Time is a tricky thing. You can sit in an office chair for twelve hours staring at the clock. You feel the tick of the arm each time it pauses...60 clicks later the hand moves. You wonder, if you stare long enough, can you see the minute hand move? I remember growing up we had a clock in our kitchen that had no "tick marks" between the hour numbers. There was no way to discern the moments as the seconds went by; But, if you watched carefully enough, you could see the minute hand slowly, slowly moving around the clock. The trick was not to blink.
Can you imagine it? Take yourself back to 8 years old. Mom and dad are upstairs. Your brother is behind the divider (cereal box) that he's placed between the two of you so he can eat his breakfast in the peace of not having his little sister making faces at him in the early morning light. You're looking over the top of his cereal box staring at the clock, trying to figure out how much time you have until the bus comes. Your eyes zone out and you start to stare at that minute hand as if it were the most intriguing sight you had ever laid eyes upon. There- it moved! It's definitely closer to the six now than it was before...then you blink.
All of a sudden you're sitting in a patio chair outside a hotel with your music playing and your laptop in front of you, just remembering. There is no way to measure all the time that has passed between that time, so long ago, that you spent eating breakfast with your big brother every morning and now, here. Now he's taken a full time job hundreds of miles away and you're on an island.
Where did it all go? That's what you get for blinking, I guess.
Today I'm on an island. Every few seconds I blink, and I know that a few days from now my memories of this summer will be as immeasurable as those mornings 13 years ago spent with my brother. Memories...they're just out there. Some are clearer than others, but often, the amount of time that has passed has little to do with how clear they are. It's the impact they make on you, not their sequence in the storyline of life that makes them clear or fuzzy.
I'm going to miss this place. I can say that undeniably. Yesterday, I was feeling exhausted, lost, and homesick. I decided to go for a walk, and ended up on the edge of a dock with my legs hanging over the edge, staring up into the clearest sky full of stars I've ever seen. I walked away healed and feeling whole again. There is a peace that comes with being here that I think I will struggle to find elsewhere. Island life, I'm telling you.
I do want to share a story with you all before I go. Today I received a call late in the afternoon. The woman on the phone inquired about the special we're running, and then immediately asked me to go over the cancellation policy so as not to "waste my time." After explaining the 10-day, non refundable cancellation policy, she took a deep breath, and said, "Listen, I need to tell you something," she sounded young. "I just finished chemo-therapy and radiation treatments. I have cancer, and it spread to my brain. I'm going in for a CAT scan on the fourth, and may be going into surgery if they find out that it has spread more. Is there anything you can do."
I'm struggling to find the words to describe the feeling that came over me when she shared this with me, but I'll do my best to convey this in a way that you may experience the same thing I did.
I told her that even if she cancelled within 10 days, we could always put her money on hold and she could use it towards a future stay with us. She told me that it was not likely she would still "be here" to be able to come back another time, she was stage 4. After discussing it shortly with a co-worker, I told her we would give her up to 24 hours to cancel. She was elated.
She said, "You have no idea how much this means to me. Honestly, I think my dream of coming here is the only thing that kept me alive through the radiation treatments. I would just sit there and dream about coming to the Grand Hotel one day. Thank you so much."
If you had seen me during this conversation, you would not have seen my face. From the moment she first spoke the words "cancer" I put my head in my hands and prayed. Every word I spoke and every thought in my head went through my folded hands first. For hours after talking to her I couldn't stop, I couldn't get her out of my head, and couldn't keep myself from begging God to heal her. Something, then, led me to put her name into a search engine on the internet.
She had a pretty unique name, but I will still surprised when a news story popped up as the number one result. It turns out, she lives in Washington State, up near the mountains with her husband. The area they live near is a place known for people getting lost and dying in blizzards, avalanches, and sudden snow storms that pop up out of no where. Apparently, one man who had family connections with the mountain in particular that they lived near, came into town to have a meeting with her husband. He decided, before meeting with the woman's husband, that he would take a quick hike around the trail through part of the mountain. Of course, he got lost and a storm was coming in. When her husband noticed the man was late for their meeting, a weird feeling came over him and he decided to go look for the man. He and this woman went out, headed into 200 miles of hike-able trails, in search of the man, knowing there was a storm coming. They split up, and by a miracle of God, were able to find the lost man, return him to safety with their Siberian Husky by their side.
