Needs Assessment Cycle 1

Running head: NEEDS ASSESSMENT CYCLE

Needs Assessment Cycle

Kathleen Byrne
CUR/528
Justin Atwood
November 24, 2014

Needs Assessment Cycle 2

Needs Assessment Cycle

PRESENTATION: Getting to know Saugatuck and Douglas
TO: All Front Desk/Reservation Employees, Housekeeping, and Maintenance of Americinn
Hotel and Suites, Douglas, Michigan
BY: Kathleen Byrne, employee of Americinn Hotel and Suites
DELIVERY MODALITY: PowerPoint Presentations, hand-outs, on-site training (restaurants,
stores, tourist sights and attractions), and Google Maps
LENGTH OF TRAINING: 6 weeks, March 1 April 15, 2015
OBJECTIVES:
1. Know all local restaurants by name, location, directions, and food served (be able to
make good recommendations).
2. Know all tourist sites by name, location, directions, and what there is to do at the site.
Know all Lake Michigan beaches and state parks in the area.
3. Know all pertinent local information: pharmacy, grocery store, liquor stores, gas
stations, hospital, immediate medical care, police station, etc. One must know name, directions,
and what services are available.
GOALS: Customer name brand recognition of the Americinn brand, guest loyalty of the
Americinn brand and Americinn Hotel and Suites in Douglas, Michigan, guest acceptance of
Americinn brand and Americinn Hotel and Suites in Douglas, Michigan.

Needs Assessment Cycle 3

We are going to learn everything about Saugatuck/Douglas. Did you know

Saugatuck/Douglas winter population is 3,000 and the summer population is 30,000? Americinn
is going to create customer name brand recognition, guest loyalty, and guest acceptance (return
guests) by training its employees to be a walking, talking reference guide on the area. When the
2015 tourist season ends on Labor Day weekend, 2015, we will be the front runners in guest
loyalty and acceptance at Americinn!
I realize we have many employees who do not live in the local area; that is not an excuse.
In the past these employees have struggled with giving directions, recommendations for
restaurants, bars, beaches, etc. Up to this point it has been known around the Douglas hotel as
the, Kathy factor. Ask Kathy, she knows where everything is, cannot be an employee
response. There are 21 shifts per week and Kathy only works three or four of them.
I have made arrangements with all the local restaurants for Americinn employees to enjoy
a complimentary meal. Each employee will receive one free meal from each Saugatuck/Douglas
area restaurant. I have also arranged for one free admission for each Americinn employee to
experience the Saugatuck/Douglas tourist destinations.
TIMELINES:
As stated earlier, the training program will take six weeks. Training will begin on March
1, 2015 and conclude on April 15, 2015. All Americinn, Douglas, MI employees will be required
to take the training. The manager and assistant manager will participate in the training, as well as
the design and final approval of the curriculum and evaluation.
The training will take place in the meeting room at Americinn, and at stated tourist
destinations, restaurants, and predetermined local businesses. The Americinn employees must

Needs Assessment Cycle 4

have a full understanding of the Saugatuck/Douglas area at the end of the training. The
employees will be tested with map identification, quizzes (menu items, tourist locations),
employee made presentations to the other employees, papers detailing and identifying
predetermined tourist locations, stores, dining experiences, and restaurants.
Specific Information to Measure:

Know all Saugatuck/Douglas tourist attractions (including directions to get to attraction)

Know where all restaurants are located and food served in the Saugatuck/Douglas area

(predetermined by instructor)
Know where all ice cream and fudge/candy establishments, t-shirt shops are located

(predetermined by instructor)
Know where all pertinent local businesses in the Saugatuck/Douglas area are located

(predetermined by instructor)
Know where all beaches are located and types of amenities
The information already exists but must be obtained by each Americinn employee by

visiting the predetermined Saugatuck/Douglas businesses and tourist attractions.

Budget:
Arrangements have been made to allow each Americinn employee to receive a free meal
at each restaurant, free entry and participation to each tourist attraction, and all employees will
ride the Interurban to each establishment, attraction, beaches, etc. from the hotel. I have made
arrangements for the Interurban to transport us during the six weeks for a total cost of $30.00
(will be paid by Americinn).
Instrumentation:

Needs Assessment Cycle 5

Definition - a body of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline; a particular

procedure or set of procedures.

Employees will learn all restaurants menu and pricing structure by working with the

menus and writing information in their journal

Employees will have dinner or lunch at each restaurant for firsthand knowledge
Employees will keep a journal with complete directions to each restaurant in

Saugatuck/Douglas
Employees will map out all Saugatuck/Douglas restaurants on a street map
Employees will learn where ice cream, fudge, souvenir stores are located by visiting each

location and entering directions into their journal

Employees will learn where all tourist attractions, beaches, state parks are located by

visiting each predetermined location; employees will enter directions into their journals
Employees will collect information on each tourist attractions while visiting (hours of
operation, pricing, etc.). The information stated in the brochures will be assessed by

quizzes and essay

Employees will visit each predetermined establishment (pharmacy, hospital, grocery
store, liquor store, convenience store, etc.). Employee will enter directions into their

journal and be able to locate these establishments on a street map.

Employees will learn through instruction, brochures, and PowerPoint presentations which
restaurants/bars offer live music on summer weekends in Saugatuck/Douglas

What employees will know at the end of training:

Know all menus (types of foods served) at each restaurant

Know pricing at each restaurant (inexpensive, medium, or expensive)
Directions to all restaurants from hotel
Know where ice cream, fudge, souvenir stores are located (can give directions from
hotel)

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Know where all tourist attractions are located (predetermined by instructor)

Know directions to all tourist attractions
Know pricing and general hours of operation for all tourist attractions
Know directions to the beaches
Know amenities offered at the beaches
Know types of parking at the different beaches
Know where nearest hospital, pharmacy, grocery store, liquor store, convenience store is

and directions from hotel

Know where each local business is located and directions to business from hotel
Know restaurants and bars that offer live music
Be able to use a street map to point out any of the above information for guests; must be
able to write general directions for guests and verbally instruct guest

Needs assessment:
Definition - A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or
"gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions or "wants". The discrepancy between
the current condition and wanted condition must be measured to appropriately identify the need.
The needs assessment will be determined by what the employees know about
Saugatuck/Douglas, and what they do not know. The instructor will have to monitor the
employees progress with directions, restaurants, foods, pricing structure, tourist attractions, local
music, and knowledge of local businesses. This will be an ongoing process with the group
through map testing, review of student journals, discussions, quizzes, and student presentations.
The final project for the employees will be an individual effort. The employee will create
a Getting to Know Saugatuck/Douglas guide complete with pictures, maps, directions, about
everything Saugatuck. Americinn management will pay $250.00 for the most thorough and
creative guide. The guide will be used at the front desk during the 2015 tourist season.

Needs Assessment Cycle 7