One Day at Ocaquatics: Front Desk Team Members

“We’re known as the dry team!”

Do you make it into the office before everybody else? Not everybody’s got a job like that, but these positions are often very important. The men and women who hold them are the ones who prepare organizations for another day of smooth operations.

That’s the case with our front desk team members. We asked Beatriz Vasquez and Diana De La Cuadra to go through a day of what it’s like to be an Ocaquatics front desk team member.

First things first

“For me, it starts with putting on the name tag,” says Diana De La Cuadra, who is one Ocaquatics front desk team members. “It’s a daily reminder of the organization I represent, and the responsibility our team as a whole has for the children and their parents.”

“We’re known as the dry team,” adds Beatriz Vasquez. “We may not be in the water, but we’re preparing the facility for what happens there.”

Vasquez explains that it’s the front desk team’s responsibility to generate the printed information sheets used for student check-in, and for instructors to reference. “There’s quite a lot to prepare,” she adds. “It’s why we have to be effective and take a team approach. Everything has to be ready before we open the gates and the families start coming in.”

But before any interaction with the outside world happens, Vasquez and De La Cuadra both add that there’s a daily huddle. “We talk through our day,” says De La Cuadra, “and it gives us an even bigger smile.”

A finger on the Ocaquatics pulse

One of the most important things front desk team members do throughout the day is interact with new families joining Ocaquatics. “We’re often the way you will get your first impression of Ocaquatics,” Vasquez says. “Our team members have to confident and knowledgeable.”

There’s also a lot of logistical activities handled by the Ocaquatics front desk team members. “We have a wait list,” says Vasquez. “Nobody on our team wants to see a child get discouraged about learning to swim and be safer around water, so we put in a lot of time and effort to look for open spots that will work for a family, and then call them to set it up.”

All day long

“When it’s peak season, we usually have families and children coming and going from the beginning of the day until closing,” says De La Cuadra. “It keeps us busy and time flies, but this is an important part of the process. It’s how we show parents and their children that we are here to make things better.”

“This is where teamwork really comes to play,” Vasquez adds. “Our core values of enthusiasm, service, and dedication show through. Yes, the children and their families benefit from this, but our team is a family, too. We all grow and benefit from the teamwork, and it’s why we have so much dedication. If you’re an Ocaquatics team member, you’ll put just as much effort and energy into checking a bathroom for supplies as you do to help a child learn to swim.”

Vasquez calls this the extra mile. “We listen,” she says. “We accommodate. We welcome children and parents, and we call them by name. Creating this bond with the families is one of my favorite parts about working at the front desk.”

Hello and goodbye

The front desk team is often the first and last thing children and their families see as they come to Ocaquatics for a swim lesson. “They definitely want to see us on the way out,” Vasquez says. “Part of each lesson is the stamp or sticker on the way out. You’ll also hear a whole lot of ‘See you next week!’ as we send kids on their way. We want them to be enthusiastic about returning for more swimming and learning, and fun.”

“The kids love those stamps,” De La Cuadra adds. “They end up all over hands and arms!”

The best part about being a front desk team member

“That’s easy to answer,” De La Cuadra says with a smile. “I love my job because I am always surrounded by people. The bonds created are amazing. There’s nothing more satisfying than being recognized away from Ocaquatics by the children or their parents. I’m proud to be a part of that positive association.”

“It’s definitely the relationships,” Vasquez says. “We see the children and their parents so often that they become a part of our extended family.”

We are so grateful to have such an amazing team here at Ocaquatics. If you’re interested in joining the Ocaquatics family, check out our blog “What to Expect at an Interview with Ocaquatics.” Or, if you’re interested in signing your child up for swim lessons, please contact us today!