I can't explain to you why this woman has stood out to me so much. Part of me wonders if, out of the six people in my office, there was a reason that call came to my phone. I plan on praying for her relentlessly. I may never speak to her or hear of her again, but I believe in prayer and healing. I ask that any of you who believes in the same thing pray for her as well.
I think I'm starting to see the bigger picture. Do you?
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Transience..
Here I am, back to where I started. A temporary resident of a seasonal town. Sipping a latte out of a white cardboard cup, thankful for the familiarity that comes with the green mermaid and the brown sleeve on which she resides. I swore this place off for most of my summer, and then realized something.
I was surrounded by people telling me that the local coffee shop was better. Less expensive, better service, better tasting drinks, and plus who doesn't like supporting the local economy? Then I realized something. I don't like their coffee. The people there are hurried, busy, and sometimes rude. The coffee is watered down, bitter, and damn near as expensive as the ever present Mermaid cafe. I was telling myself I liked it better at the local place because I was so used to being told by everyone around me that it was better.
I feel like I've been tricked. But what's scary about it is that I've been tricked by my own mind. What else have I been doing for the pleasure and purpose of others? Don't get me wrong here - this has nothing to do with selflessness or helping others, both of which are extremely important to me. Those days in the cafeteria that I decide to get the nasty, browning salad instead of a piece of cheesecake to go with my rice and potatoes. Why? Will I maybe gain 10 pounds? Probably. That's a bad thing though. Skinny is good. If we can't see the bones of your wrists and hips then you've got some work to do on yourself. Why?
I've gained about 10 pounds since I've been here. It's been pointed out to me more than once, and I'm sure when I leave and go back to school there will be people who point it out. Let me say very clearly right now - I do not care. I am OK with not being 115 pounds for my whole life. I don't see why that, or for that matter the type of coffee I drink - should be of importance to anyone but myself. Well, me and my doctor when she hears how much coffee I've been drinking, but that's another story.
As you may perhaps be able to tell, I've got a lot on my mind at the moment. I'm in a very weird place, physically and mentally. Physically, because I'm in this weird early 1900's town with no cars, no television, limited internet access and few Americans. That part, I'm cool with. Mentally, I'm lost. I've spent this whole summer making great friendships and creating relationships and bonds with the people around me, and now I'm sitting here...7 days until I leave, and it's hard not to wonder what the point of it all was.
I know that this is all a part of growing up. I understand that. You get jobs, you meet people, you leave and then never see them again. Maybe the people don't stay in your life, you just have to take with you the lessons that they teach you. But what is the lesson? That you will meet people, learn to care about them and then one day say goodbye and never spare them another thought again? So what about everything you've gone through? Everything done, said, and all the time spent. What is to show for it? Memories. That's not enough. I want more.
I'm a stability person. I'm ok with moving around, what I'm not ok with is being written off before I'm gone. My struggle is coming from the friends I thought I made, that have already disappeared before I've even left. I understand, we're all scared. Don't get too close, don't learn too much, don't let them know how much they meant because you may never see them or think about them again, so why bother with the effort. That's what they tell you. That's what's expected. Oh, she's leaving? She's probably already got her foot out the door, why bother with time spent.
What's gone has passed. I may never see many of these people again. Maybe I'll return to work here in two years. Will any of the same people be here? Sure, maybe one or two. But two years later? It'll be like starting new. So here's my question: Why bother. None of this will ever come back. In a week, which will pass much quicker than I'm ready for it to, these people, this place, and these events will be left to my memories and to the ages. Maybe twenty years from now I'll read back on this blog and remember the people, and maybe I'll look back and really think I worked with a Jeff, Sandra, and Rhonda. Who's to say?
