Pulse December 2016 | Page 20

MEMBER PROFILE transportations for those who live around Tecate. To ensure that staff members live the life they preach, Rancho La Puerta launched its own employee wellness program in 2010. Through this program, employees have access to on-site medical professionals like doctors, psychologists, nutritionists as well as fitness trainers. “We have about 98 percent participation for most of our assessment tests. Since we launched, we have a combined fat loss of about 2,000 pounds. Our waists have shrunk close to 500 inches. So if you look at 440 employees, we are getting skinnier, and physically more fit,” he says. Arjona also recognizes that staff wellbeing should be viewed holistically, which is why the spa doesn’t simply offer programs that only benefit the body. Mental health, he says, is just as important. “Financial management is one of the many things that can put stress on one’s mental health,” he says. To help staff members struggling financially, there is a program offered in which Rancho La Puerta accountants and psychologists can help set up a plan so staff members can put their finances in order as well as deal with the mental stress. Guests First Given its more than 75-year history, one may say Rancho La Puerta has a lot of experience in the art of drawing guests back in. When it was founded in 1940 by Edmond and Deborah Szekely, the idea of providing a wellness-focused destination for guests was way ahead of its time that it drew several naysayers and critics. Today, Rancho La Puerta is one of the most respected spa destina- Awe-inspiring boulders are part of Rancho La Puerta's unique landscape. 18 PULSE ■ December 2016 tions in the world and it is known for its best-in-class customer service. “Our strength is our Mexican culture. It’s a culture that protects guests with a sense of warmth,” Arjona says. “The challenge that I see is not that we don’t have the right people, but that we need to provide these people with the proper training to meet our guests’ expectations.” To do this, Arjona says they invest in training. To remove any language barrier, for instance, Rancho La Puerta offers regular English classes to staff members. “A teacher comes to the Ranch weekly to teach them how to speak English. It is my belief that when you don’t speak the language properly, there is a fear to express yourself, so we need to remove that fear,” he says. In order to better serve guests, they put themselves in their guests’ mindset.