By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Be Our Guest Academy has officially launched in Great Bend to
provide quick and free online training to provide the city’s “front line”
workers with information on the town’s attractions and things to do. There are
eight modules of learning, including a customer service piece and videos on the
city’s attractions. The Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau staff hope to
have 500 of the community’s workers trained by the end of 2023, whether that be
restaurant, gas station or hotel employees.
CVB Director Christina Hayes said a Frontline Employee of the Year award will
be given out. Hayes presented the 2022 award to Linda Penner Tuesday
night at the Great Bend City Council meeting.
"Linda has provided customer service that is out of this world, not only for Great Bend but for our entire county," said Hayes. "She retired last year, but we want her to know she's so appreciated in Great Bend for always being willing to go along to trade shows with us or help passing-through travelers."
Penner served as the senior administrator assistant at the Kansas Wetlands
Education Center for 12 years prior to retiring last June. Penner often joins
city staff at trade shows to promote Great Bend and Cheyenne Bottoms and will be going to Omaha this week for a trade show.
"I'm so eager to represent the City of Great Bend," said Penner. "We leave tomorrow for Omaha. It's always so much fun to represent this area and push tourism. Thank you. Hopefully, we'll have a successful week and get some visitors down here."
The customer service and attractions training can be found at beourguestingbks.com.