I manage a little hotel in a medium sized town and for the last three and a half years, I have witnessed extreme craziness, obsessive and compulsive people, people who are always mad about everything, and people who absolutely love our facility. Well, as I went into work today, I found myself in the middle of a huge confrontation between a guest and the front desk employee. The guest was complaining about anything and everything he could which ranged from having an inside room, to a changed rate for his room, to the room was too hot, thermostat was not working, HVAC override was insufficient and that he just wants to leave. I walked up to him and the employee and asked what I could do. The man said "fix my problems," so I then asked him, "what would you like me to fix sir?" He then started getting mad again and started to use inappropriate words towards me and the front desk employee. I simply said, "let's go for a walk" and the man stopped and came with me. I told him that I wanted to do what I can to help him but that he needed to calm down just a little and not use the inappropriate words as that is disrespecting. The man calmed down and told me all of his issues, I apologized profusely and told him that I would personally guarantee him that the air in his room would be cooler, that I would hand check his thermostat, put a fan in his room and give him a discount for the inconvenience he has endured. The man and his wife left the hotel, I went up to his room to do as I had said and then he walked in, stood in the doorway in astonishment. He saw me working with the air vent, putting in the fan, he then said "I'm sorry, I forgot my camera. I didn't really expect you to be up here to fix the air. I have asked for help by other hotels and no one does what they say they will do so I assumed you just wanted to cool me down. I apologize and thank you for what you are doing." I stood up from the fan I had placed on the floor in front of the vent and said, "I understand how you feel and that's why I try to take the best care of the people who stay here because I just want them to feel at home and that they enjoy there stay here." The man took off his sunglasses, walked the 8 feet to me, shook my hand and said, "It's so nice to hear that there are business people out there who do care, Thank You."
My day, if not my week was made by this man who had started off with hatred and disappointment and turned it into compassion and kindness. You may not know what kind of person you are going to run into but being kind and offering them a smile can change their attitude in a matter of seconds.
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