Employee
Inquiring Minds Interviews – #5
Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Rose Marie Scheumann, Supervisor at IndianaTech. Here’s what we learned about her:
[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Supervisor for IndianaTech. What is your favorite part of your job?
[Rose Marie Scheumann]: Not doing the same thing everyday
[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?
[RS]: Chinese
[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?
[RS]: Lots and lots of food for family, friends and neighbors.
[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
[RS]: Arizona
[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?
[RS]: I will let you know when I am “famed”
Inquiring Minds Interviews – #4
Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Tori Wild, Food Service Manager for Chadron Public Schools. Here’s what we learned about:
[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Food Service Manager for Chadron Public Schools. What is your favorite part of your job?
[Tori Wild]: I work a K-12 program so my favorite part of my job is getting to be around young kids, including my own everyday. Everyone loves to eat and we get the pleasure of making kids happy at meal time by providing them with food. They can always put a smile on my face.
[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?
[TW]: I wouldn’t call it a cuisine but I could eat a Turkey & Cheese sandwich every day!
[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?
[TW]: Turkey, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, grapefruit, pickles, summer sausage, strawberry frosting, orange juice, milk and a box of wine J
[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
[TW]: Spain – My husbands’ family is from there and it sounds like an amazing place to see.
[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?
[TW]: After the thousands of photos and autographs I give, I’m going to Disneyland!
Inquiring Minds Interviews – #3
Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Patrice Wright, Lead Cook at Trinity Christian College. Here’s what we learned about her:
[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Lead Cook for Trinity Christian College. What is your favorite part of your job?
[Patrice Wright]: Preparing the food. (She also considered saying her boss… 
who assisted in conducting this interview) I like creating flavors with the different variety of spices. Creating, adding to the food, taking away and figuring out how the food will taste the best. Every day is a new adventure with the Creative Dining recipes. It’s fun to experiment with food and try new foods. It is interesting how the flavors work together like the hot and spicy with the sweet in the new Mexican Chili Corn Casserole.
[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?
[PW]: Italian – I like to eat Italian food with all of the sauces – mmmm, oh yeah… ah huh… I’m getting hungry just thinking about it… but I like to cook Mexican food. The combination of flavors and textures make it so interesting to work with. There is such a wide range of fresh ingredients to get that authentic taste of Mexican cuisine. Maravillosa! ¡Delicioso!
[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?
[PW]: The basics, milk, eggs, butter, sour cream, chicken, ground beef, fresh lemons, peppers… there used to be strawberry daiquiris and apple martinis… used to be, but no more… that was yesterday…
[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
[PW]: Jamaica, the white sand… the sun… the vibe… I like the motto: “Don’t worry, Mon. Be Happy!!”
[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?
[PW]: Oh, I don’t know, hope I don’t get the big head… Ha-ha-ha! Being an instant celebrity, I’ve been waiting my whole life for this!
Inquiring Minds Interviews – #2
Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Sawako Cline, Spoelhof Café Supervisor & Sushi Chef at Calvin College. Here’s what we learned about her:
[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Supervisor for the Spoelhof Café and Sushi Chef. What is your favorite part of your job?
[Sawako Cline]: Interacting and building close relationships with students and fellow employees. I like making sushi and introducing a new cuisine to people and seeing the great reaction people have when they try it for the first time. I also enjoy being challenged with my creativity and utilizing it in many different areas at Calvin College
[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?
[SC]: Japanese. I was born in Japan and Japanese cuisine is something I grew up with and have a passion for. It’s such a beautiful cuisine, it’s like artwork on a plate.
[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?
[SC]: Being that Japanese is my cuisine is what I was raised with I have many Japanese staples in my refrigerator. I don’t keep any junk food or pop around, I try to eat as healthy and as fresh as I can. So in my refrigerator I keep things like Salmon, swordfish, miso, dashi, farm fresh eggs (won’t buy them from the grocery store), cold brown tea, homemade Japanese hot sauce, Brie cheese and chocolate.
[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
[SC]: Fiji. It’s such a beautiful place with gorgeous beaches. I hate snow and winter!
[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?
[SC]: I’m going to use this to get on the Food Network!
Inn-Sights, Issue I, Part 1
I run a hotel-with a lot of help from a lot of great people. It works for me, for now. The job fits me. I’m messy and chaotic, and the job is messy and chaotic. The hotel just celebrated its 14th year in business! Yea us! In 14 years we’ve accumulated many stories. Most of them are funny. A couple of them are sad. I’m going to share them, here, for your enjoyment.
I would be remiss if I did not start out with the all time #1 famous customer service story of all time, The Great Luggage Chase!
