On Monday, March 16th, 2012, Alice Fisette, Front Desk Supervisor of Zehnder’s Splash Village was awarded a prestigious award given only to those truly worthy of recognition in the hospitality industry of Michigan. Alice received the Guest Relations Star of the Year Award given by the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association at the Governor’s Ball of Pure Michigan.
The Guest Relations Star of the Year Award is bestowed upon individuals responsible for developing an environment conducive to new or repeat business, creating goodwill among guests, providing special services, and an individual who effectively solves guest complaints. Alice has continuously demonstrated that her customer service is above and beyond the call of duty when it is not uncommon for guests to go out of their way to write positive comments about how Alice made their stay at Zehnder’s Splash Village even better for her positive attitude and professionalism.
Alice was hired at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth in April of 1989 as a server in Zehnder’s dining rooms. In March of 2002, Alice transferred to Zehnder’s lodging division, formerly known as Zehnder’s Bavarian Haus Motel as a front desk clerk. In June of 2005, Zehnder’s renovated the Bavarian Haus into Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark. Alice was promoted to Front Desk Supervisor of Zehnder’s Splash Village in May of 2006. Once again in 2010, Alice was promoted to the dual supervisory role of both Front Desk and Call Center Supervisor. All incoming calls to the corporation, which includes Zehnder’s Restaurant, The Fortress Golf Course, Zehnder’s Retail and Splash Village, are under her direction, which comprises of over 13,000 calls annually! Over 125,000 guests stay at Splash Village annually of which she supervises their arrival to checkout.
Alice has been named Zehnder’s Employee of the Year in 1996, Employee of the Month in 2003 and 2004, as well as Supervisor of the Quarter in 2008 and 2011 and recently was awarded her 20 year service pin for dedicated and loyal service. Alice’s diverse experience at Zehnder’s as a server and as a front desk clerk uniquely qualify her for her numerous promotions and outstanding accomplishments with Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth. She understands and demonstrates Zehnder’s mission of “Every Guest Leaves Satisfied” in all of her endeavors. Her key strengths include her exceptional customer service ethic, her ability to effectively handle and resolve any and all guest’s relations and call center matters in a very professional way. Under her leadership, Zehnder’s has increased annual occupancy by 2.3% in a challenging but opportunistic Michigan lodging environment.
Alice is a prime example of an employee who began at an entry level position at Zehnder’s and has worked her way up into an important leadership role within Zehnder’s Splash Village and the lodging industry. Some of the comments about Alice support her veteran leadership skills, special attention to detail and her personalized service that often leads guests to ask for Alice upon arrival. She is always upbeat, professional and goes the extra mile to ensure the guest is totally satisfied. She is a true inspiration to all the guests and employees and is a go-to person during peak business times and challenging guest situations. Zehnder’s is truly proud to have Michigan’s Guest Relations Star of the Year as our very own, Alice Fisette. Congratulations Alice and thank you!
