Top Team Member: Willie Walls Club La Pension Bluegreen Vacations

It is not unusual for owners and guests to use these words to describe Willie Walls in Medallia check-out surveys: Awesome, outstanding, amazing, caring, exceptional, polite, made me feel special, friendly, helpful, sociable, true asset, a real gem, willing to help with anything, anticipated my needs. This very special Associate was mentioned by name for his amazing service in Medallia surveys 127 times by the end of 2017. Wow! Welcome to Willie’s world.

As the Bell Captain at the Bluegreen Club La Pension Resort in New Orleans, Willie Walls is an extraordinary associate who creates legendary experiences. According to his resort General Manager, Donna Brown, “Willie is filled with inspiration and dedication for guests, owners, and fellow associates. He is usually the first face and touchpoint owners have during their vacation experience here. Willie is customer centric and the face of our timeshare resort. He has a special way of connecting and building trust to uncover what really matters to each guest for their vacation experience. He then shares their guest expectations with the team to help craft and create memorable experiences.”

Willie’s primary responsibility is to greet guests, owners, and potential owners upon their arrival at this urban property. He assists with luggage, escorts guests to their rooms, and maintains the cleanliness of the lobby. He also helps with check-in/outs and supports maintenance, housekeeping, guest services and sales and marketing and is responsible for the bellman schedule.

Adds Donna Brown, “As focused as Willie is with the external customer, he is equally obsessed with caring for his team and may also be found vacuuming, polishing chandeliers, checking in a guest, cleaning rooms and answering phones with a whatever-it-takes attitude.

Willie started his career with Bluegreen in the heart of the house as a houseman in 2010. After a year, he transferred to the front desk, serving as an outstanding bellman for five years, and was promoted to bell captain in 2017, where he supervises another team member.

He shares, “I love working for Bluegreen because every day is a new adventure and there are genuine advancement opportunities from within. Learning check-in procedures on the computer was an initial challenge, but that’s in the past.” For sure.

During his time at this vacation ownership resort in the heart of New Orleans, he miraculously delivered left-behind luggage with sensitive medication to the airport in time for the flight of a distraught guest. He also aided a guest in a true medical emergency, signaling the desk to contact 911 and sprinting several blocks in frigid temperatures to the nearest fire station to get help for the unconscious owner, later accompanying the spouse to the hospital for support. The owners are forever grateful for the genuine comfort and care afforded to them in such a sensitive time of uncertainty.

It’s not surprising that Willie is a 2013 ARDA Resort Team Member Award winner and Bluegreen’s 2015 Employee of Year as well as the company’s 2015 Gung Ho Winner.

Originally from New Orleans’ Iberville Housing project, before joining Bluegreen this father of three worked as a line cook before Hurricane Katrina and in the same role at Newman High School. He also served offshore for Shell Oil and did contract painting and roofing while raising his now 21-year old daughter Whitney as a single dad from the age of 2. Son Brandon (age 31) lives in Atlanta and Willie (age 15) lives in Texas. Willie says that he, Brandon and Whitney enjoy writing songs together and he also enjoys fishing and painting. He is also involved with local non-profits and participated as the proud captain of a Type 1 Diabetes Team.

His goal is to have owners and guests sharing and telling stories about their vacation experience at Club La Pension.