***
Early May, 1998 -
It was Monday, the day after graduation at Hope College. It was “Sue’s” first day as a full-time employee of the Inn. Sue had also just graduated from Hope College. It was a busy morning. There were several check-outs from the weekend yet to go. A very elderly man, Mr. Doe, who had been a special guest of the college for graduation, checked out and proceeded to leave his suitcase, an old, shabby Samsonite, in the lobby, next to another pile of old, shabby Samsonites, while he used the restroom.
A large, rambunctious family came down to check-out as Mr. Doe’s daughter wheeled him away from the front desk. After settling their bill, the family loaded up their 1975 Volkswagen “Vanagon” with their luggage – the pile of old, shabby Samsonites from the lobby.
Ten minutes later Mr. Doe was wheeled back from the restroom by his daughter to find his luggage was gone. He told Sue. She froze. The large family was gone, started on their 360 mile drive back to St. Louis. They must have the missing suitcase!
She called her supervisor, Linda. Linda froze. They both went out to the lobby and told Mr. Doe his luggage was most likely on its way to the “Show Me” state.
“But my heart medicine was in there.” He said to Sue and Linda. Oh, did I mention the constant ticking sound his oxygen tank was making? And it got better: Not only was Mr. Doe’s heart medicine in the missing suitcase—his plane was taking off at 2:00.
Sue and Linda looked at each other. Linda finally choked out, “Mr. Doe, don’t worry. We’ll get your luggage to the airport in plenty of time!” On that weak promise Mr. Doe and his daughter drove off to lunch and then the airport.
Sue and Linda acted fast. They got the keys to the Inn’s van. They shot out of the parking like Santa on his sleigh shouting, “We’ll be back!” . . .
***
Stay tuned for the finale of the Great Luggage Chase!
Inquiring Minds Interviews – #1
We are inaugurating a new series for the Creative Dining Services blog: Inquiring Minds Interviews (IMIs). IMIs are short, five-question interviews we are doing with a cross section of the Creative Dining Services employee family. At least once per month, for the next several months, we will publish an interview we’ve done with an hourly or managerial employee. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we’ve enjoyed conducting them!
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Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Lisa Robisch, Chef/Kitchen Supervisor at Cincinnati Christian University. Here’s what we learned about her:
[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Chef/Kitchen Supervisor at Cincinnati Christian University. What is your favorite part of your job?
[Lisa Robisch]: I enjoy working with our Student Associates. The challenges of teaching them how to behave in a professional kitchen are far outweighed by their enthusiasm and energy. They keep me young!
[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?
[LR]: It’s so hard to pick just one! When it comes to formal, classical cuisine, I’d say Sauces and Soup are my specialty. You can turn simple boring chicken breasts into 1001 different dishes if you just know the Mother Sauces and how to play with them. It’s like magic!
If I’m cooking at home for my friends and family, I lean towards down home Southern cooking and I love to bake.
[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?
[LR]: There are always a few good cheeses. I’ve been on a kick experimenting with mustards, so there are 7 or 8 different styles of mustard in there. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to get back to cooking dinner at home at least 5 nights a week, so there are a lot of leftovers right now. Lots of yogurt and fruit, too.
[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
[LR]: Anna Maria Island, Florida. It’s a nice beach, not too commercial, very relaxing, but close enough to drive if you want to go the bigger touristy places.
[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?
[LR]: I’ll try not to let it go to my head. A portion of the fees I charge for autographs will be donated to a worthwhile cause. 
Creative Dining Employee Pays it Forward
Brenda Turner-Gonzales has been a Creative Dining employee at Hope College in the Kletz café for 21 years. While not a Creative Dining employee, her husband, Louie Gonzales, works at Hope also, in the custodial department in Phelps Hall, where the main dining hall is located. This year three of their grandchildren have been diagnosed with an eye disorder called Stargardt’s Disease. The disease is a form of macular degeneration and will result in the legal blindness of all three children. Brenda and Louie’s daughter, Beatrice, is a divorced, single mother of four. Obviously, there are numerous challenges just dealing with the overwhelming diagnosis, not to mention financial challenges; Beatrice is working but has had to cut down her hours to care for the children, who are all younger than 13.
A local news station, Fox 17, in partnership with Pizza Hut, recently offered a chance for 12 people to Pay-it-Forward. Sandy Collins, another Creative Dining employee at the Kletz and at Hope Concessions, was chosen to participate in the program. She won her entry into the contest by stating she would like to help Beatrice and her family. Sandy received $200 and a flip camera to tape what she did with the money.
