Having started the month on the road with Colleen in the middle of conducting  a week-long program at the Superclubs call center in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, September was to bring me to a diversity of locations once again.

My second trip for the month took me back for a ride down “memory lane,” as I was headed to Orlando to conduct training for the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort near EPCOT.   I was glad to have a trip within the region, which enabled me to drive up from Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and also to bring along two of our key executives from KTN, including Karla DeCastro, our Administrative Manager, and also Kat Olarte, one of our Reservations Coaches who is also understudying  to be a KTN trainer.  This was a great opportunity for them to see one of the top resort call centers in our industry and also to meet some very long-term client friends of mine.

Having been conducting training for the Swan and Dolphin since the early 1990’s, it was exciting to see so many of my client friends there such as Cristina Chylinska, the Reservations Manager, and also Margo Napoli-Bryant, the Group Reservations Manager.   It was also wonderful to meet new contacts, especially Kushan Abayesekera, who took us all out for a wonderful evening of drinks and appetizers at Blue Zoo, the trendy new seafood restaurant there.

Here’s a picture of us at dinner that evening: (Left to right: Kushon Abayeserkera, Director of Revenue, Paul, Reservations Supervisor, Kat and Karla from KTN, Margo Napoli-Bryant, Group Reservations Manager, Karen, Reservations Supervisor, and Doug.)

                                                       

The next day we conducted two, half-day workshops for their entire reservations team and had a wonderfully engaging time.  About half of the team had been  through my training probably a dozen times, yet they seemed very eager to participate once again as always.  Here’s a picture of us with the two groups that day:

                           

                           

Cristina, who has worked at the hotel for well over a decade, is always fun to work with and I admire here incredible organizational skills and her enthusiasm.  I will always appreciate how wonderfully supportive was this past June when I had to call to reschedule the workshop just 3 days out due to my Dad’s passing.  Here’s a picture of her doing  her “Charlie’s Angels” moves with Kat and Karla:(From Left, Karla, Cristina, Doug, Kat.)

                                                      

Next up on my dance card was my third visit to Brett-Robinson Vacation Rentals in Gulf Shores, AL, who is now registered for our Annual Training Plan so I’ll be seeing them throughout the year.  It is wonderful to see how so many of the long-term reservations sales agents there are excited about their new goals, call standards, and the training plan we have them on.  I look forward to making many more entries about their  success stores this coming year.

My last trip of the month started with a cross-continent non-stop flight from Ft.  Lauderdale to Los Angeles, where I rented a car and began the 2 hour drive up to Big Bear Lake, CA.  This was to be my first time visiting, although I had met the client contacts Monique Rangel and Rebecca Hrabia two years ago at the CRADR (destination call center) conference. I know Monique and Rebecca have been pushing for this training diligently ever since that time and so it  was very exciting to receive Monique’s call.  Through their offices at the Big Bear Lake Resort Visitor’s Association they were able to organize and market an area-wide reservations training session which was attended by about 35 participants from area lodging facilities.  This included a diversity of companies ranging from large to small, including resorts, B&B’s, and several mountain cabin rental companies. 

The participants were really wonderful that day and all very eager to participate in our day of interactive activities and exercises.  The group was so large that I had to take several pictures to include  them all.  In the first picture, on my immediate left, you can see Monique and then Rebecca.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                       

                       


                       

At the end  of the workshop I decided to drive back down the mountain to Ontario, CA, since I had such an early morning flight back home.  As I descended the 7,000 feet of elevation down the mountain around  sunset, I felt very blessed to have a job that takes me to such incredibly beautiful and diverse places every month.  Although it doesn’t begin to capture the beauty of Big Bear Lake, CA, here’s a picture I took on my drive back home: