During a “work shop” in Florida (I worked / my wife shopped) a few years ago, the hottub at the hotel was our sanctuary. After a long day, my wife & I would find ourselves spending our evening unwinding in the tub.
Normally, we would bring our phones or a t-shirt with us but on our first Friday there, we didn’t worry about it. As we made our way to our room on the top floor, I grabbed the room card and we walked to our corner room. For some reason, the card wouldn’t let us in our room. So, we headed down to the lobby. The young lady behind the desk reprogrammed the card and we made our way back to our room. Get to the door….no luck. Head back down to the lobby, had the front desk clerk reprogram it. We ended up go through this routine at least SIX TIMES. Each time we go to the lobby, the look on the face of the front desk clerk changed – it went from smiling & cheerful to almost in tears. My wife & I remained calm and always greeted the clerk with a smile. It didn’t matter that the A/C in the lobby was cranked, and we were shivering in nothing but our wet bathing suits and towels. Our smiles remained, and we continued conversing in a friendly but calm tone.
We would discover afterwards the battery in the door needed to replaced.
But the real amazing part was how amazing the staff treated us in the days to come. The front desk clerk never had anything but the most heart-warming and kind smile when she would see us. The hotel manager would sit down with us at breakfast and talk with us like we were long list friends.
If we had chewed out the front desk clerk, would the rest of our stay have been as great as it was? Would the front desk clerk avoid making eye contact everytime we walked through the lobby? Would the hotel manager be so comfortable with us? Probably not.
Lesson: Some people say that “the squeaky wheel always gets the oil.” The truth is “treat the mechanic like you would like to be treated, and the wheel will get its oil but you will also get the oil changed and tires rotated at no extra cost”.
It costs you nothing to act kindly, but it pays you back greatly in how others will treat you back.
My name is John, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself
I am a dedicated husband to my wonderful wife and a proud father of two amazing children. In addition, I am blessed to be a loving papa to three adorable grandchildren. These roles bring immense joy and fulfillment to my life.
Two titles i identify by, that tend to grab attention: Leadership Advocate and Storyteller. These two titles are closely intertwined and warrant further explanation.
To me, being a leader means being an effective communicator. I firmly believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to convey a message and connect with others. A good leader possesses the ability to inspire and motivate through the art of storytelling.
I actually really like this story. I know a lot of people who would be jerks about that kinda thing. I would have been like you guys were and been as nice and cheerful as I could be. Great read!