Time is ticking, the sand is running out. I'll simply do my best to spend the last of my time here with the people worth remembering. The ones whose names I want to remember.
I was surrounded by people telling me that the local coffee shop was better. Less expensive, better service, better tasting drinks, and plus who doesn't like supporting the local economy? Then I realized something. I don't like their coffee. The people there are hurried, busy, and sometimes rude. The coffee is watered down, bitter, and damn near as expensive as the ever present Mermaid cafe. I was telling myself I liked it better at the local place because I was so used to being told by everyone around me that it was better.
I feel like I've been tricked. But what's scary about it is that I've been tricked by my own mind. What else have I been doing for the pleasure and purpose of others? Don't get me wrong here - this has nothing to do with selflessness or helping others, both of which are extremely important to me. Those days in the cafeteria that I decide to get the nasty, browning salad instead of a piece of cheesecake to go with my rice and potatoes. Why? Will I maybe gain 10 pounds? Probably. That's a bad thing though. Skinny is good. If we can't see the bones of your wrists and hips then you've got some work to do on yourself. Why?
I've gained about 10 pounds since I've been here. It's been pointed out to me more than once, and I'm sure when I leave and go back to school there will be people who point it out. Let me say very clearly right now - I do not care. I am OK with not being 115 pounds for my whole life. I don't see why that, or for that matter the type of coffee I drink - should be of importance to anyone but myself. Well, me and my doctor when she hears how much coffee I've been drinking, but that's another story.
As you may perhaps be able to tell, I've got a lot on my mind at the moment. I'm in a very weird place, physically and mentally. Physically, because I'm in this weird early 1900's town with no cars, no television, limited internet access and few Americans. That part, I'm cool with. Mentally, I'm lost. I've spent this whole summer making great friendships and creating relationships and bonds with the people around me, and now I'm sitting here...7 days until I leave, and it's hard not to wonder what the point of it all was.
I know that this is all a part of growing up. I understand that. You get jobs, you meet people, you leave and then never see them again. Maybe the people don't stay in your life, you just have to take with you the lessons that they teach you. But what is the lesson? That you will meet people, learn to care about them and then one day say goodbye and never spare them another thought again? So what about everything you've gone through? Everything done, said, and all the time spent. What is to show for it? Memories. That's not enough. I want more.
I'm a stability person. I'm ok with moving around, what I'm not ok with is being written off before I'm gone. My struggle is coming from the friends I thought I made, that have already disappeared before I've even left. I understand, we're all scared. Don't get too close, don't learn too much, don't let them know how much they meant because you may never see them or think about them again, so why bother with the effort. That's what they tell you. That's what's expected. Oh, she's leaving? She's probably already got her foot out the door, why bother with time spent.
What's gone has passed. I may never see many of these people again. Maybe I'll return to work here in two years. Will any of the same people be here? Sure, maybe one or two. But two years later? It'll be like starting new. So here's my question: Why bother. None of this will ever come back. In a week, which will pass much quicker than I'm ready for it to, these people, this place, and these events will be left to my memories and to the ages. Maybe twenty years from now I'll read back on this blog and remember the people, and maybe I'll look back and really think I worked with a Jeff, Sandra, and Rhonda. Who's to say?
Time is ticking, the sand is running out. I'll simply do my best to spend the last of my time here with the people worth remembering. The ones whose names I want to remember.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Her Name Was Marion...And Man, Was She Beautiful
Beautiful is modest. In Italian, they have a way of saying that something is "very very very....(adjective)" that I find to be much more appropriate than the English way of just saying "very." In Italian, beautiful is bella, and to add emphasis you follow it with issima. So, when I say that Marion Leigh was bellisisisisisisisisima, do you catch my drift?
Marion is a 55 foot Original Chris Craft. Stained wood with sea-foam green paint, she was truly breathtaking. The only thing more incredible than stepping aboard and standing on the deck with the wind blowing through my hair, was feeling her move at my touch when I took the wheel...and I'm sure you can only imagine my surprise when, while standing behind Dan watching the island pass us by, he turns to me and says, "Ok, your turn!" I didn't blink.
