Building a Self-Aware Service Culture

Building a Self-Aware

Service Culture

Congressional CC’s service approach is driven by the club’s core values and measured by how well hospitality is delivered to members and guests.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

A THRIVING SERVICE CULTURE is a powerful

force within a country club. It provides a clear path toward a satisfying and sustainable member experience. The expectations of the sta are neatly outlined, and a prevailing sense of “this is how we do things here” clarifi es goals and daily practices.

Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., o ers an insightful example of a top-notch service culture that many seek to emulate.

Rooted in its core value to provide the highest level of hospitality to members and guests, Congressional CC’s approach is perpetuated by a dedicated team of like-minded professionals constantly looking for ways to improve, and is built on four prevailing principles.

“My role, and the role of our leadership, is to select the right individuals to build a cohesive team; create clarity of what defi nes our service culture; overcommunicate that clarity through our training processes; and then reinforce it with our performance-management systems,” says Kris Glaubitz, CCM, Director of Food and Beverage.

Much of Congressional CC’s model starts with hiring for the right fi t, and then training to the point that service becomes second nature. That produces a sta that is able to predict and anticipate the needs of its members, has a service mindset, and is constantly training to improve.

According to Glaubitz, much of this process starts by creating a foundation of self-awareness.

“The onboarding process is immersive,” he says. “The fi rst ninety days are completely mapped out. We go over our core values and spend a lot of time helping the team understand how they are a part of a bigger picture, and that we are going to give them the tools they need to deliver the service we expect from day one.”

Back row (l. to r.): Je Turok, Beverage Director; Matthew Morrison, Executive Chef; and Mario Campuzano, CCM, Assistant General Manager. Front row: Kris Glaubitz, CCM, ECM, Food and Beverage Director; Jenna Schulten, Food and Beverage Manager; Rachel Kreuger, Banquet Director; and Trevor Maurer, Certi ed Cicerone, Founders’ Pub Manager.

Warm welcomes, using members’ names and fond farewells are critical steps in the service model at Congressional CC.

Day 91 and beyond is where the real magic happens.

“Training doesn’t end after orientation,” Glaubitz says. “It’s constantly reinforced through measurable systems. We are intentional about our culture. It’s defi ned by our actions, not by the rules we put in place.”

EASY WINS

At Congressional, service is a team sport, and everyone has a position to play.

“We start with the basics and follow the three steps of service,” says Glaubitz. “These include a warm, sincere greeting using the member’s name; anticipating their needs throughout their visit; and providing a fond farewell.

“I like to refer to Danny Meyer’s quote: ‘Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard,’” Glaubitz continues. “But it’s what defi nes the member experience at Congressional Country Club.

“The hospitality market is so competitive, and most o er similar products,” adds Glaubitz, who earned “Rising Star” recognition in 2020 through the Excellence in Club Management Awards co-sponsored by Club + Resort Business (“Circle of Stars,” C+RB, June 2021). “But one of the main reasons that members join and utilize their clubs, and continue paying dues, is for the personalized member experiences they receive.”

YES, BUT HOW?

Many great clubs operate with an ethos of, “The answer is yes; Now what is the question?” Congressional CC’s model is similar, albeit slightly di erent. Its “yes behavior” and learning-from-mistakes mindset relies on good communication, honest feedback and continual improvement.

“Your club’s service culture will be established whether you participate and shape that culture, or whether you allow it to shape itself,” says Glaubitz. “We talk a lot about whether we want our teams to be governed by rules or culture—and of course, it’s culture.”

This means fi nding clever solutions to problems and saying “yes,” instead of fi nding reasons why certain requests are unreasonable. It’s about saying here’s what we can do. Glaubitz calls this “knowing the rules, so you can break them.”

Does this mean mistakes never happen at Congressional CC? Absolutely not.

“The hospitality industry is full of opportunities to make mistakes, and as someone who has worked in hospitality for over half my life, I know they are going to happen,” he explains. “We are diligent here about our service recovery and tracking these instances, so we can learn from them.” C+RC