Ever since I helped my last guest at The Grand Hyatt San Francisco in 1992 and embarked on a career as a speaker, I have been sharing the wisdom of keeping a journal to capture transformative and sometimes comical experiences in my personal and professional lives. I have filled the pages of many journals, each of which was called the “The Red Book” because they were always red.
Imagine my surprise when I recently discovered two more journals from that era tucked in the back of a drawer. Their covers were green, so that is probably why I may have overlooked them. I was in sheer delight as I poured through them. Memories flooded back along with discoveries and affirmations about human nature that have informed my personal approach to customer service training.
Finding the books affirmed my belief that keeping a journal is powerful on many levels. At the very least, we will simply forget all the silly, crazy, and incredulous moments if we don’t take the time to write them down. I often framed the value of the Red Book as a welcome relief to stress.
The Red Book is a red spiral notebook
we always kept at our desk
and when something happened
that we really wanted to remember,
we would write it in the Red Book.
It’s great therapy and, if nothing else,
it’s good for a laugh.
Finding the books simply reinforced all that is expected of the service provider in a very personal way. The books helped me realize that human nature never changes. By capturing moments, we enhance our ability to be great observers, and it is only by paying attention that we excel at any service-oriented position.
The journals contained some priceless moments that I had totally forgotten, all of which reminded that life is always more interesting than fiction. Here are some of them:
NOTE 1 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A guest asked if female impersonators were male or female.
Journal lesson: Laugh instead of judge.
NOTE 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A guest requested 75 three-ring binders within 30 minutes. When they were presented to him, he replied, “Oh, I changed my mind.”
Journal lesson: A moment of frustration, when captured by a keen observer of human nature, can be humorous or simply ease the frustration, knowing you got a good story.
NOTE 3 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A guest called me on the phone from his room and made a request. Thirty minutes later, he showed up at the concierge desk and asked, “ So how did we do?” I had no idea who he was because I had only spoken to him on the phone.
Journal lesson: Even after all these years, I find it fascinating that someone would ASSUME I knew who they were in person after a telephone conversation.
(The biggest insight I have after reading this story 25 years after I wrote it is that now I TOTALLY understand that every customer is self absorbed. In my Neon Signs of Service training, I teach people how to interact with this personality type, the ME sign).
NOTE 4 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One guest returned to the hotel and stated, “Remember me. You sold me Alcatraz tour tickets 6 years ago.”
Journal lesson: Our jobs as service providers are to make people feel special and remembered no matter what.