Think back for a moment, at some of your most memorable experiences. There are some that, at the time, you had no idea that they would make the impact on you which they did. Then, there are others that you knew from the moment it happened and every day after that, that you had experienced something unforgettable. Something you would carry with you in your head and on your heart for the rest of your life. Last night was that kind of experience for me. I don't have any other words for it. There were moments I felt as though I needed to remind myself to keep breathing, and to keep the mental snapshots in my head. It all went by so fast, but it was, so far, the best three hours of my life since I've gotten to this island.
Not only did Dan allow both me and H to drive the boat, he spent a lot of time chatting with us from the captains chair. Talking about boating, about Marion, about the hotel. One on one, eye to eye, face to face. Genuine, sincere and honestly just one of the most interesting people I've ever had the extreme pleasure of meeting. In him, I've recognized one of my biggest role models, whether he's aware of it or not. I'm hoping, though, that before I'll leave I will get a moment to thank him for everything he's done, and let him know how much he has changed my perspective on this business and on my role in it.
Oh...so I guess you guys want to know about the cruise part..huh. Almost forgot that part! The boat cruise started at 7, we all got on board and headed out. We drove east, and began heading around the island. We stopped at Arch Rock to eat dinner and chat, and then around 8:30 lifted anchor and continued eastward. We drove right around the shore of the island, and then when we got all the way around, headed for the bridge to watch the sunset. Although there were some low-lying clouds, we were lucky enough to catch the sun for the last 10-15 minutes of its setting, as it lowered below the clouds, shining light on the bridge. Although it was much too short, it was time to head back to the dock. After we were back and attached to the island, we stayed and hung out on the boat for another hour or so, and then it was time to go home. All I can say is praise God for memories, and for digital cameras. I never want to forget this night.
Oh- and I almost forgot!! Some of you may know that the Perseid Meteor showers were going on last night! I don't think we were out late enough to get the full effect, but I did see several of them streaking across the sky, once the sun went down. How do you beat a night like that?
Marion is a 55 foot Original Chris Craft. Stained wood with sea-foam green paint, she was truly breathtaking. The only thing more incredible than stepping aboard and standing on the deck with the wind blowing through my hair, was feeling her move at my touch when I took the wheel...and I'm sure you can only imagine my surprise when, while standing behind Dan watching the island pass us by, he turns to me and says, "Ok, your turn!" I didn't blink.
Think back for a moment, at some of your most memorable experiences. There are some that, at the time, you had no idea that they would make the impact on you which they did. Then, there are others that you knew from the moment it happened and every day after that, that you had experienced something unforgettable. Something you would carry with you in your head and on your heart for the rest of your life. Last night was that kind of experience for me. I don't have any other words for it. There were moments I felt as though I needed to remind myself to keep breathing, and to keep the mental snapshots in my head. It all went by so fast, but it was, so far, the best three hours of my life since I've gotten to this island.
Not only did Dan allow both me and H to drive the boat, he spent a lot of time chatting with us from the captains chair. Talking about boating, about Marion, about the hotel. One on one, eye to eye, face to face. Genuine, sincere and honestly just one of the most interesting people I've ever had the extreme pleasure of meeting. In him, I've recognized one of my biggest role models, whether he's aware of it or not. I'm hoping, though, that before I'll leave I will get a moment to thank him for everything he's done, and let him know how much he has changed my perspective on this business and on my role in it.
Oh...so I guess you guys want to know about the cruise part..huh. Almost forgot that part! The boat cruise started at 7, we all got on board and headed out. We drove east, and began heading around the island. We stopped at Arch Rock to eat dinner and chat, and then around 8:30 lifted anchor and continued eastward. We drove right around the shore of the island, and then when we got all the way around, headed for the bridge to watch the sunset. Although there were some low-lying clouds, we were lucky enough to catch the sun for the last 10-15 minutes of its setting, as it lowered below the clouds, shining light on the bridge. Although it was much too short, it was time to head back to the dock. After we were back and attached to the island, we stayed and hung out on the boat for another hour or so, and then it was time to go home. All I can say is praise God for memories, and for digital cameras. I never want to forget this night.
