The title of this blog comes from a song in the musical Sweet Charity. I was reminded of that lyric while visiting the fabulous Carmel Valley Ranch. It was marvelous to see blueprints actually come to life and the Ranch all completed, considering I had spent two weeks there conducting training programs in 2010 during construction. The ambience is elegant and welcoming and can be experienced in a wide variety of ways, including family vacations, business meetings, girlfriend getaways and romantic rendezvous. It is quite masterful how they have met all those different needs and melded them into one resort.
I think the most impressive aspect of the resort is not in all the tangible things they have done, and there are many that are impressive, it is in fact the intangible that get my vote as the most impressive. The vibe at Carmel Valley Ranch is awesome. Families are happy, couples are happy, business folks are happy, and girlfriends are happy. Everyone is having a good time and happiness is pervasive.
One of the ways that the Carmel Valley Ranch helps guests get to happiness is through Roxy, the adorable dog that belongs to the even more adorable concierge, Gabrielle Wagemaker. Roxy is an instant happiness magnet. Gabrielle brings her to work and guests literally coo when they get near her. The rapport and connection is transformative. Guests talk to each other about the dog, guests talk to the dog, guests play with the dog and guests congregate around the dog. In fact, guests fall in love with the dog and employees are uplifted every time they start their shift.
What I love about the evolution of having Roxy in the lobby is that it happened organically. No one sat in a boardroom and said, “We should have a dog at the concierge desk.” No, it’s quite the opposite. Gabrielle, working very long hours, was stressed to leave her precious dog alone and shared her concern with her manager, who spontaneously said, “Bring him in with you.” This spontaneous idea turned into an unexpected eureka moment, as the dog became a hit with clients, increasing serotonin and oxytocin levels for all that met her. I’m not even a dog lover, but I was smitten by Roxy’s transformative powers to uplift the vibe and spread happiness.
My Spirit In Service classes emphasize the importance of the intangible aspects of service as well as the more quantifiable. Service truly does = feelings.
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