling you in the off-season.

2.  Know your meeting's history - Not just how many guest's have attended in the past but how much was the total you spent on rooms, meeting space, food and beverage, audio visual, etc.

3.  Communicate - Be as specific as possible with your needs.

4.  Build Relationships - The better your relationship is with your supplier, the easier it will be to explain your budget and meeting needs and, the easier it will be for your supplier to negotiate and work within your requirement.

Making a top ten list of reasons to attend your event is a great way to market your event. To start your list, grab a piece of paper and start writing down all of the things you feel are attractive about your event, for example:

1. Free speaker sessions
2. Number of meals
3. Free networking events
4. An excuse to come to (insert name of great city)
5. Meet current clients
6. Free parking
7. Mention entertainment
8. Opportunity to visit local attractions
9. Door prizes
10. Mention keynote speakers
 

Brainstorming from an attendees point of view may make your list easier to compose. Now you have the list you can use to promote your event.  If possible keep the list items short in description. This way it can be added to virtually any medium, like a box on your event website or printed material. Or maybe a banner ad on a website or support material for your event newsletter.

A simple list can go a long way in sparking interest from potential attendees.

As many of us know well, it's way too easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of today's wired-in lifestyle. We get so focused on the next meeting, the next phone call, the next tweet or status update, that we forget the things that are really important.

Many times what gets forgotten, or pushed to the side, are our families. The following post was written by John Ashman. John is currently the Executive Director of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions and prior to that was a VP with Christian Camps and Conference Association.

As you read it I would encourage you to think about your own family. Do you need to take some time out and renew your relationships. As you'll see from this mom's perspective, family camp is a great place to do just that.

Camp is a refreshing stream along life's journey...

Laura eased open the screen door and stretched out in the rocking chair, favorite book in hand. Out on the lake, silhouetted by Monday’s sunrise, the canoe carrying her husband and two daughters glided silently through the water. A smile spread across her face as she imagined their conversation.

An earlier rain had refreshed the forest and the fragrance brought back some wonderful childhood memories. Overhead, two squirrels debated the ownership of a cache of acorns. The family from the cabin next door waved good morning and wandered off along the path to the point.

This placid camp setting was a welcome contrast to her familiar suburban scene. She glanced at her watch. Still 40 minutes ’til breakfast. She took another sip of coffee and closed her eyes. This was going to be a wonderful week.

At the urging of some friends from church, Laura’s family had decided to spend these six days at a Christian family camp. The place offered cabin or lodge accommodations, three family-style meals a day, horseback riding, biking, hiking trails, a challenge course, dirtboarding, fishing, canoeing, swimming, beach volleyball, a well-known Christian band, an impressive list of speakers, and more.

But the part of the brochure that caught Laura’s attention was “time out from the rush of life for spiritual renewal.” She needed that, and so did her family, much more than anyone knew.

Finding Time
These days, few of us wash dishes in the sink and ponder the world through the kitchen window. Instead, we stack the plates and utensils in the Maytag and rush to the next task. Come end of day, rather than sit on the front porch and contemplate, we click the mouse or remote and “process.” We live in a hurried, harried world. Freeways, cell phones, business appointments, micro-waves, school functions, online transactions, late-night news, and alarm systems form the borders of our behavior.

Our children aren’t strangers to stress, either. Pushed by parents or peers to perform beyond their years, they’re rushed into maturity by Madison Avenue and the media. It’s no wonder many kids emerge from their teen years frustrated, fearful, and fatigued.

Just over the hill, across the meadow, or through the woods, Christian camps are offering experiences that can arrest our runaway routines. Spending a week at a Christian camp, or conference center, will not immediately unbundle the anxiety of the twenty-first century lifestyle, but it will provide a refreshing break with a chance to relax, reflect, recreate, and re-evaluate priorities.

Time, which seems to be a rare commodity in the “real world,” is abundant at camp. There’s time to eat together, play together, and talk together. Parents can use time to assess family progress and form new goals. Kids can spend time enjoying the miscellaneous pastimes of childhood. So much can get done when there’s nothing pressing to do.

Finding God
At camp, God does not hide in the chapel, waiting for the evening service so He can reveal Himself. His presence permeates the program and property. God speaks on the ropes course, helping people discover the truth about trust. He’s present on the trail, teaching people through the intricacies of nature. He’s there in the person of a child’s counselor, bringing peace through the demonstration of patience. The messages spoken and songs sung from the platform are just added benefits.

Chuck Swindoll, author, radio pastor, and chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, has long been a supporter of Christian camping for the entire family. Some time ago, he spoke about the value of total family involvement.

“All the Swindolls have enjoyed and benefited from Christian camping for many, many years,” he said. “In fact, I can’t recall an unhappy or unrewarding experience that we’ve ever had.”

When families get together in a camping situation, they relate eye-to-eye, maybe for the first time in months, without the distraction of television, radio, or phone in the background, he observed. They have time to think through their values and their priorities. And they have the opportunity to establish or strengthen their relationships with Jesus Christ.

The testimonies around Friday night’s flickering campfire stirred the hearts of the households gathered in its glow. Tears welled up in Laura’s eyes as her own husband of 16 years stood to his feet and uttered soft-spoken words of recommitment to Christ and family.

Following the service, the girls ran ahead to the cabin to pack for departure. Taking the long way back, Laura and her husband walked hand-in-hand, then arm-in-arm, speaking without talking. It was a wonderful week. Spiritual renewal did indeed take place. God’s voice was heard.

