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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