Customer service
A culture of
hospitality:
providing exceptional
services, positive
experiences
Two industry professionals
discuss a more purposeful
approach to hospitality in
senior living communities,
and illuminate the benefits
for these—and other—
organizations
“If you simply have a superior product or
deliver on your promises, that’s not enough
to distinguish your business. There will
always be someone else who can do it or
make it as well as you. It’s how you make
your customers feel while using your
products that distinguishes you.” 1
Danny Meyers, restaurateur and
author, Setting the Table
34
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
With more than 27 years’ experience
working with senior living organizations
and older adults, M. Sloan Bentley has
seen a lot of changes in the industry.
“For years senior living communities
were thought of as a place where older
adults went to be ‘cared for,’ but by today’s standards, that is so far from the
truth,” states Bentley, a gerontologist
and licensed nursing home administrator. “In fact, many communities are
likened to a five-star hotel experience or
living on a cruise ship.”
Continued on page 36
As part of Santa Marta’s
hospitality culture, staff
members at the Olathe, Kansas,
community go the extra mile to
enhance resident experiences.
Image courtesy of Santa Marta
A culture of hospitality: providing exceptional services,
positive experiences Continued from page 34
these organizations were the RitzCarlton, InterContinental Hotels, and
Marriott Resorts in key urban centers.
His success in incorporating a hospitality approach at Santa Marta has led
to national recognition for the community—and an additional role as regional executive director of hospitality
for Santa Marta’s managers, Greystone
Communities, Inc. Headquartered in
Irving, Texas, Greystone is a full-service
development and management consultant to the nonprofit senior living industry. In his new role with the company,
Surmaczewicz supports other Greystone
communities in developing and implementing hospitality programs.
The Daily Huddle is ‘a reminder about resident engagement, service excellence, and team
member empowerment to make a difference,’ explains Seniority’s Sloan Bentley. Image
courtesy of Seniority, Inc.
The trend toward hospitality-inspired
services and amenities really started in
senior living in the 1980s, and it set the
standard for communities in the last
decade, notes Bentley, president of
Seniority, Inc., in Pleasanton, California.
But she is not convinced that many organizational leaders have fully explored
what hospitality means and embraced
its larger, more mission-driven sense.
In a 2009 Seniority white paper, Bentley
writes that hospitality “calls for a reorientation to customer service, or even
further, a profound shift in culture,
which encompasses the common vision,
corporate personality and shared habits
of a community.”2
Seniority, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABHOW (American Baptist
Homes of the West), provides management, sales and marketing services to
nonprofit and for-profit senior living
organizations. In December 2009, the
company launched Seniority Spirit, a
hospitality and culture-formation initiative. Bentley describes it as “the attitude,
behavior and standards enabling us to
provide exceptional service and positive
experiences to our residents, team members and clients.”
36
In creating Seniority Spirit, the company
studied the hospitality philosophy and
programs of companies such as the RitzCarlton, Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom,
and Disney. “The key is to find the hospitality to match what you want your
culture to be in the future,” Bentley observes. “For us, it was the development
of our own program for senior living. We
are there to provide services and amenities for the residents to meet their needs,
yet at the same time, to make them feel
at home. So another way we view hospitality in senior living is ‘creating home.’”
For hospitality expert Chester “Chet”
Surmaczewicz, executive director of
Santa Marta senior living community
and president of Catholic Care Campus
in Olathe, Kansas, “Hospitality, at its
core, is about the experience. Residents
are seeking out an environment that is
stimulating and social. It should be our
mission to exceed their expectations in
an effort to enhance their lives,” he says.
Three years ago, Surmaczewicz joined
Santa Marta, a continuing care retirement community in metropolitan Kansas City, after working for 17 years in
hotel resorts and country clubs. Among
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
Surmaczewicz believes that “the practice of hospitality within a senior living
community should be the rule, not the
exception. It should be the focus of the
staff daily when delivering products and
services to our residents,” he stresses.
The return for communities? “A strong
hospitality program enhances residents’
experiences and distinguishes you in the
market segment,” Surmaczewicz states.
