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Hospitality Strong by Forbes Travel Guide
Hospitality Strong: Emotional Engagement
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Service from the heart means intuitively tapping into a guest’s emotions. Learn key ways to create emotional connection with guests, why your steps-of-service checklist might be holding you back, and how to move to the next level of guest service by honing your emotional intelligence.
Jeffrey J. Wielgopolan
Senior Vice President, Learning & Development - Forbes Travel Guide
Since joining Forbes Travel Guide in 2005, Jeff Wielgopolan has served as the senior manager of the Quality Assurance Division, an incognito inspector and now senior vice president of Learning and Development. In his current role, Wielgopolan works with the finest hotels, restaurants and spas across the globe to improve service, staff confidence and knowledge, and to further properties' understanding of Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating Standards. Prior to his tenure at the company, he worked at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and was the dining room director at Tru. He is certified under the Court of Master Sommeliers and served as a panelist for the Cornell Hotel School's Hospitality Research Summit. Wielgopolan is an Honorary Member of Les Clefs d'Or, and was the Educational Speaker for the group's annual International Congress in 2013 and 2015.
Megan Torrance
Director, Learning & Development, The Americas Forbes Travel Guide
Megan Torrance has spent over 15 years working extensively in luxury property operations. From large, prestigious resorts to small Relais & Châteaux hotels, Torrance has garnered broad management experience across virtually every operational function, including executive management roles at star-rated properties. Driven by the vision of delivering outstanding service, Torrance has been singularly instrumental in leading hospitality teams in the application of Forbes Travel Guide standards. Torrance’s passion for luxury hotels and service led to a degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University. Immediately following, she secured a career starter on food and beverage teams at Four Seasons hotels in Chicago and at the Aviara property in Carlsbad, California. While working in Telluride, Colorado, Torrance transitioned to the rooms division, gained critical human resources skills, and then progressed onto a management path where she gained experience across every operational outlet and oversaw a resort-based Homeowner’s Association (HOA). Equipped with an in-depth, comprehensive understanding of hotel management, Torrance went on to assume the role of Assistant General Manager of Lake Placid Lodge, eventually becoming the Residence Manager. Building upon this success, she later served as the General Manager of the Point resort, and Hotel and Residence Manager at Calistoga Ranch, an Auberge Resort. Prior to starting at Forbes Travel Guide, Torrance had become deeply involved in internal leadership development and the cultivation of in-house and new talent. Focused on guiding teams to achieve the highest luxury standard, she zeroed in on consistent training of hospitality staff, ensuring top level commitment that led to the regular extension of coveted star rankings. She now brings these superior service values to the table as an Director of Learning & Development for the Americas. Torrance has trained on five continents, from small boutique hotels in ski towns, to vast, multi-purpose properties in Paris, Tokyo, Saudi Arabia and Macau.