An activity the children miss is bicycling. Sandy’s plan was to use the money towards two tandem bikes. Even though Cross Country Cycle in Holland agreed to sell the bikes at cost to Sandy, needless to say, the cost of the bikes was much greater than $200. Once word got out of Sandy’s mission to Pay-It-Forward, the Hope College community got involved. Students began leaving change at the Kletz Snack bar; faculty and staff, as well as other Creative Dining Employees, began to bring in donations. Soon, enough money was raised to purchase two tandem bikes and a tag along, so that the entire family can bike ride together. Extra funds left over are going to help pay the costs to transport the children to Ann Arbor for their doctor appointments. Below is the initial news story:
Last night Fox 17 announced the winners of the Pay-It-Forward challenge, and we are pleased to let you know that Sandy Collins came in second place! She is donating her winnings of $3,000.00 to Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, in the hopes that Beatrice and her children will one day be able to have a home of their own.
Volunteers, Volunteers, and more Volunteers
Last night at our fall company-wide meeting we took time to give out our annual Volunteer Service Award and Community Service Award. These awards are given to members of the Creative Dining Services who are nominated for the award by their peers or managers.
The recipients of the Community Service Award are Hope College Dining and Cook Servery Dining, both groups from Hope College. The purpose of this award is to foster and reward Creative Dining Services employee teamwork toward community service. Any Creative Dining Services Unit or business location that includes at least six Creative Dining Services employees in their volunteer activity, an activity which must extend beyond the client’s reach, may be nominated for this award.
Some of the Community Service Award recipients from Hope College Dining and Cook Hall Dining
The folks from Hope College Dining and Cook Servery Dining received the award for their work with a local food distribution center. Two local churches have joined together to sponsor a food distribution truck from Feeding America – West Michigan Food Bank each month. The Creative Dining personnel teamed up with this effort by providing volunteers on a monthly basis. Each month there has been at least one manager and three to six hourly employees who have gathered together from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The duties of a volunteer include table set up and tear down, the division (bagging) of the food, distribution to the tables, handing out of the food to the families and pulling of the wagons (or sleds in winter) through the food line and to the vehicles. A couple of our people have a working knowledge of the Spanish language so that has added to the capability of the larger group in serving many of the families. Several of the listed staff volunteers have brought sons, daughters, nephews, nieces or spouses to help with the work.
The following people participated in this volunteer effort: Bob VanHeukelom, Bob Willey, Aimee Vredevoodg, Marybarbara VanderVliet, Melva Boeve, Misa Nguyn, Rhonda Hanover, Christina VanLaar, Kevin Ridlington, Jamie Sheridan, Peggy Benko, Sandy Harmon, Beth McBride, Stephanie Zdun, Jaqueline Petro, Tim Rhoda, Jazz Hanover, Kathy DeVries, Sochetta Phung, Joyce Tillman, Chris Steggerda, and Sue Schierbeek.
The recipient of the 2010 Volunteer Service award is Cindy McWhirt of our Taylor University account. The purpose of this award is to foster, recognize, and reward a Creative Dining Services employee for volunteer service. The scope of the award is as follows: any current full-time or part-time employee with a minimum of 1 year employment at Creative Dining Services is eligible for nomination if their volunteer time is greater than 20 hours annually and the activity extends beyond our client’s outreach. Cindy received the award for her work with Helping Hands charity. Unfortunately Cindy was unable to attend the meeting last night and will receive her award at a later date.
As part of the award, each charity for which the winners volunteered will receive a $500.00 donation. Additionally, the winners receive a recognition plaque.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s volunteer awards, and kudos to all the Creative Dining Services personnel, recognized and unrecognized, who’s volunteer activities are making a positive impact in their communities.
Confessions of a Former Student Worker
As a college freshman I felt I won the un-lucky lottery when the only on-campus job I could land was in the dining services. I remember, part way into the year, turning to my friend, a fellow student worker and future roommate, and telling her that when I was out of college I would never, ever work in food service. Well, here I am, eighteen (gulp!) years later, not only working in the hospitality industry but writing a blog about it!
So what happened?
Well, after a college career spent looking for a niche in the real world where what I do could have a positive effect on others, where I felt I could be part of something that was making a difference, making an impact, I made two important realizations. Number one, never use the word never. Especially at the age of eighteen. Especially when you have no knowledge of the real world.
Number two, and more importantly: what I was looking for was right there under my nose: dining and hospitality services. It was the one thing that touched virtually all walks of life. Moreover, it is the one area where, if the service was warm, inviting and focused on the customer, it was successful; it brought people together, and fostered community. And if the service was poor it did just the opposite.
So, when I thought I’d really bottomed out when I got the job in the campus servery, I had really lucked out, for not only was I learning the hospitality ropes from the bottom up, I was working for Creative Dining Services, a company that has always understood that when you combine food with the willingness to serve, you can really make a difference.
As time moves on you’ll meet some of our people who will be contributors to this blog. You’ll hear of programs we’re really excited about, and we’ll show you pictures and share stories about many of the fun things we do. And if you’re looking closely enough, you’ll see all of this, from designing programs and events, to our sustainability programs, to our engaged staff and satisfied customers, goes back to that winning combination: good food and great service.