part-time employees have a consistent schedule and are here generally about 18 hours per week . We only have two independent contractors right now . They have unique specialties : Pickleball and Fashion Consulting .
Pulse : Some owners of resorts and spas have a problem with turnover . You mentioned that some of your employees have been there for a long time . What other advice do you have on how to create a culture that encourages people to want to be there and stay there ? DC : I once asked a guest what he thinks a successful leader does and he said ,“ Well , David , nobody washes a rental car . People have to feel like they own what they ’ re doing .” In our culture here , most people feel a sense of ownership and feel empowered with the responsibility that they have . They don ’ t feel like they have a boss who dictates every single thing they have to do .
“ One thing I ’ ve noticed for the people who have been doing it for longer is that in the beginning they were more generalists , but became specialists .”
— DAVID CHESWORTH , Hilton Head Health
Pulse : You ’ re working in a very specialized kind of resort . Your guests come to you for weight loss . And they tend to stay longer . How does this contrast for you with other resorts or even a day spa or health club atmosphere ? DC : Where I ’ m at now , it ’ s like a bubble . Guests come here because a healthy choice is the easy choice and , in many cases , the only choice . No matter what food item you select , you can ’ t go wrong . You ’ ve got classes all day , you sleep here , you wake up here . It ’ s immersive . You ’ re with the same people for the entire duration of your stay . At other kinds of resorts , guests might be there to kind of vacation and do other things . Part of the perk of staying at that resort is they might supplement their vacation by taking your classes and enjoying the meals there .
At resorts there ’ s a revolving door of guests . We actually have a 50 percent return guest rate , but it ’ s still just constantly different people . In the club environment where you have to be a member to use the facility , you ’ re seeing the same people most of the time . The biggest difference is the quantity and frequency that you see your clients over a given period . A lot of our part-time instructors like to work at both type of places . At the club they work with the same people all year round and see their progress . And then they also get to be a part of this destination immersive retreat where they ’ re with the same people for maybe a month , and then there ’ s a new group of people .
Pulse : You mentioned a 50 percent return rate , which is a very impressive . What ’ s your advice for other owners or operators on how to increase their rates of return ? DC : I ’ ve heard many of our guests say it ’ s kind of like that Cheers song — everybody knows your name . Everyone from the front desk to the serving staff helps people feel that they ’ re valued , they ’ re important . They see that , and they feel that .
I think this stems from the employees feeling the same way , so they pass that forward to the guests . Like at Disney World , it doesn ’ t matter what your job is , they refer to you as a cast member , you are part of the experience . And I think we have that same feel here , where you can be a dishwasher or a server or a front desk person , and you still are part of the program experience . Our guests will often say they ’ re really impressed with our facilities , but the reason we come back is because of your program and people .
And the food . The food ’ s gotta be good ! n
KRISTINE HUFFMAN LICSW , formerly a partner with Hutchinson Consulting , is a semi-retired hospitality consultant and former ISPA Board member . She brings more than 30 years of experience in hospitality and human services , including providing leadership , psychotherapeutic services , staff training , program development and brand direction for the award-winning Canyon Ranch , Miraval and Travaasa Resorts .
28 PULSE n APRIL 2023