Tim Hughes, director of White Oak Conference Center, brags on the maintenance staff as an example of a new guest-focused attitude at the SCBC retreat facility near Winnsboro.
The “Odyssey Challenge” ropes course.“One of our staff initiatives is to leave ‘Brag on Me’ cards around the campus,” Hughes said. “Guests can use a card to applaud someone on our staff.
“While a majority of the cards are complimentary of our entire staff, we have several that specifically mention the attitude of our maintenance guys. It’s not unusual to hear that one of them helped someone with a flat tire or a dead battery, with directions, or the answer to a question.
“I am always hearing, ‘I just enjoyed seeing the smiles. They made my day as a guest here.’ ”
A focus on guest services, facility improvements, and staff development are credited for completion of White Oak’s 2009-2010 master plan objectives.
Staff development
“One of the primary things we communicate is to engage the guest,” Hughes said. “We want our staff, every position, to interact with the guests. We want guests to know that every member of the staff is available to serve them. Staff members are being developed to work through guest concerns as efficiently and quickly as possible so that guests will enjoy their stay with us.”
“Our ultimate goal is that guests have a time for spiritual renewal and to experience Christ,” Hughes said.
He said reaction from staff members has been positive. “The former mindset was ‘do your job around the guests and get out of the way,’ ” Hughes said. “We still don’t want to be an interruption or distraction, but we want guests to know that we are all approachable. If you just slip around, do your job, and never interact, you won’t appear approachable. If you aren’t approachable, you never really have a chance to meet guest needs.”
Facility improvement
Hughes credits the Executive Board’s properties committee with providing flexibility in facilities planning to help meet the needs of guests by providing additional activities and resources, including:
– A new front desk and registration area, featuring Cleo’s Nest, the center’s gift shop and vending area
– A back patio with a fire pit area that accommodates 175 people
– A full-service caf? with indoor and outdoor service
– A 27-seat theater for smaller conference settings
– An Internet caf? and improved cellular service throughout the campus
– A new brick roadside entrance and facility entrance with registration portico
– An east recreation area that includes a 13,000-square-foot pavilion, junior-Olympic swimming pool, family-friendly children’s playground, and a ropes course
– Fellowship Lane, which includes a fountain and tables to foster conversation
– Golf carts to assist with guest transportation on campus
– Retrofitting of motels B and C to bring single-sleep capacity to 624
Guest service
“In our economy, groups are looking to best utilize their money, and we are able to work with groups and their budgets” through the use of sliding fees, said Hughes.
A new caf? can serve customers both inside and outside and is a good gathering point for family reunions.Hughes said new executive chef Michael Wishon has brought both a heart for ministry and a history of food operations to his new role. “If you feed people well, they are happy people,” Hughes said. “That’s one thing we’ve learned from group leaders: they want to save money, but food is not the place to do that. Michael’s skill and knowledge means we will always have good food here.”
Wishon served from 1995-2008 as food service manager and chef for the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa and attended the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Las Vegas in 2009.
Hughes said potential guests also can access a new conference center website (http://www.whiteoakconferencecenter.info) that serves as a virtual brochure. “We get a lot of telephone inquiries,” he said. “Many callers know about us, but have never been to White Oak. In most cases, we can ask them to access our website while on the telephone and talk them through the photographs, diagrams, maps, and reservation process.”
Hughes is also proud of the marketing packages that are available to churches. “We have a new staff retreat package,” he said. “Church staff members are able to come here and retreat together. This special retreat price is a way for White Oak to minister back to the churches, because churches will benefit when staff members get away for a break.” – SCBC
Headed to White Oak?
White Oak director Tim Hughes has some advice for South Carolina Baptists interested in a group visit:
– White Oak isn’t just for pastors and church staff. The conference center is an appropriate setting for youth retreats, senior adult groups, and Sunday school classes.
– South Carolina Baptist churches receive a price discount. “We are able to work with a church to make an event happen even if finances are an issue,” Hughes said. “We don’t have a lot of hidden charges and we keep our fee structure straightforward. There is no extra fee for meeting space or even a projector.”
– A large group (75 or more people) should contact White Oak and plan one year in advance. Weekends book up quickly. Smaller groups should plan about six months in advance.
– Contact White Oak by calling 803-635-4685 or visiting http://www.whiteoakconferencecenter.info.