Wednesday, November 14, 2012

A Small Act of Kindness Enlightens Our Soul.



Caring is letting things matter to us, including care for other people. Caring toward another person really means valuing their welfare and acting with thoughtfulness to their needs. When we care about someone or something, we hold a consciousness of what can harm them and what is needed for them to flourish. Acts of kindness and words validate how much we care. Caring can comfort another person even when neither of us has the power to change a difficult situation.

One of our superstars at the hotel recently had gone through a terrifying moment in her life. Jacquie was frightened as she received a phone call that her husband was having seizure and is in the emergency room. Jacquie works in our Delighted to Serve Department in the hotel which handles all the incoming calls from our guests and room service.  She is a remarkable person. She is always a pleasure to work with and goes the extra mile to create memorable experiences for our guests. Her joy comes from helping others have a great stay whether it’s owning the guest requests or anticipating our guest needs when they call for room service.
Jacquie requested to leave her shift immediately due to her husband emergency.  I agreed and comforted her to assure her not worry about her job. I said, “Jacquie, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband. What can we do for you at the moment?” Jacquie was shaken and had tears coming down her cheeks.  Her husband is only 37 and this was the second time he had seizure.  Thoughts were running through her mind fast. She became very stressed and worried as anyone would for their loved one.  She wanted to be with her husband quickly, but more importantly hoping that his situation doesn’t deteriorate even further.

Jacquie‘s means of transportation to work was usually getting a ride with another co-worker working the same shift. Unfortunately, her colleague was off that day.  I immediately offered our hotel van to take her to the hospital located about 7 miles away from our hotel.  Typically, we do not go further than 3 miles radius with our hotel van, but I made an exception to the rule. I informed my hotel bellman to ensure she gets there quickly to be with her husband.
Later that evening, I called Jacquie to follow up to ensure she got to the hospital safely and wishing her husband a good recovery. It almost felt like her husband was a family member of everyone in the hotel.   Her husband well-being was part of our thoughts and prayers.

Jacquie’s husband needed to stay several days in the hospital to recover from the seizure attack.  The doctors recommended medicine to help counter any seizure symptoms in the future. When Jacquie came back to work this week, Jenna, our room service associate had bought a gift for her with a very touching hand written card that really spoke from her heart. It brought tears to Jacquie as it caused an emotional reaction of the tough situation concerning her husband seizure attack. But she also responded with grace and gratitude to Jenna’s hearted gift.

Moments like these are rare in the corporate world.  Touching somebody’s heart and soul enlighten their spirit. I took the time to thank and appreciate Jenna’s kindness and blessed heart. Jenna shed some tears as I spoke to her conveying my appreciation for an inspiration to all of us.  Jenna said her sister passed away few weeks ago and we took the time to show care from our heart as one would to their family. That showed her we are not an ordinary place to work.  Creating memories begins with the memories we create for our team. Caring moments are the seeds of true internal customer service. As Pablo Valle said, “Never underestimate the difference YOU can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out and help. This week reach to someone that might need a lift.”


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