‘cruise ship on land’ theme helps landmark village earn
TRANSCRIPT
‘Cruise ship on land’ theme helps Landmark Village earn award nominationRetirement home recognized for outstanding customer serviceWednesday April 6, 2011By Deron HamelFrom the day it opened its doors two years ago, Landmark Village has promoted itself as a “cruise ship on land” by offering its 135 residents the service one would expect aboard an ocean liner on Caribbean holiday.
It’s this type of high-quality service that executive director John Welsh attributes to the home being nominated for a Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce award in the Outstanding Customer Service category.
Steeves & Rozema was so determined to bring a cruise-ship-like atmosphere to residents that the company initially advertised for people with experience in the hospitality sector to serve in a leadership capacity at Landmark Village.
Welsh, who previously held managerial positions at hotels and resorts, is one
of the people Landmark Village attracted.
“The idea was to bring Landmark into more of a hospitality and service model than a nursing- (or) retirement-home-type model,” explains Welsh.
For example, in under-standing that food service is important to residents and that not everyone wants to eat at the same time, Landmark Village offers flexible time for meals, with large time frames allotted for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The home also offers a variety of menu options during each meal, and every meal is cooked to order, the same as one would find in a restaurant.
Staff members at Landmark Village have played a large part in making the home stand out for its exceptional service, says Welsh, adding that “people here love their jobs; they love to come here each day.”
“And they truly care
about each and every one of the residents,” he says.
Welsh also credits Steeves & Rozema for standing behind the cruise-ship concept that’s allowed Landmark Village’s team to deliver outstanding service to residents.
“You could do it cheaper . . . but that’s not the point,” he says.
“It’s about doing what’s right, and doing what’s leading edge, and I think this is what the future is going to be about. We’re just ahead of it.”
While the home didn’t win the award, Welsh says
the big win for Landmark Village was to receive the nomination. Retirement homes, he notes, typically don’t get recognized for this accolade.
Representatives from Landmark Village were on hand at the Imperial Theatre for the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce 2011 Outstanding Business Achievement Awards ceremony, which was held March 25 at the Imperial Theatre.
“We didn’t win, but we got the recognition, which has never happened before,” he says.
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Michael Mansfield, Dixie Gerard, John Welsh, Allie Boddy, Lisa Smith, Sarah Eisenbraun