Hi Claire, tell us about who you are and what you do here.
I’m Claire, I’m the Rooms Division Manager here at High Leigh – in charge of a team of about 20 staff all doing different roles looking after the bedrooms and public areas. My role is to lead my team to provide and maintain the highest standards possible. Giving them all the training they need to succeed in their roles, being that support and guidance for them. We mainly do a lot backstage before guests arrive for check-in, getting everything ready as well as cleaning up when people have gone.
I started last May, so that’s nine months here now. And yeah, it's been great. It's like having a second family! The main challenge when I started was trying to bring the team back in house having previously hired externally, so I needed to build a team. And we have done, we’ve built an amazing team here, they've come so far. The standards have massively improved and the team has really bonded.
How does it feel different working in a Christian context?
We serve the Christian family so that brings great diversity. It’s quite fascinating really, we've had some really varied groups. We’ve got youth groups, church groups from all kinds of denominations, there's so much variance. It always keeps it quite exciting and it’s great to meet different people. Yeah, you know, I mean, it's never the same thing on repeat all the time.
What kind of experiences can guests expect?
They will be greeted with warm, welcoming smiles. A professional, comfortable, space that’s dedicated to serving the Christian faith. We've got a beautiful, historical venue, so that's quite intriguing, and a fantastic staff where everyone works like a family, one big team.
What is the best part of your job?
For me it’s the guest feedback, I really thrive making guests feel happy and looked after. That and seeing my team – just observing them. Seeing them flow and be happy because when I first started, they didn't have the structure in place whereas now there’s good structure. They come in, they know what they’re doing, they know what’s expected. They’ve built some great friendships together and to see them blossom doing what they’re doing. And just to see their faces when I give them positive feedback, just to know that all their hard work is worth it.
What makes this place special?
There’s not many establishments that offer what we offer. We offer that safe space for the Christian family. We’re a Christian community and we work to help guests hold their events in a safe environment and see their ministries flourish. In such a beautiful space as well. Both High Leigh and The Hayes have so much history to them.
Have you had any favourite visits?
Last year we had a really large group from Nashville in America. They were fantastic, lovely and polite. They were so intrigued by our venue and what we offered, as well as our English ways, cups of tea etc! We had a lot of laughs together discussing our cultural differences. It’s nice to know we’re attracting people from the other side of the pond it’s not just the UK. I would love to see more of that!
What’s the most important thing about hospitality to you?
Guest satisfaction. Hospitality for me is about making guests feel safe, warm and welcome. You want them to be comfortable like it’s their own home. So anything we can do to make them feel like that, relaxed, we’re winning aren’t we?
