On our way back home after a cruise to Bermuda, we stopped for lunch
at one of those eateries hunkered down along interchanges every where. You know
the ones. The servers shout their orders to the cook. The one standing two feet
away.
For the next 30 minutes, we listened to a young woman chatter about her
after-work plans, as she stood stationary for long periods of time. Then she
and the manager, a woman not much older than this young chatty person, argued
about what she was supposed to be doing. All in full view of a captive audience
of hungry travelers, including me. The cook was the only male employee present
in a crew of about six, and he kept quiet, probably for good reason.
The
contrast between this group of service folks and the crew on the ship we had
just left was stark. We had been catered to and waited on for over a week by
a multi-national group of young people who worked together like the gears of an
expensive Swiss timepiece. They smiled, they chatted politely with their
customers, they anticipated what we might need. And then they provided it.
There was no extraneous conversation between them. No complaining about the
boss. No wailing about how unfair life is, or what they were planning when they
got off duty. We were the center of their universe, at least while they were on
the clock.
José
from Haiti
made orange juice every morning in the buffet area. This twenty-six year old
can’t possibly like orange juice as much as it seemed, but he made all of us
want it as soon as our eyes opened every day. We sat at a table nearby, just to
watch him greet people as they came by, and soon he was addressing them by
name. He said that he chose this job because “Everyone has to work,” and it
provided a good income. He hasn’t married yet, because being away from home and
family for months at a time is tough, he said.
Did
you know that when you leave your cabin on a ship, the steward cleans up after
you? Every time. Leslie from Trinidad and Tobago
was our steward and she agreed with José. She has two children back home and after
eight months at sea, she is looking forward to two months off soon. But she is
providing for her family.
The
cruise industry ranks high on the list of pastimes for many people, but
especially for older people who have amassed the means and time to travel in style.
There were over 2000 people on this majestic vessel, and it isn’t even one of
the larger ships sailing the seas today. When travelers mark their customer
satisfaction surveys, one of the top scores has to rest on the fact that
everything is done for you while on board. And it is done efficiently, quietly,
and with a smile.
Any other service-oriented business could take
a lesson. Beginning with that restaurant on I-95.
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