KEY Magazine Fort Worth

GUEST SERVICES

Delivering Extra Services in Guest Relations
by Don Patterson

Leslie Benson knows the best way to serve guests at Etta’s Place Bed & Breakfast in downtown Fort Worth. As manager and innkeeper for almost ten years,she has learned some key lessons in providing outstanding service. “You have to delete the word ‘no’ from your vocabulary”, Leslie says. “You must be ready to go out on a limb to meet your guests needs. Secondly, you have to thoroughly know your resources and how to access them.”

Situated in historic Sundance Square, the B&B offers visitors a wide variety of nearby attractions. Specialty shops and services, art galleries, live theatre, and restaurants are all within walking distance. “But you have to know these resources well, to make sure guests can access them quickly and easily,” Leslie explains. “Key Magazine is really helpful to our guests because of the way it’s laid out and organized. It is very easy for them to thumb through the magazine and find ongoing and upcoming events or most everything else they need.”

Yet, Leslie Benson offers more. “We try to go the extra mile by offering personalized services to help them find exactly what they are seeking. Most B&B facilities are pretty limited, offering lodging and breakfast service. We try to offer as many services as you might find in a hotel, including theater tickets, dinner reservations, and more…When guests ask for something special we try to meet that challenge.”

Leslie Benson is well qualified for business management and serving the public. She holds a Fine Arts degree in Public Relations from Southern Methodist University. Her varied career has included management of her own pharmacy, serving as an assistant to a Washington D.C. congressmen and Senator, and assisting her father in conducting business in Odessa,Texas, her birthplace.

“I sought this position because it is so varied and exciting. Although you repeatedly perform the same tasks, they change with each new guest,” Leslie explains. “We’ve hosted many celebrities over the years. Jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione, vocalist Nancy Wilson, and Tommy Tune are a few of the performers who have visited. Also...the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and the late Gregory Peck and his wife.”

Etta’s Place got its name from the independent woman associated with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, who came to Fort Worth during their heyday as outlaws.

As adventurous as Etta, Leslie is willing to brave new frontiers and meet new challenges for every visitor.

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