Service, please and thank you!
I love receiving good service, it is one of my favorite things to experience. I notice it, I appreciate it and I compliment it. I enjoy seeing someone take pride in their work and in making sure that I am having an optimized meal, lodging stay, excursion, massage, visit or whatever. Luxury level service is wonderful. I can still recall years ago having that “deer in the headlights” look the first time I walked into a Ladies room and found that a smiling tuxedo clad attendant had set up a mini-mart of personal items on the counter and was eagerly awaiting my exit from the stall to offer me a paper towel, mints, hairspray or a comb. My expression must have been priceless but in all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to do. I wondered, did she belong in here? Did the establishment know that she was in here? Do I pay to use this stuff? The attendant quickly diffused my confusion with a brief explanation and I left there feeling a bit pampered and special. But not everyone likes everything called luxury and the bathroom attendant controversy lingers on. So, that raises a good question. How do we receive the services provided to us?
The popularity of cruises, exotic vacations, spas in almost every hotel, car services at a blink, and cellphone cameras at your fingertips have made it so easy for us to be pampered every day. We want our meals sumptuous and our surroundings full of creature comforts. Sometimes we can become so accustomed to luxury living experiences that these pleasures can seem like ordinary necessities. Many agree that the idea of “luxury” may not be so much about the price you pay for something but rather where you place your value, how you want to spend your time. A common denominator in luxury services is that someone else’s time is used in place of our own, and that’s ok. This amazing market of creating custom experiences and taking care of all the details flourishes because there is a large demand for it. And there are companies like mine that are in business to do the things that our clients don’t have the time, expertise or desire to do. That’s pretty awesome, isn’t it? In creating corporate events for a vast array of companies I have a ‘birds eye’ view of how people respond to the luxury services and amenities that we include. One thing I’ve noted that rarely ever fails is the practice of being gracious as you kindly receive the services rendered by others and designed to make your life more comfortable.
When I find myself in the role of a guest being served, I make it a point to take the time to look up, make eye contact, smile, say thank you and if appropriate tip and tip well. Yes, luxury service is wonderful. And there is an army of service professionals making it all happen behind the scenes and in your face who can sometimes be hidden in plain sight as they serve fabulous meals and libations to an 800+ person ballroom in a matter of minutes. But from my vantage point they do not go unnoticed, they are as vital as electricity and as essential as such. So, to all of the hardworking people, out there working in this market of serving others and for all the creature comforts that they provide, thank you.
– Events USA Founder, Carolyn E. Howell