GUEST SERVICES’ HEROES THROUGH THE STORM

Between September 23 and October 2, 2022, Hurricane Ian brought large-scale destruction from the Caribbean to Florida and parts of South Carolina. This category-four hurricane was the deadliest to strike Florida since 1935 and caused an estimated $50 billion in damage.

As a major operator in Florida, it was all hands on deck preparing for the hurricane, bracing during it, and rebuilding after. Joana Vasilescu, LCAM, Director of Operations, one of the leaders who helped guide our team members through the crisis, discusses Guest Services’ hurricane relief strategies.

How did we activate our hurricane preparation plans, and what does that entail?

The Hurricane Emergency Plan is activated once the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service start to track disturbances in the Caribbean Sea that may become a hurricane threat to the mainland U.S.

The first step we took was to send a mass email on September 22, 2022, advising the managers within the division of a potential development in the Caribbean Sea and asking everyone to monitor the forecast and ensure hurricane plans are in place.

Every plan has two aspects: an internal component for our staff and an external component for our clients.

Internal Steps:

• Staff Meetings – Daily staff meetings begin no fewer than 5 days prior to the approaching storm. Pre- and post-plans are discussed, and duties are assigned. The complete hurricane preparedness plan is covered, and a dry run is performed.

• Supplies – Supplies are inventoried to determine if items must be replaced or purchased. Each building has its own list of supplies for the hurricane.

• Pre-Hurricane Checklists – Checklists are provided to all employees and are covered during staff meetings item by item. Duties are assigned to the appropriate staff person as determined by Management.

• Vendors – Managers contact critical service providers such as pool, landscaping, disaster clean-up, security, etc., to ensure they have their association listed as “priority status” and define labor rates and remediation costs.

• Site Preparation – At the time a Hurricane Watch is issued, Guest Services and its personnel begin to secure the building and common area and shut down the property’s mechanical/electrical equipment to ensure the systems are operational after weather conditions return and power has been restored.

• Staff Presence Expectations – A determination is made when staff must safely leave. Staff must vacate with plenty of time to reach their destinations.

External Steps:

• Communication – Management will start sending periodic communication to the owners advising them what to expect before, during, and after the storm regarding conditions and communications and to keep them updated on the preparations and recovery (twice a day).

• Encourage owners to put an evacuation plan in place and provide them with addresses of hotels and shelters in the area and alternate routes to get there before a hurricane warning is issued.

• Meetings – The Property Manager is required to discuss with the established protocol with the Board to assist the Association before, during, and after the Hurricane, and also to call a mandatory town hall meeting for the owners in residence to discuss preparations and service expectations if they do not evacuate, and how to secure their units if they do.

How did we deploy our teams to serve our clients?

Our hurricane plan is very comprehensive, and the team members have specific tasks that need to be accomplished under the direction of the General Manager. The responsibilities are distributed based on each individual’s set of skills. For example,

• The Administrative Assistant oversees sending periodic e-blasts with preparation updates and responds to owner inquiries.

• The maintenance team is responsible for common area preparations, system shutdown, damage surveys of the mechanical and electrical systems after the storm, startup of the equipment, and assistance with remediation.

• The Housekeeping team assists in preparations and clean-up efforts.

• The General Manager orchestrates the whole process in addition to meeting with vendors and Board members, inspecting the property, and documenting the execution of the plan. His/her responsibility is to protect the property, minimize losses, ensure individuals' life and safety, and reestablish normal operations as quickly as possible.

Why is communication critical in a time of crisis?

Communication is critical during crises because our internal and external customers will look to leadership for advice and guidance. Getting it right can empower the teams to keep striving forward and come out of the crisis stronger, and it’s an opportunity to strengthen the client relationship by building trust and loyalty.

During a crisis, speed, visibility, and accuracy in communication are vital. The messaging needs to be done regularly, in a professional, neutral tone, consistent, and in tune with the situation. Before starting to send out emails, we need to make sure that the language used is clear and precise to avoid misinformation, the information shared is timely to prevent idle speculation, it’s relevant and concise, and, most importantly, it comes from a place of empathy.

What other lessons, recommendations, and/or takeaways would you suggest for GM’s and leaders?

• Discuss the Hurricane/Emergency Plan in an open meeting each spring and have the Board vote to formally adopt it. This allows owner comments prior to adoption, adds a level of “authority” to the document, and ensures a united front.

• Set clear expectations for clients: GSI is responsible for protecting and repairing (if needed) the property's common areas, not catering to individual owners during a catastrophic event. Owners are responsible for their personal property and safety.

• Encourage associations to create a “Communications Committee” or “Communications Liaison” and purchase a Sat Phone for the manager to contact board members, GSI staff, and/or vendors. The Communication Liaison (a person that is not in the affected area) could send e-blasts and communication to all owners on behalf of the manager in case the area doesn’t have Internet or phone services.

• Advise owners to hire a Home Watch vendor; in crisis mode, the managers and the staff don’t have enough time to go into every unit and check windows, empty refrigerators, move cars, empty storage lockers, etc.

• Vendors were overwhelmed after the hurricane; we need to create relationships with vendors outside of the emergency area. Look in the GSI vendor contracts for the state of Florida.

Recently, Nico Foris, CEO, held a live town hall at Guest Services owned and operated DoubleTree hotel in Naples, Florida to update the company on the latest developments but also to recognize those who played a major part in the remediation efforts. “It’s sobering to see how much damage was done to the many properties we operate. It’s also a reminder of how much effort goes into operating a business,” said Mr. Foris. “Despite all this, our team members and General Managers worked incredibly hard to put these challenges in their shadow.”

“I also want to recognize our DoubleTree Hotel and management team, who housed many of our own employees that lost everything. We should be very proud of coming together and helping support our own staff.”

Thank you to those involved in the Hurricane Emergency Plan!

• Graham Alford – General Manager, Mansion La Palma

• Kurt Andrae – District Manager

• Victor Bock – Executive Chef, The Marbella at Pelican Bay

• Molly Cole – General Manager, The Marquesa at Bay Colony

• Frank Delgato – General Manager, Park Plaza

• Jackie Gonzalez – Manager of Senior Living at The Cove

• Lee Gouny – General Manager, Toscana at Bay Colony

• Kimberly Hopkins – General Manager, The Monaco

• Ethan Loschiavo – District Manager

• Al Perez – General Manager, The Stratford at Pelican Bay

• Awilda Rivera – General Manager, Mystique at Waterpark Place

• Jennifer Robbins – General Manager, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Naples

• Kris Savoie – District Manager

• Reana Sefa – General Manager, The Salerno at Bay Colony

• Deanna Torrez – St. Pierre at Waterpark Place

• Maria Ulloa – General Manager, Kalea Bay T100

• Jessica Varundo – General Manager, La Mer on the Gulf

• Joana Vasilescu – Director of Operations

• Kevin Worthy – General Manager, The Windsor at Bay Colony

• Irina Zuercher – General Manager, The Terraces