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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Foliage From A Whole New Perspective

The changing of the seasons is my favorite time of year. Visitors from around the world flock to our region to experience the foliage. Majestic purples, blood reds, stunning yellows, and bright oranges cover the rolling hills and mountains. Mother nature at her very best.


My family and I are always taking advantage of the region's attractions and natural wonders. Recently, I received an offer from the Mount Washington Resort "Bretton Woods Canopy Tour" to take a complimentary ride on their tree top zip lines. I'm an adventurous soul but there is something about sliding on steel lines high above the ground that simply isn't happening. Doesn't mean that I'm not intrigued by the concept...but count me out. I didn't need to go far to find someone in my hotel to take advantage of the offer. Brandi, my hotel's front office manager, jumped at the opportunity to go "zipping".


This past weekend, she and her boyfriend, Nate experienced the canopy tour. Monday morning Brandi was all smiles and couldn't wait to share her pictures. She went on to describe getting her "zipping" gear on (WARNING...according to Nate...the harness is not exactly "comfortable"), being driven to the top of a ski mountain and hooking on to the first zip line. She said the first time or two was nerve racking. After that, they settled in and enjoyed the entire experience. More specifically...they LOVED it!!! The views were described as truly breathtaking. Brandi reported that the guides were extremely professional and fun to be with. The overall experience was given an A+++ (even after being forced to wear those sexy helmets). Obviously, it is not an experience for those that have a fear of heights. In addition, there is just a little bit of hiking between zip lines.


As Brandi said..."There is no better way to see the foliage or have a memorable day. I'll never forget this experience".

The Bretton Woods Canopy Tour costs just over $100 per person and lasts more than three hours.





COMFORT INN & SUITES - ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT
www.vermontvacationland.com

HAMPTON INN - LITTLETON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
www.littletonhotel.com

HAMPTON INN - BURLINGTON, VERMONT
www.burlingtonvt.hamptoninn.com

FAIRBANKS INN - ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT
www.stjay.com



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Happy Jetting!

My wife and I just returned from an amazing trip to the Bahamas.

I could go on and on about Paradise Island, pool bars, beaches, crystal clear ocean, or learning to scuba dive but the experience that most impressed me was very unexpected...JetBlue.

I fly five to ten times a year. I fly out of Burlington, Manchester, and Boston depending on my destination. For whatever reason, I have never flown JetBlue. Yes, I had heard about the TVs, legroom, and service but our paths had never crossed. On this recent trip, JetBlue simply was the easy choice. Not knowing what to expect, I looked forward to experiencing the airline.

It started at check-in...my bag (not my wife's) was over the weight limit. After weighing both our bags, the two people at the counter said "we" are repacking your bags so you don't get charged extra. Syrup (we were bringing as gifts), snorkeling gear, and some clothes were moved from one suitcase to the other. Both agents smiled as the bags weighed in at 49 pounds each and followed it up with "Mr. and Mrs. Loehr thanks for flying with us...have an awesome vacation". Happy to have avoided the overweight charge, appreciative of the service...off we went to the terminal. I'm convinced that through osmosis the JetBlue culture has even infected the TSA agents. There was no screaming about shoes, lighters, laptops, or liquids. They smiled...I'm serious...I had a TSA agent look me right in the eye and SMILE!!! They actually welcomed us, did their jobs and ushered us through the security gauntlet with no wand waving, pat downs, or special screening. We were two for two so far...I wanted to see how far this would go. Boarding the plane was uneventful except for the gate agent who after taking our ticket stubs said "We appreciate you flying with us...happy jetting". I was honestly impressed.

The seats were leather, they were large, great leg room, and the TV was a blessing (football was on). Before taking off the pilot came out and greeted the passengers and announced that we would be getting off the ground shortly and we could expect a smooth flight to Fargo, North Dakota...everyone paused...and then laughed. I'm sure he's used a similar line hundreds of times...I don't care...I ate the whole thing up. As we pushed back from the terminal and taxied to the runway. This is when it happened. I thought I was going to pass out. Looking past my wife and down on the tarmac, I was amazed to see the gate agents, maintenance staff and luggage handlers all in a line waving to the passengers.

ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! PINCH ME!!! I MUST BE DREAMING!!!

Did they use magical pixie dust? Spike the kool-aid? Something "different" is going on in JetBlueLand and I for one love it. The rest of my flights and experience with JetBlue actually improved from there. Snacks and beverages were included in my airfare (what a concept). Complimentary high speed internet access in JFK allowed me to get caught up on work after eight days of suffering Bahamian style.

My hotels team members pride themselves on offering similar "wow" experiences for our guests. Feedback on the service they provide is overwhelmingly positive. On a daily basis, guests share JetBlue like experiences with me. In today's economic culture, you would think providing quality service would be the norm. Instead, as companies make staffing reductions and try to cut costs, we end up with even worse service then before. The part that drives me crazy is that providing exceptional service doesn't cost a penny...conversly...poor service can cost you millions. I'm guessing that JetBlue and my company have similar corporate cultures...hire the right people, provide quality training to new hires, encourage team members to genuinely care about their role, continue to provide training and eductional opportunitues, give them the tools needed to do the job, promote from within, and recognize team members that go above and beyond the call of duty.

For my hard earned money...I'm flying JetBlue