Oh- and I almost forgot!! Some of you may know that the Perseid Meteor showers were going on last night! I don't think we were out late enough to get the full effect, but I did see several of them streaking across the sky, once the sun went down. How do you beat a night like that?
Saturday, August 10, 2013
There's No Sweeter Sound Than When Your Boss Says..."Time To Go Home!"
Especiallly at 5pm! Oh my goodness. We did a 9 hour shift today...just 8-5, and it felt like we were there about 30 minutes. After getting off, H and I went downtown, threw our laundry in (long overdue, seeing as we've been working too late to get our clothes washed) and then went downtown to cook some hot dogs by the marina. We stopped at the grocery store first to pick up some chips, salsa and charcoal that you "supposedly" do not need lighter fluid for. Now, I don't know if it's because we're both women and not seasond barbecuers, or because the charcoal company lied, but we could not get this charcoal lit. After about 25 minutes, a few matchbooks, and all of H's paystubs later (used for paper to try and catch the charcoal...) she finally went back to Doud's to get lighter fluid. 10 minutes later we had hot dogs! lol
So, unfortunately, shortly into our little impromptu cookout, I got a text from the family I've been babysitting for that they needed me again tonight, so my night of freedom was short lived. It's been a fun night though! I got here, changed the kids into their pj's and we went for a walk around the hotel - what dress code? It's not like the owner of the place is going to walk through and see me in my leggings and t-shirt and the kids in their footie pajamas running around in the lobby before bed.
Oh wait...
Yes, that really happened. I said hi to him and told him how excited I am for our boat cruise tomorrow. We chatted for a bit and he told me I look like a natural with the kids. Which is great since I'm hoping for at least another ten years to hone the craft before venturing into that nightmare myself...anyway then he bends down and starts talking to the kids like he's known them and their family for years. People like that truly amaze me! Part of what makes him so successful is his way with people- he's not at all the kind of guy who you'd think of as intimidating or rude or ever too busy to stop and say hello to. I love it, and will remember it as I start moving up and taking on more responsibilities...that even the man who owns this resort has time to get down on his knees and chat with a two year old about her stuffed pony and pink crocs.
Another thing tonight made me realize is that taking on these extra hours has led to a lot of really good opportunities. Networking, and otherwise. While I was extremely tempted tonight to just tell the mom, you know what? I've been working my ass off. I'd much rather hang out downtown, you guys can find someone else to watch the kids tonight. I didn't, and I learned a valuable lesson tonight - and this isn't the first.
A few weeks ago, during my late night filing, I got the chance to see what upper management has to do on a night that they are over-booked. My manager - who I must say has really grown on me these last few weeks - has some extremely creative and innovative ways of figuring out whether or not people are coming on any given night. You see, a lot of times if we don't attempt to contact people, we will have no-shows. So, late at night when we're over-booked, we have to find ways to contact people who have out of service phone numbers, last minute name changes with absolutely no contact information, and other various cases where we are left clueless and waiting. So, this one night that we were over booked, we had an out of service phone number. So, I had the idea to go on white pages.com and see if we could find another phone number. In doing so, we saw that his area code was a digit off from the one listed online. We tried it with that area code and voila he gets a room that night.
This was actually a lucky night for us...we had a wedding party that had put a random person's name on a room last minute to try and keep the room in the block, but they didn't actually need it for anyone, so we sold out and everyone had a room! This among many other things are instances that I've figured out that by staying late I can learn a lot more than at most other times of the day.
