Why we do what we do

In the course of our careers, I’m sure that all of us have wondered whether or not we are making a difference… doing something important and meaningful. The answer is YES.

Most of our customers require nothing more from us other than the product or service that they are purchasing. Occasionally though, we encounter a customer who needs a little extra attention.

One of our Spa Coordinators, Whitney, encountered such a customer on Saturday. Whitney received a phone call from a customer (we’ll call her Mrs. Bailey) who wanted to schedule a day in the spa. To an inattentive person this might have seemed like an ordinary call, but Whitney knew there was something special about this customer.

Mrs. Bailey told Whitney that she is a fourth grade teacher and has a big parent/teacher event coming up and that she wants "to feel like a princess." Whitney asked questions and explained the available services to help the customer determine her itinerary for the day.

Mrs. Bailey opened up to Whitney and told her, with great sadness, that her husband of many years had recently passed away. Whitney listened with compassion and could tell that Mrs. Bailey was still grieving.

In the year since her husband’s passing, Mrs. Bailey had let herself go. She hadn’t noticed or cared until, shortly after Halloween, she overheard one of her pupils say that she looked like a witch. She realized it was time to shake things up.

Whitney asked what kind of budget she had planned for her makeover; she replied that she was not concerned with the price because "this was a present to herself that is long overdo." Whitney filled a whole sheet of paper with notes, from medical issues to how many inches her roots had grown out. Together they planned an entire day of pampering that included a Swedish massage with targeted stone therapy, a hydrating facial, brow/lip/chin waxing, lunch, and finally a designer cut and color.

Mrs. Bailey’s story had touched Whitney’s heart. She told her co-workers and her boss, Bill, about Mrs. Bailey. Bill made everyone aware that Mrs. Bailey was to be given the VIP treatment when she arrived as well as a special gift from the Spa.

Unfortunately, Whitney was not able to be here when Mrs. Bailey came for her treatments, but Jessica and the other Spa staff members took great care of her. At the end of her day of pampering, Mrs. Bailey commented that she was completely relaxed and satisfied. She said that it was a great experience and raved about how wonderfully Whitney and the others had treated her.

She loved her thoughtful gift and bought some meditation CD’s to help her maintain this newly achieved level of serenity. Before leaving she told Jessica that this was her first wedding anniversary since her husband’s passing; they would have been married 38 years. She said that she is going to return to the Spa every year on her anniversary for a special day of relaxation and meditation.

We’re not feeding starving children or rescuing wildlife from an oil spill, but the work we do is meaningful. We can make a difference when we listen and care.