In the pages that follow, Bentley and
Surmaczewicz discuss various facets of
hospitality in senior living communities for Journal on Active Aging® readers.
What they reveal suggests that adopting
a more purposeful approach to hospitality can augment wellness and engagement for older adults and staff alike in
these—and other—settings.
JAA: In your view, what does “hospitality” mean in senior living, and why should
organizations committed to resident wellness adopt a more purposeful hospitality
approach?
SB: Hospitality should be about “exceptional people providing exceptional
care and services.” Organizations that
adopt this philosophy will find more
satisfied residents and team members.
Continued on page 38
A culture of hospitality: providing exceptional services,
positive experiences Continued from page 36
All of these are important and significantly contribute to the environment provided at a senior living
community.
JAA: How can a more purposeful approach to hospitality encourage engagement in senior living communities?
SB: This goes back to the concept of
“exceptional people providing exceptional care and services.” When an organization creates a culture of purposedriven hospitality, residents and staff
naturally engage with each other. It
becomes more about meaningful relationships and less about just providing
service. Team members begin to respond
to the needs and unexpressed needs of
the residents.
Landscaping, flowers and fountains enhance the grounds of the Santa Marta senior
living community in Olathe, Kansas, encouraging resort comparisons. Image courtesy of
Santa Marta
As exemplified by Seniority’s initiative, a
more purposeful approach to hospitality
is about culture change and embracing
hospitality at all levels within a community. Bottom line is a culture of providing opportunities of personal growth
and fulfillment for our residents and our
team members.
CS: In my view, hospitality means providing service that exceeds the expectations of the customer. For example, at a
senior living community like Santa Marta, residents expect to have a path outside that they can walk on. What they
get as a result of our hospitality program
is an immaculately groomed walking
path that takes them past fountains,
ponds and flowers. If they encounter a
staff member on their walk, they’ll be
greeted with a smile and a friendly greeting. It’s about making every little thing
a special experience. Any senior living
organization committed to resident
wellness should focus on all aspects of
wellness, and creating a positive, secure
atmosphere contributes to the happiness
of residents.
38
JAA: What are the hallmarks of this kind
of hospitality?
SB: Essentially, it is about empowering
team members to “own” a situation and
letting go of some control. For example,
we start each day with a “Daily Huddle”
to give team members an opportunity to
get up to speed for the day. This quick
meeting of the minds serves as a reminder about resident engagement, service
excellence, and team member empowerment to make a difference. Another
example is starting each interaction with
a smile. It doesn’t cost anything, but
changes everything.
CS: The staff at Santa Marta embraces
the following standards and qualities
daily:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
professionalism
enthusiasm
respect
friendliness
going the extra mile
caring
trustworthiness
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
To be hospitable is to truly welcome the
self-determination of residents. Hospitality in this sense means to make room for
our residents to have the experiences they
seek. Resident engagement can take the
form of participation in governance, leadership in programs, and decision-making
that affects the shape of community life.
A culture shifts when residents take an
active role in realizing the experiences
they desire.
CS: Staff engagement is based on culture,
which is developed through implementation of an aggressive training program
that improves the team’s overall ability to
communicate effectively with residents
and associates. Below is an example of
Santa Marta’s training schedule for new
associates:
Phase 1. Social Styles Training and
Versatility. Gives managers tools to respect and value differences, flex their Social Style and build relationships. Social
Style is an easy-to-understand and apply
interpersonal effectiveness model.
Phase 2. Managerial Application Guide.
Provides guidance on how to effectively
manage specific workplace situations
such as coaching, communication, giving feedback and delegating, based on
behavioral preferences.
Phase 3. Working with Styles. Teaches associates how to apply this interpersonal
effectiveness model and provides stylespecific advice for common workplace
challenges.
Phase 4. Inspired Leaders Creating Career
Best Associates. Explains how to build
“career best” opportunities for associates, ensure alignment between associates’ goals and organizational goals,
and apply learning mindset principles
to your team. Discusses recognizing
employees who have passion, organizational goals and talent, and helping
them achieve their career best.