When the office is busy, the front desk is busy, and my manager is busy, it doesn't allow a lot of time for listening or observing. It also pushes some issues out of the way, because sometimes an upset guest will see that we have thirty people waiting to check-in and will save their complaint for after hours...this happens a lot. Once the phone go off and everyone is checked in, and the place has quieted down, I've figured out that I can do a lot of listening. I can hear how the managers handle angry guests, how assistant managers handle late night "crises" and what to do if you have the air conditioner break in an elderly couple's room on a night that it's 80 degrees out and the maintenance man has left for the day. It's fun! I'm really trying to take advantage of my time here as much as possible, and I think I'm doing a good job of it. As long as I don't get to the point where my boss comes in and asks me how long I've been there and how much overtime I'm costing him, I think I'll be fine.
Anyway, boat cruise tomorrow. Just learned how to put pictures on here (three months delayed...) so maybe I'll post a few! Have a good night, everyone!
So, unfortunately, shortly into our little impromptu cookout, I got a text from the family I've been babysitting for that they needed me again tonight, so my night of freedom was short lived. It's been a fun night though! I got here, changed the kids into their pj's and we went for a walk around the hotel - what dress code? It's not like the owner of the place is going to walk through and see me in my leggings and t-shirt and the kids in their footie pajamas running around in the lobby before bed.
Oh wait...
Yes, that really happened. I said hi to him and told him how excited I am for our boat cruise tomorrow. We chatted for a bit and he told me I look like a natural with the kids. Which is great since I'm hoping for at least another ten years to hone the craft before venturing into that nightmare myself...anyway then he bends down and starts talking to the kids like he's known them and their family for years. People like that truly amaze me! Part of what makes him so successful is his way with people- he's not at all the kind of guy who you'd think of as intimidating or rude or ever too busy to stop and say hello to. I love it, and will remember it as I start moving up and taking on more responsibilities...that even the man who owns this resort has time to get down on his knees and chat with a two year old about her stuffed pony and pink crocs.
Another thing tonight made me realize is that taking on these extra hours has led to a lot of really good opportunities. Networking, and otherwise. While I was extremely tempted tonight to just tell the mom, you know what? I've been working my ass off. I'd much rather hang out downtown, you guys can find someone else to watch the kids tonight. I didn't, and I learned a valuable lesson tonight - and this isn't the first.
A few weeks ago, during my late night filing, I got the chance to see what upper management has to do on a night that they are over-booked. My manager - who I must say has really grown on me these last few weeks - has some extremely creative and innovative ways of figuring out whether or not people are coming on any given night. You see, a lot of times if we don't attempt to contact people, we will have no-shows. So, late at night when we're over-booked, we have to find ways to contact people who have out of service phone numbers, last minute name changes with absolutely no contact information, and other various cases where we are left clueless and waiting. So, this one night that we were over booked, we had an out of service phone number. So, I had the idea to go on white pages.com and see if we could find another phone number. In doing so, we saw that his area code was a digit off from the one listed online. We tried it with that area code and voila he gets a room that night.
This was actually a lucky night for us...we had a wedding party that had put a random person's name on a room last minute to try and keep the room in the block, but they didn't actually need it for anyone, so we sold out and everyone had a room! This among many other things are instances that I've figured out that by staying late I can learn a lot more than at most other times of the day.
When the office is busy, the front desk is busy, and my manager is busy, it doesn't allow a lot of time for listening or observing. It also pushes some issues out of the way, because sometimes an upset guest will see that we have thirty people waiting to check-in and will save their complaint for after hours...this happens a lot. Once the phone go off and everyone is checked in, and the place has quieted down, I've figured out that I can do a lot of listening. I can hear how the managers handle angry guests, how assistant managers handle late night "crises" and what to do if you have the air conditioner break in an elderly couple's room on a night that it's 80 degrees out and the maintenance man has left for the day. It's fun! I'm really trying to take advantage of my time here as much as possible, and I think I'm doing a good job of it. As long as I don't get to the point where my boss comes in and asks me how long I've been there and how much overtime I'm costing him, I think I'll be fine.
