Hats off to the DowntownDC BID’s Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance employees (SAMs), who play an important role in ensuring that the Downtown experience is a remarkable one. The SAMs—who serve in the one-square-mile border between Union Station and the White House seven days a week—are the ears, eyes and caretakers of Downtown. They can’t be missed in their red and blue uniforms offering directions, notifying police when trouble arises; providing after hours escort service to garages or public transportation; engaging the homeless; and removing litter, trash and graffiti.
It’s not happenstance that they deliver critical services—and deliver them well. New SAMs undergo rigorous training, and all SAMs receive periodic in-house coaching to hone their skills to provide a high level of services that property owners, commercial tenants, residents and visitors have come to expect.
Just last week, for instance, veteran Safety/Hospitality SAMs began customer service training focused on service, attitude, consistency and teamwork. The one-day, four-hour course is based on the Give ‘Em the Pickle training tool developed by Bob Farrell, the motivational speaker and former proprietor of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor. David Pollard, the DowntownDC BID’s deputy director of operations, oversaw the class.
“Our purpose is to go the extra mile and do more than what’s expected,” said Pollard. “We’re considered to be one of the best BIDs in the country. We want to sustain and uphold that image.” So during the class, SAMs were given handouts and divided into working groups where they participated in exercises designed to help them think outside the box. Based on both service assessments and self assessments, they developed personal action plans, areas where improvements can be made as well as individual and team goals. This summer, the Maintenance SAMs will receive personal safety training in everything from looking out for vehicles to assessing bomb threats.
Comprehensive training stresses a unified strategy for all aspects of SAM services, but it also promotes excellence. This is why new Safety and Hospitality SAMs receive extensive training for two weeks, where they research, explore and become knowledgeable on issues such as crime prevention and reporting, first aid and first responder training, communication skills and homeless services. Four weeks of field training with experienced SAMs follows the classroom lectures, role plays, site visits and drills. In addition, new Maintenance SAMs, who help keep the streets litter free, paint, plant flowers, hang banners and remove graffiti, participate in classroom training for one week where they learn how to care for trees and work with property managers, Department of Public Works (DPW) employees and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers.
All in all, it’s about keeping Downtown vital and remarkable. And, as always, we salute members of the DowntownDC BID staff and several BID partners, including seasoned training officers from the MPD, the DC Fire and Medical Emergency Services and the U.S. Park Police, who help teach the classes that contribute to a stellar SAM Program that is second to none!