Although the list is endless, leaders must
evaluate what is the principal core need
of the team and build on that foundation to develop future programming.
Every team is different, so the key is to
identify where to begin, what will help
move the process forward, and how to
build on the last accomplishment. I also
encourage engaging the residents and taking them along for the ride. They could be
a big part of the development of plans and
actions for your team.
Lastly, it’s imperative that you instill the
values of purposeful training at all levels.
If all associates share in the ultimate
goal, they can accomplish more since
there is strength in numbers.
JAA: What are the keys and/or key steps
that you recommend senior living organizations follow in adopting a hospitality
approach that enhances engagement and
wellness?
SB: It is important that team members
understand this is not about a management-driven task, but is rather about human nature and wanting to care and provide service for our customer, the older
adult. If our aim is to support residents
in aging successfully, then our real
work is to create environments where
people thrive. This requires a comprehensive culture that focuses on the
resident’s independence, interests and
passions.
The next key step is to lead by example
and get associates to wave the hospitality flag for you [Ed. See “Applying
hospitality across settings” on page 40
for suggestions]. Once management and
leadership are on board and are all mak-
Yes, our communities provide scheduled
activities seven days per week. But our
culture supports our team members to
focus on unmet needs and anticipate services that the resident and their family
desire and need. We also empower our
team members to solve every problem
they encounter; it does not need to be
in their job description. We accomplish
these goals through anticipatory service
training and through empowerment of
each team member with access to $250
to solve a problem—as long as it is for
the purpose of the resident, legal, and
morally the correct action.
Continued on page 40
CS: You can approach it from several
vantage points. At Santa Marta, we
began with the physical aspect of the
community. We embrace the idea that
everything communicates, and the lasting importance of first impressions.
I’d recommend you start by looking at
addressing the five senses, and begin
introducing subtle changes as you see fit.
You’ll create a visual environment that
residents are proud to live in and associates are proud to work in.
At Santa Marta, we installed a fountain
outside the front entrance of the community to make it more welcoming for
residents and visitors. Not long after,
some visitors didn’t even notice the
fountain had been added when they
visited for a meeting. After I pointed out
this feature to them, one commented
that it looked as though it had always
been there. That is a key point to beginning a hospitality focus: Look for those
extra elements that enhance the esthetics of the community, but aren’t so harsh
as to make others notice a significant
change. It helps to begin with these
small steps and build upon them.
Questions for further
reflection
Whether your organization has
already embraced aspects of hospitality or is just starting out, the following questions are important to
consider:
• What is your culture and who defines it?
• How do your team members articulate this definition? What do
their definitions say about your
organization and the work ahead
of you?
• If you have multiple locations, is
your culture consistent at each
community or driven solely by the
local executive director? What infrastructure would ensure culture
consistency and sustainability?
• What role do your customers play
in shaping a culture of hospitality?
• How are you defining leadership
and to what extent are your
team members embracing this
definition?
• How can you ensure that hospitality is not mere style, but truly substantive in your organization?
Source: Bentley, M. S. (2009). White
Paper: From Style to Substance:
Offering Authentic Hospitality in
Senior Living. Seniority, Inc.
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
39
A culture of hospitality: providing exceptional services,
positive experiences Continued from page 39
ing efforts to improve hospitality, the
rest of your employees will follow with
ease.
JAA: What are the challenges involved
in adopting this kind of practice, and how
can organizations overcome them?
SB: One of the biggest challenges is not
letting this become a new “program of
the month.” There has to be a commitment at all levels, and supportive structures and systems in place. As a program
is rolled out, there needs to be communication to all team members—and all
the time. Recognize those who stand out
and serve as examples. When there is a
passion to serve, exceptional service is
the result. When it comes to new team
members, training is key. For example,
we have an extensive orientation that
ensures they learn the foundations of
service, commitment, and making a difference in the lives of those we serve and
work with.
CS: The challenges and their answers
are the same: commitment, time, resources and consistency in living the
mission.
One challenge involved in adopting this
kind of practice is to convince everyone
around you that the details are important and worth investing in. You can’t
immediately quantify the return on investment of hospitality, but the rewards
speak for themselves once changes are
made.
