VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Vice Adm. Michael C. Vitale, commander Navy Installations Command, honored 15 installation’s Navy Gateway Inns and Suites by giving them the coveted Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Award for housing and lodging management, March 11 at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Virginia Beach.
The Secretary of the Navy established the Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Award in 1974 to recognize commands that achieve the highest level of service standards.
NGIS operations can earn a Three, Four or Five-Star rating based on the quality of facilities, amenities, service and financial management. Each year, only half of the Navy installations are inspected. Only commands attaining a Five-Star rating are recognized as Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt award winners.
This year, of the 40 installations inspected, 15 installations have met the Five-Star Zumwalt accreditation standards:
• Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
• Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. Beach, Va.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va.
• Naval Weapons Station Yorktown/Cheatham Annex, Va.
• Naval Station Newport, Newport, R.I.
• Naval Air Station Brunswick, Brunswick, Mass.
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
• Naval Base San Diego, Calif.
• Navy Air Facility El Centro, El Centro, Calif.
• Naval Base Point Loma, San Diego, Calif.
• Naval Air Station Lemoore, Lemoore, Calif.
• Naval Station Rota, Rota, Spain
• Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, Kitsap, Wash.
• Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Whidbey Island, Wash.
A Five-Star rating is awarded for the overall excellence of an installation’s entire NGIS operation, including enlisted and officer quarters, distinguished visitor quarters and flag officer quarters.
"The Three-Star level means you are meeting the minimum standards. With Four you are exceeding that and Five-Star you have captured the concept of stellar service for our customers," said Norman Aurland, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Lodging program director.
To establish the standards CNIC uses an amalgam of many sources.
"We look at the Triple-A standards, various different industry standards as well as the other service standards. We then compile a list and get regional and installation input," said Robin Gaines, NGIS Accreditation Team leader. "We have tailored it by asking, ‘Does this make sense?’"
Though the process may seem fluid in design, it isn’t.
"There are some things that are constantly changing, but that is because we aren’t 100 percent standardized," said Robin Gaines.
The ratings are the result of a thorough and detailed accreditation process which is mandatory for all housing and lodging management operations, and includes unannounced validation visits by a Commander, Navy Installations Command accreditation team, as well as specific performance standards for facilities, services and fiscal management.
With 485 buildings to inspect Navy-wide, the accreditation team has a lot of work to do.
"The teams consist of four personnel. We go in teams of two to installations unannounced, ready to take a snapshot of their operations," said Eric Gaines, program analyst for Navy Gateway Inns and Suites.
Until recently the accreditation process was mostly focused on management and operational needs.
"We wanted to capture more of the customer’s experience," said Gaines. "It used to be an announced inspection. Now we show up unannounced to capture that experience."
"It’s about our guests. We are focusing on the needs of the Sailor. We spend time looking at Sailors checking in before we even approach the desk to do our own check in."
"We normally spend one day looking at the administrative portion of the building — records, training, supply and logistics and instructions," Gaines continued. "Then a second day is spent looking at the facilities — guest rooms, exterior and interior."
The accreditation team is able to look throughout the year to see what parts of the service or the system at a facility could use improvement.
"It’s a grueling schedule. The schedule lasts nine months and then it winds down in preparation for the awards," said Gaines.
CNIC finds that these awards are very beneficial for business.
"The award identifies to the customer and the employee what the goal is. It sets a standard and gives the Installations a target to shoot for. It starts everywhere from the condition of the facilities to what amenities are offered to how you take of your customers," said Ed Cannon, CNIC Fleet Readiness program manager. "This is one aspect of fleet readiness, we are trying to take care of Sailors, family members and other military service members. It’s part of the overall package. You can make sure that Sailors are relaxed when ashore by taking care of their accommodations, it’s one less thing for them to worry about and helps increase their readiness."
By keeping the costs of travel lower, NGIS also helps Temporary Additional Duty Sailors to be able to train or even allowing some commands more Sailor training.
"We keep that travel cost down as low as possible. They could send multiple people to that same school for what it could cost to send a single person out on the economy with a high lodging cost," Aurland explained.
"Yours is not an easy job," said Vice Adm. Vitale to the NGIS employees during the award ceremony. "It’s a 365 day operation with a lot going on behind the scenes from the front desk to the back office to maintenance and janitorial to management. You are frequently the first people to meet our Sailors when they report in or when they return back from deployment."
Vitale praised the effect that NGIS has had by upping the bar for other aspects of Fleet and Family readiness.
"The NGIS is one of the shining examples of standards and compliance that we have," Vitale said. "Some of our operations have strong standards and tight compliance systems, others need to be shown what success looks like. That’s where NGIS comes in. You can show others what it is like to succeed."
This year the Mid-Atlantic Region brings home many more Zumwalt awards than last cycle.
"Mid-Atlantic, being spread out across the metro, has had some challenges and we have been working to bring them up to a high level of service," said Aurland. "We went from four, Five-Star Adm. Zumwalt award winners two years ago to seven Five-Star and four Four-Star operations. We have had a dramatic increase in what we have been able to accomplish through standardization and regional guidance."
The Mid-Atlantic Region has seen some major changes that helped as well.
"We upgraded our linens, our beds, our TVs. It’s all standardized now and our Standard Operating Procedure has changed as well," Aurland explained. Each Installation is treated as a franchise and all energy is leveraged against the whole.
Aurland is extremely proud of the awards that the region has garnered, but he sees the reason behind the awards as well.
"This is a matter of pride. As we move forward — our folks understand our commitment to excellence. But what is important is that our guests see that. It is not about us or our staff," Aurland continued. "The guests don’t care who the regional lodging program director is. They want a good front desk experience and a clean comfortable room experience and get the amenities that they would in a civilian hotel."
The NGIS Employee of the Year Awards for Associate, Housekeeper, Supervisor and Manager were also awarded at the ceremony.