A few years ago I worked with Auberge Resorts and Talent Mondial to create a customized training program called “Make The Moment.” Designed as a sophisticated look at front line service in the hospitality industry, it has been a huge success. After two years of delivering the program to all employees and several reinforcement sessions, we decided to celebrate all the successes the employees have had in 2012 in truly “Making The Moment” for their guests as well as each other. (It has to work internally as well as externally, or it actually doesn’t work at all.)

We decided to put on a version of the Oscars and literally had a Red Carpet entrance and statuettes. Each award category was customized for each property in the Auberge portfolio and included nominees and envelopes with the winners name inside. After each announcement, “The award goes to… name of employee,” a great story was shared about how they made the moment. Each story was insightful and imaginative. Here is one of my favorites.

A housekeeper at Auberge du Soleil was honored with the “The Pillow Talk” award for her willingness to make guests happy by using her skills and ingenuity. The guest did not like the feather pillows, so she ordered foam pillows. Alas, she didn’t like the foam pillows either because she said they had too much foam. In order to remedy the situation, the housekeeper opened the pillow, removed the right amount of foam to satisfy the guest and re-sewed the pillow. Voila, a happy guest and the moment was made.

I love the name of this training because a memorable experience is truly made up of many moments strung together. It is not necessarily about one big thing but a combination of many things. It reminds me of the expression, “We get bitten by mosquitoes not elephants.” If each of us could just pay attention to the present moment and make the best of it, we would be able to master the now, and that quite frankly is all we have.

Speaking of the moment, this is the thank you note I wrote to my client about my morning at Auberge du Soleil. It definitely speaks to “Making The Most” of our moments.

12/12/12

Waking snug inside a comfy bed next to my sweet husband Bill, I watched as the fog cover on the valley floor transformed from what looked like a lake to a delicate curtain that revealed the verdant valley below. Walking and dancing through the colorful sculpture garden, I was overcome with the beauty of light as it bounced off pink glass, surprised by a flower of mushrooms attached to a tree trunk, stopped in my tracks as tiny birds glistened on a bare winter branch and olive trees and vines mingled with ancient oaks backed by the mountains. I watched as a worker walked by with his head down, wishing he too would stop and breathe in for just the briefest moment the crisp morning air while being amazed at the surroundings.

The thing about luxury is that it doesn’t bring happiness, but if you are already happy and grateful it is such a huge pleasure to experience and share. Thank you for the privilege of being able to do just that.

Holly

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