Blackwater Falls State Park Superintendent Matt Baker accepts the Excellence in Hospitality Award Friday from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Bob Fala.
By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
DAVIS – Blackwater Falls State Park staff and employees were honored Friday for working to make the Park one of the best in the state. Employees and staff accepted the Excellence in Hospitality Award from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Bob Fala. This is only the second time the award has been presented.
When presenting the award, Fala said he was proud of the staff at Blackwater.
“I am a property owner in Tucker County and spend half of my life up here,” Fala said. “You guys make it extra special. I talked to Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore and we spoke about how more than 1 million people come here. That is something else. This is a wonderful place to come and you guys and gals make that real special.”
Fala said he wanted to congratulate and thank the staff again for working hard.
“From the kitchen help to the cleaning staff to the guys out there working on the lights and the sewer plant – all of those things, when you add them up are important and this place is one of the most famous in the world,” Fala said. “Blackwater Falls is probably the most famous landmark in the state.”
WV DNR District Administrator Paul Redford said Blackwater Falls State Park was selected for the honor by ranking ratings on guest comment cards.
“I didn’t pick it – our Parks Chief and Superintendent didn’t pick it,” Redford said. “Do you know who picked this? It was our guests who come to visit the park. They picked which park provided the very best in hospitality this quarter.”
“Each and every one of you made an impression on our guests,” Redford said. “That impression went down on the guest comment cards and we listened. So we would like to recognize each one of you for seeking out opportunities to provide excellent customer service to our guests. That’s what it’s all about.”
Each staff member received lapel pins identifying their award. Redford told them the uniform committee approved wearing the pins on their uniforms, and told them to be proud of their accomplishment in serving those visiting Blackwater Falls State Park.
West Virginia State Parks and Recreation Section Chief Sam England said the award is a special thank you – proving how hard each employee works to make visitor stays special. He added that being hospitable comes at no cost.
“Being able to look at a guest when they walk in the door and being able to smile and offer personality and goodness to people costs us nothing – but it has a great return,” England said.
England said the number one way people come to West Virginia State Parks is through return visits.
“Tucker County is the same way. More than half of the people filling out comment cards have been here before. What we promise to you is we will get as many people here to visit as we can and once they get to Tucker County, it is important to treat them well – then they will come back.”
England said if they can get new people into the county and get them back, they are doing their job. He said when that happens, it is good for everybody.
Blackwater Falls State Park Superintendent Matt Baker said he was pleased to accept the award, adding he believes the staff makes him look good.
“Our staff here is excellent,” Baker said. “Lots of our employees live here and they care about the area. I think they truly care about making our guests feel at home.”
Redford said he started doing conference calls with all of the West Virginia State Park Superintendents.
“Before, they only would get together once a year,” Redford said. “The first thing we started talking about was raising the bar on hospitality. We started doing script deviation and hospitality surprises.”
Redford said the superintendents started coming up with ideas to make tourist stays special.
“In our pet friendly cabins, we started leaving pet bowls and treats,” he said. “We had a couple come in for their wedding anniversary and they wanted room service. We don’t offer room service, but we surprised them by setting up a table with a menu. We had our chef come and deliver an intimate meal for them.”
Redford said the staff is seeking out opportunities to surprise the guests and make their stays memorable. He said on days where lots of folks will be checking in or checking out, one of the naturalists may bring up a turtle or other animal to share with those waiting, making the wait seem less.
“With this, the sky is the limit,” he said. “I noticed the guest comment ratings for excellent shot up. We decided to give a quarterly award to keep the momentum going. The award is based on improvement from one quarter to the next. The first was North Bend State Park. This award promotes competition and the superintendents and state love it.”
Redford said this award system got the attention of the Governor’s Office.
“They are on board with this, too,” Redford said. “It’s a really cool thing. There are a lot of things we cannot do because of funding issues, but one thing we can do that is totally free is hospitality.”
Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore Blackwater Falls has been an important part of his life for many years. He said he wanted to commend the employees for their award both personally and as a Tucker County Commissioner.
“When this first opened up, our church came out here and held a picnic in the late 50s,” Moore said. “I graduated from Parsons High School in 1960 and we held our class prom up here.”
Tucker County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jessica Scowcroft said knows how hard forks at Blackwater Falls State Park work.
“As the most visited State Park in West Virginia, I am not surprised Blackwater Falls State Park is receiving the Excellence in Hospitality Award,” Scowcroft said. “The state park staff works hard and they are proud of their park. We are proud to have them part of Tucker County. Congratulations to them, it is well deserved.”
Additional information about Blackwater Falls State Park is available by calling 304-259-5216 or online at www.blackwaterfalls.com.
