Consultancy, design and training services for Parkdean Resorts

Changing an organisation’s ‘way of working’ and its entire activity concept takes meticulous planning, understanding and influence. We were honoured to have first been contacted by Parkdean Resorts back in 2018, and to have gone on to transform their activity provision. By helping them exceed customer expectations with their activity programmes and service delivery, we were able to help Parkdean Resorts cement their position as a high-quality holiday provider.

Concept and activity design

Starting with the creation of Parkdean Resorts’ vision for the future of their activities provision, we worked backwards to identify what would be needed to achieve this. Whatever the activity, it was imperative that service delivery across all resorts was streamlined to the highest quality, and that the activity itself was not only desirable to customers, but of a consistent standard no matter the resort or season. Following engagement sessions with senior teams, in workshop formats, we devised the ultimate list of activities that could be accessible in every resort.

This bold undertaking would also mean re-designing a number of long-standing activities, that hadn’t been improved for a number of years in order to create a fresh, engaging and sought-after programme across all resorts. The activity design project started with a re-design of the structure of the activity plans that were available for staff teams to use, ensuring that every activity followed a similar plan and therefore offered value for money to guests. And most importantly, would be easily deliverable for staff teams on-site to the same high standard.

In2action enabled the re-writing of each activity plan to include new welcome activities, new games and ideas for progression in each session, as well as memorable activity conclusions with take-home items to make sure that Parkdean Resorts’ activity sessions remained ‘front-of-mind’ long after a guest’s departure.

Re-branding of the popular ‘Tots Breaks’ element of Parkdean Resorts’ programme was a large part of this project. These breaks were delivered across dedicated holiday periods and focused on the under-fives. We started with an in-depth analysis of current activities for both adults and children and whether these responded to individual site visitors’ needs and wants. Further to this, we developed a framework of sites and their potential entertainment and activities provision that would help us meet and exceed customer expectations. This new framework was underpinned by a well-balanced programme of sessions for every Tots Break. Following analysis, full activity plans were drawn-up for each resort along with subsequent purchase lists.

Audits and mystery shoppers

To monitor success and gain vital insight, In2action provide audits and Mystery Shoppers. Both processes of information gathering are essential in fully understanding whether change has happened and if progress is being made. We provide Parkdean Resorts with a site auditing service, which enables continuous improvement and a way to maintain target levels of service delivery across every resort. Mystery Shoppers are particularly effective and involve a visit by an experienced member of In2action’s team, who will stay at a Parkdean Resort under the guise of being a visitor. In2action’s team member then takes part in activities and engages with the Parkdean Resorts’ team both on and off sessions to gain an understanding of how the site is operating from a customer perspective. A full report is then provided to every senior team member, as well as further support where needed, with follow-up Secret Shopper visits. Support ranges from focused management sessions to further team training so that any issues are successfully addressed and no longer impact customers. There could be a number of variables that impact our analysis, which we take into consideration and adapt the scope of visits accordingly, for example, some sites may have new managerial teams that may impact consistency, for those sites we give extra support and more training time before a re-visit and further assessment.

In2action also provide a full-audit service to Parkdean Resorts. These audits are heavily structured and planned well in advance with the management teams on-site, and adhering to a timetable. The purpose of these audits isn’t only to review services, but for In2action to spend time with the management team to assist with any delivery problems or queries, for example, some resorts may have problems with programming staff teams. We will observe every staff member in terms of their ability to deliver a variety of activities to create a complete snapshot of the activity delivery standards on-site in fine detail. These are often completed alongside members of the management team to ensure the activities are being held to the highest standards. The audit report is discussed on-site and any easily implemented changes are completed before we depart. A full review is then provided.

Manager support

Continuous support also creates opportunities to ensure delivery and service levels are the very best they can be. Consistency is key. It is vital that Parkdean Resorts management teams have access to ongoing support to achieve the organisation’s vision and exceed expectations. We ensure management teams have the skills and knowledge required to lead their activity teams, and effectively manage activity programmes. Having extensive experience in activity delivery and being central to the creation of Parkdean Resorts’ activity concept, In2action’s own management team are easily placed to jump into a site that requires management support and spend time with the on-site managers. Management support provided can range from observing the management team in action and providing a report of findings and suggestions for improvement, to co-managing alongside a new manager for a few days and setting benchmarks to ensure quality and safety across the operation.

Feedback from Parkdean Resorts

"I have worked with In2action in various roles for around 15 years now and have had the dual experience of benefiting from their expertise on a park level, and from an operations manager role supporting 60 parks. Whether auditing, training, supporting with project work or delivering conferences, their attitude, delivery and consistency is first class, and the support has allowed Parkdean Resorts to continue to grow as a business. The training is brilliant, delivered by a group of fantastic people, consistent every day. The message always resonates with everyone, be it returning team or team brand new to the business. Every single person leaves training in a much better place than they start, with a clear method of exceptional delivery and the vision of being on a ten and delivering those amazing activities. Without doubt they are experts in their field and the partnership we have is of the highest value to our business. - Darryl Grainger, Sports & Leisure Operations Manager‍

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