The best way to overcome this challenge
is to begin slowly implementing some
minor changes to show the rest of your
team what impact they can have. For
example, at Santa Marta, we began to
play music throughout the hallways and
common areas. Before long, if the music
wasn’t playing, people noticed. Such
subtle modifications enhance the overall mood within a community, which
contributes to the wellness of residents.
Once your team sees the positivity these
extra touches create, they will see the
value.
JAA: What are the benefits you have seen
for senior living organizations that incorporate a more purposeful practice of hospitality? For residents? And for staff ?
SB: The benefits are truly having more
satisfied residents and passionate, engaged team members. Residents ultimately share their pleasant experiences
with friends and family, which could potentially result in referrals that help meet
occupancy goals within the community.
Satisfied team members help to decrease
turnover and provide for a stable workforce of truly caring individuals.
CS: The benefits of implementing
this kind of hospitality program were
highlighted when Santa Marta was recContinued on page 42
Applying hospitality across settings
Santa Marta’s Chet Surmaczewicz
believes that “the simplest practices
of hospitality can be implemented
in any setting” serving older adults,
not just in senior living communities.
“Anytime people can go somewhere
and have staff members who remember their name, they will want to
return,” he says. Below are Surmaczewicz’s suggestions for bringing a hospitality approach into aging services
and other organizations:
• Pay attention to first impressions
and incorporate the five senses.
• Instill in your team that everything
communicates.
• Everyone is in sales and must be
knowledgeable about products and
40
services, even those outside their
disciplines.
• Institute the “5–10” rule. Within 10
ft. of customers, acknowledge them,
and within 5 ft., engage them.
• Hold daily operational meetings
with managers, allowing the opportunity to share ideas and the day’s
agenda, and to encourage others to
participate outside their disciplines
in support of fellow team members.
• Everyone owns the philosophy that
supports the theme of the “constant
improvement process.”
• Engage a group representing your
customers and include them in the
improvement process.
• Share, foster and support a training
program. This demonstrates, through
results, the positive influence it
will have on customers. Take customers along for the ride by involving them.
• Support customer-directed programs.
• “Catch me at my best.” Each manager
should celebrate a positive action
daily by one or more team members.
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
• Embrace the position of insuring
compliance to standards, timely
follow-up and being accountable.
• Live your mission statement. All
managers should have a copy of the
mission statement on their desks
and refer to it often.
A culture of hospitality: providing exceptional services,
positive experiences Continued from page 40
Every year around the holidays Chet Surmaczewicz, Santa Marta’s executive director, carves 20 blocks of ice to create a 6,000-lb.
sculpture that brings the ‘wow’ factor to the community, something that has become a tradition for residents and staff alike. Image
courtesy of Santa Marta
ognized by Holleran Highest Honors,
a national organization that specializes
in research, organizational assessments,
leadership evaluations, culture/values
assessments and image/perception
studies for continuing care retirement
communities. Using industry-standard
measurement tools by Holleran, Santa
Marta has been ranked at the top in both
resident satisfaction and staff satisfaction for the three years since the hospitality program was incorporated.
We’ve found one of the greatest benefits
to be that our residents truly love living
at Santa Marta and consider our community as one big family. An average
community that experiences a year-overyear improvement will typically have
25% resident referrals. At Santa Marta,
our resident referrals are at 134%.
42
JAA: Have senior living residents changed
their views of what’s important to them in
their communities over the last few years?
And, if so, what do you believe they most
want and/or need now, and what role can
hospitality play in meeting those needs and
desires?
SB: Some would think that a resident
will pay more for a higher level of service. But, that could be doubtful, as older adults are much more cost-conscious
following the recession. Nonetheless, the
desire for service and hospitality is still
there. Senior living organizations need
to be reminded that an exceptional experience for residents doesn’t necessarily
mean upscale products and services, but
can also happen amid simplicity. Older
adults may be a bit more frugal today,
but still desire exceptional service.
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
CS: Senior living residents want options.