It wasn’t that He spoke any louder in the serene camp setting. For some reason, it was just easier to hear Him.

What about you? Has family camp played a part in your family's heritage? If so, would you mind leaving a comment and sharing it? If not, I encourage you to consider attending a Christian family camp this summer. You won't regret it!

Earlier this year, I wrote an article for Christian Camp and Conference Association's InSite magazine entitled, "A Stand-out Experience" (read article here). The purpose of the article was to provide Christian conference centers with some strategies they could use to compete with local hotels.

At Ridgecrest and Glorieta, it's not unusual for us to compete with a secular hotel or conference center for many of our groups. This has become especially true as we've added new and upgraded facilities that are equal to, and in some cases, nicer than our secular competitors. However, it's not the nicer facilities that we believe differenitiate us from other hotels and conference centers. Here are the three things I believe set Ridgecrest and Glorieta apart from our competition and allow us the opportunity to create stand-out experiences for our groups.

Ministry Serving Ministry - Unlike our secular competitors, we are a ministry and we see our role as that of serving other ministries. Our sales and event staffs work hard to build genuine relationships with our group leaders. We want to know what their hopes and dreams are for their ministries and then look to see how we can partner with them to help achieve their ministry objectives.

Spiritual Environment - Ridgecrest and Glorieta were built for the specific purpose of helping to equip the saints. Our mission is to provide the best conference center environment for experiencing spiritual transformation and renewal. This is not to say the Holy Spirit can't move at a secular hotel or conference center, but that's not why they exist. Our purpose is to point people towards Christ and to provide a place where, away from the distractions of the world, people can have a fresh encounter with our Creator.

Personal Service - One of the realities of the hotel industry is the larger the hotel, the less personal the service. Even when the service is excellent (Broadmoor example), the great majority of the hotel employees will have no idea why you're there. Again, not their focus. On the other hand, at Ridgecrest and Glorieta, we have a group of employees who pray each week for the groups and individuals scheduled to arrive that week. We work hard to communicate to all of our employees why a group is on campus and what we can do to personalize the service we offer to each group.

 What about you? If you plan or go to meetings/retreats with your ministry or church, what makes them a stand-out experience?

I continue to have mixed emotions on direct mail marketing, I believe it is imperative to certain audiences and not for others.  So, here are a few thoughts for enhancing your efforts when choosing to use direct mail.

1. Keep it Simple - If your creative material is too complicated to understand or difficult to read, people won't take the time to figure it out.  Instead, they'll toss it aside.

2.  Send to the Right People - With today's technology you don't have to take a shot in the dark with a zip code.  Rather, you can send mail to specific cultural, socio-economic and lifestyle demographics.

3.  Increase Frequency - Consider limiting the number of people you target so you can afford to do multiple mailings.

4.  Remember the Details - Sometimes we get so excited about what we're sending that we forget to include the basics (website, phone number, address), not everyone your sending to knows who you are.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite recipes for making and giving this year.

Nut Brittle

Ingredients

1 cup pistachio nuts

1 cup cashew nuts

1 cup walnuts

1 cup peanuts

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

For any of the nuts that have shells, remove them; and then chop the larger nuts into smaller pieces.  Spread all four types of nuts on 2 large, greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.  Leave the baked nuts on the baking pans and keep them warm.

In a large sauce pan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Cover the saucepan and, over medium heat, bring the syrup to a boil.  Uncover and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 290 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove the hot syrup from the stove.

Next, stir in the baked nuts, butter, vanilla and salt.  Using a spatula, spread the hot mixture on two buttered baking sheets.  When it has cooled to room temperature, break the brittle into pieces.

When wrapping nut brittle to give as a gift, begin by lining a decorated container that has an air-tight lid with waxed-paper.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and please feel free to share any of your favorites with us.

As you would expect, the hotel itself was beautiful and my room was probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in. I especially enjoyed the flat screen TV built into the wall above the bathroom vanity. (Never had to miss ESPN!)  I also enjoyed the nightly turndown service, the well equiped fitness center and simply having to call Housekeeping when I was in need of ice (explained why there were no ice machines on the guest room floors).

All of the facilities and amenities were what you would expect when you're paying to stay at a 5 star resort, so no real surprise there. What was a surprise to me was the overwhelming friendliness of every staff member I came in contact with. It wasn't really until the end of the second day that I really began to take note of this.

As I was walking to that evening's general session, I passed four different room attendants heading into the tower I was staying in. Each one smiled and spoke to me as we passed each other. That's when I realized these guys obviously take customer service training very seriously. In many hotels and conference centers the primary emphasis of customer service training is directed at the front of the house employees (front desk clerks, bell staff, wait/banquet staff, etc) and not much attention is given to training back of the house employees (housekeeping, maintenance, kitchen, etc).

Based on what I experienced, this is certainly not the case at The Broadmoor. They understand that many guests have more interaction with housekeeping and maintenance staff, in and around the hotel, than they do with front desk clerks and banquet waiters. I have no doubt they spend a significant amount of time on customer service training with all their employees.

The end result is a very friendly hotel where service is done right. The really cool thing is that you don't have to be a 5 star hotel to provide friendly service. All is takes is dedication to training all employees in providing excellent customer service.

Hopefully, when you visit Ridgecrest or Glorieta, you will experience friendly service from all of our employees. That's certainly our desire. If that's not the case, please do not hesitate to let us know.