Anyway, boat cruise tomorrow. Just learned how to put pictures on here (three months delayed...) so maybe I'll post a few! Have a good night, everyone!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
It's Not Work If You Love Doing It
Unless you're working 14 hours a day without days off....then it's definitely work.
I think I've done a pretty good job of not using this blog just as an outlet to complain about things. The purpose in creating this was so that I could keep everyone updated on how my summer has been going, and give people a little more insight into what working in this business is like. So, while I'd like to let most of the bad days pass and not mention my more difficult days, I suppose that doesn't give you a really accurate presentation of how things are going. Now, I don't mean to say that I've been miserable and just hiding it...I have truly meant everything I've said about this place: that other than the horse poo, I love it here.
And I can't even smell it anymore. I think that means I've been here too long..
Anyway, I'll keep this next part quick. Yes, I still love it here. Yes, I will probably still come back, depending on where all of my family is at after I graduate. Yes, I'm enjoying my summer. But right now, I'm tired. It's not a surface tired...I'm getting enough sleep. It's mind, body and soul exhausted. We just released our lowest rates of the season, and I've been working 14-15 hour days since last Friday, with no days off in sight. I'm on the phones with angry, confused, upset, and some just frankly mind-numbing people for 12 hours straight. Lately the phones have been so busy that the boss has been ordering us lunch so we don't have to get off the phones. I go into work at 8 a.m. and leave between 9 and 10 p.m. each night. Oh...except- where am I tonight? Babysitting. Because apparently on the one night I get off at 7 I can't just take that and run with it and enjoy a relaxing evening of nothing, I have to accept a five hour long babysitting gig.
Now, I can't pretend that this is easy. The bright side is, there are very few jobs out there even in this business that would demand these kind of hours on a regular basis. The 84 I put in this week will probably not continue for the following weeks...hopefully. There's another bright side to the tunnel- I think I mentioned in the last blog that we reached our 99% occupancy goal in the month of July, so the owner is taking us all out for a boat cruise. I'm not sure, however, if I mentioned that we did receive our goal and prize for August- 99% occupancy for the month of August, too! Things are looking great, we have less than 100 room nights left to sell, and they're going quickly. So...have you guys figured out the problem yet? No? I'll give you a hint. My last day is August 30th, I start school on September 2nd. The Silver Service Dinner that the owner has offered us as incentive towards our August goal will most definitely take place after I leave. I had wondered and worried a little bit about this, but I got a really exciting email this week from my boss! He invited me back up to the island for the dinner, saying that if I was able to make it that I am invited back for it. So I'm coming! ...if we get it, God willing.
cough cough. If you haven't stayed yet, contact me. cough. COUGH.
Anyway, yeah. The other good thing that happened is I've started getting more people on the phones actually mentioning to my managers that they think I'm doing a good job. I'll share one of them with you that was sent via email and forwarded to me,
"[Name omitted] I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the beautiful room assignment (I think it was room 242) that we received after Elizabeth made the extra effort of requesting an upgrade for us. The view was stunning and greatly appreciated. The hotel was by far one of the best I have ever been in. I also wanted you to know that Elizabeth handled most of the calls that I put through to the hotel prior to my arrival. Her customer service was outstanding! You are very lucky to have her as part of your team. She is a very patient person."
I love stuff like this! It's really nice to be affirmed every once and a while. Makes me feel like I'm definitely in the right business.
The other funny thing that happened was a guest who called to make a reservation, but said he would need to call back before booking because they had to check if their dog sitter was available. I said, "Well, is your dog cute? I'll watch her for ya! ...just kidding I don't think I can do that..!" So, we got to talking about their dog, and this and that, and they're from Toledo and "oh, I know people in the Cleveland area," and "Yes, I have an adorable tiny fluff ball puppy too!" and on and on. So he hangs up, and then calls back a week or so later to reserve. He asks for me, we make the reservation, it's all good. Then, about three days later Sandra gets a call, turns to me and says there is a so and so on the phone for you. I have her transfer the call over and it's that guy again! He literally called me to tell me that they picked up the dog from the sitter, she had a great time and that he remembered where he heard Niagara U from...his niece just graduated from there! How funny is that? Then he asks for my email address so he can send me pictures of his dog.