Communities now must offer choices
for everything, including exercise, living
space, dining, socializing, education and
healthcare. Hospitality helps communities meet these needs and desires because it has been ingrained in the practice of hospitality to meet the desires
of guests, not just their needs. Senior
living is adapting to this philosophy by
taking pages from the hospitality book.
There is no longer a bare minimum that
residents are looking for. They want to
have experiences, make memories and
enjoy themselves, and they know they’ll
be able to do that in a community that is
equipped to accommodate them.
JAA: How do you think more purposeful hospitality can help the senior living
industry evolve in meeting the needs and
desires of the growing age 50-plus population in the years to come?
SB: Certainly the Baby Boom generation has different wants and needs than
the Silent generation or even the World
War II generation. Boomers are the “I
want it now” generation with expectations of service. By having a hospitalityfocused culture in place in an organization, meeting those needs will happen
more readily. It will be even more about
providing experiences and opportunities
to help the individuals with continued
growth and fulfillment.
CS: As the Baby Boomers and future
generations come into senior living,
the industry will have to adapt more
hospitality practices. These generations
are much more accustomed to getting
what they want, and they won’t choose
to live anywhere until they know that a
community can meet all of their needs
and desires. The senior living industry
should be looking at where these generations go on vacation—that’s exactly the
type of hospitality they’ll be expecting
in retirement. And I can tell you they
will want to try new foods, learn new
subjects and meet new people. Com-
Resources
munities should begin adapting now to
accommodate these desires.
JAA: Do you have anything further that
you would like to add for the benefit of
Journal on Active Aging readers?
SB: Those who work in the field of
senior living do so because they have a
passion and respect for older adults. It is
all about believing in senior living and
knowing that you’re making a difference
in the lives of others. When this carries
over into the day-to-day operations of
senior living, there is a great sense of accomplishment and pride for everyone.
The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps
to Maximize Your Potential
Author: John C. Maxwell
Publisher: Center Street, 2011
CS: Simply provide an environment
conducive to the development of a hospitality culture that fosters a pleasurable
ambiance, positive attitude and timely
action to resident needs. Instill in your
team that hospitality is a lifestyle not
a program, and must be the focus of
everything we do. Challenging, yes. Rewarding, absolutely!
The No Complaining Rule: Positive
Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work
Author: Jon Gordon
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2008
The Journal on Active Aging thanks
Sloan Bentley of Seniority, Inc., and Chet
Surmaczewicz of Santa Marta for their
help with this article.
The OZ Principle: Getting Results
Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Authors: Roger Connors, Tom Smith
and Craig Hickman
Publisher: Portfolio Trade, 2010
References
Believing in Senior Living: Insight and Inspiration for the Future of Our Profession
Authors: M. Sloan Bentley and Daniel
Pryfogle
Publisher: Seniority, Inc., 2011
Setting the Table: The Transforming
Power of Hospitality in Business
Author: Danny Meyer
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2006
2. Bentley, M. S. (2009). White Paper: From Style
to Substance: Offering Authentic Hospitality in
Senior Living. Seniority, Inc. Retrieved on June
7, 2012, from http://www.seniorityinc.
com/documents/resources/WhitePaper_
Hospitality.pdf.
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life,
Work and Team with Positive Energy
Author: Jon Gordon
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2007
Whale Done! The Power of Positive
Relationships
Authors: Ken Blanchard, Thad Lacinak,
Chuck Tompkins and Jim Ballard
Publisher: Free Press, 2002
Internet
ABHOW (American Baptist Homes
of the West)
www.abhow.com
Greystone Communities
www.greystonecommunities.com
Santa Marta
www.santamartaretirement.com
Seniority, Inc.
www.seniorityinc.com
Seniority, Inc., white papers
www.seniorityinc.com/resources.html
Print
Authors: Stephen C. Lundin, Harry
Paul and John Christensen
Publisher: Hyperion, 2000
1. McLaughlin, L. Money: The Business of
Hospitality. TIME, September 24, 2006.
Retrieved on June 29, 2012, from
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/
article/0,9171,1538657,00.html.
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale
and Improve Results
The Journal on Active Aging July/August 2012 www.icaa.cc
43