I now have pictures of this man's dog in my work inbox.
So, ladies and gentlemen, here is the lesson of the day: Do not ask people about their pets. Ever.
And I can't even smell it anymore. I think that means I've been here too long..
Anyway, I'll keep this next part quick. Yes, I still love it here. Yes, I will probably still come back, depending on where all of my family is at after I graduate. Yes, I'm enjoying my summer. But right now, I'm tired. It's not a surface tired...I'm getting enough sleep. It's mind, body and soul exhausted. We just released our lowest rates of the season, and I've been working 14-15 hour days since last Friday, with no days off in sight. I'm on the phones with angry, confused, upset, and some just frankly mind-numbing people for 12 hours straight. Lately the phones have been so busy that the boss has been ordering us lunch so we don't have to get off the phones. I go into work at 8 a.m. and leave between 9 and 10 p.m. each night. Oh...except- where am I tonight? Babysitting. Because apparently on the one night I get off at 7 I can't just take that and run with it and enjoy a relaxing evening of nothing, I have to accept a five hour long babysitting gig.
Now, I can't pretend that this is easy. The bright side is, there are very few jobs out there even in this business that would demand these kind of hours on a regular basis. The 84 I put in this week will probably not continue for the following weeks...hopefully. There's another bright side to the tunnel- I think I mentioned in the last blog that we reached our 99% occupancy goal in the month of July, so the owner is taking us all out for a boat cruise. I'm not sure, however, if I mentioned that we did receive our goal and prize for August- 99% occupancy for the month of August, too! Things are looking great, we have less than 100 room nights left to sell, and they're going quickly. So...have you guys figured out the problem yet? No? I'll give you a hint. My last day is August 30th, I start school on September 2nd. The Silver Service Dinner that the owner has offered us as incentive towards our August goal will most definitely take place after I leave. I had wondered and worried a little bit about this, but I got a really exciting email this week from my boss! He invited me back up to the island for the dinner, saying that if I was able to make it that I am invited back for it. So I'm coming! ...if we get it, God willing.
cough cough. If you haven't stayed yet, contact me. cough. COUGH.
Anyway, yeah. The other good thing that happened is I've started getting more people on the phones actually mentioning to my managers that they think I'm doing a good job. I'll share one of them with you that was sent via email and forwarded to me,
"[Name omitted] I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the beautiful room assignment (I think it was room 242) that we received after Elizabeth made the extra effort of requesting an upgrade for us. The view was stunning and greatly appreciated. The hotel was by far one of the best I have ever been in. I also wanted you to know that Elizabeth handled most of the calls that I put through to the hotel prior to my arrival. Her customer service was outstanding! You are very lucky to have her as part of your team. She is a very patient person."
I love stuff like this! It's really nice to be affirmed every once and a while. Makes me feel like I'm definitely in the right business.
The other funny thing that happened was a guest who called to make a reservation, but said he would need to call back before booking because they had to check if their dog sitter was available. I said, "Well, is your dog cute? I'll watch her for ya! ...just kidding I don't think I can do that..!" So, we got to talking about their dog, and this and that, and they're from Toledo and "oh, I know people in the Cleveland area," and "Yes, I have an adorable tiny fluff ball puppy too!" and on and on. So he hangs up, and then calls back a week or so later to reserve. He asks for me, we make the reservation, it's all good. Then, about three days later Sandra gets a call, turns to me and says there is a so and so on the phone for you. I have her transfer the call over and it's that guy again! He literally called me to tell me that they picked up the dog from the sitter, she had a great time and that he remembered where he heard Niagara U from...his niece just graduated from there! How funny is that? Then he asks for my email address so he can send me pictures of his dog.
I now have pictures of this man's dog in my work inbox.
So, ladies and gentlemen, here is the lesson of the day: Do not ask people about their pets. Ever.
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