We Are All Volunteers

I recently spent a week at a retreat center on the big Island of Hawaii. I was with a group of women taking time out to commune with nature and honor all the amazing energy that particular Island holds. The Hawaiian myths, especially the ones about the Goddess Pele—the Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano known as the creator and the destroyer—is ever present as is the Kilauea Volcano that is active, flowing and undeniably powerful.

The trip was elemental. The pool was clothing optional, it rained every day and Madame Pele’s energy was omnipresent. She even zapped my computer so I was forced to disconnect and relax. When I returned to California, I brought my laptop to two technicians at the Apple Genius Bar. Both were stumped as to what went wrong and said it was possessed. But I digress…

The purpose of this blog post is to talk about the retreat center itself, Kalani Oceanside Retreat Village (www.kalani.com). While Kalani was not exactly my usual style, it does have a fascinating mission.

Kalani is managed by a group of approximately 150 volunteers; not only do they volunteer their time, they also pay to do it. Kalani of course has a small full-time staff but for the most part is run by volunteers that stay anywhere between three weeks to several years. Each volunteer pays a fee that includes room and board and each provides 30 hours of service a week. One can be assigned to the kitchen or gardens or work as a plumber or housekeeper. It really got me thinking because the biggest expense in any business is personnel, using a volunteer army of helpers sure cuts down on expenses and is an outrageously clever way to run a business. The only downside is the need for constant training. On the other hand, many kinds of businesses have high turnover rates requiring an ongoing commitment to training.

The net result of the stunning volunteer-centric employee base was a very positive experience for guests. Everyone was happy to be there, they chose to be there, they felt grateful to be a part of Kalani and the guests could feel it. Everyone smiled, everyone was helpful and everyone was pleasant. It felt like the staff was channeling the seven dwarves and whistling while they worked. I asked myself, “If this kind of experience was the result of people volunteering to work, what would it be like if we all looked at our jobs as volunteer work?” Which brought me to my next thought…

Our jobs, especially as customer service professionals, are all volunteer work in the truest sense of the word. No one is forcing us to do what we do. We chose to do it. As I have told many employees that serve high-net-worth individuals and become frustrated by the experience, “No one kidnapped you off the street and forced you to take care of the super rich and indulge their every need. You volunteered to do it. Do it with joy or don’t do it.” What would be different if we all understood that?

All of us that work in customer service can benefit from regular doses of inspiration that reminds us of the higher purpose of our work, which is one of the reasons why I have developed the Spirit In Service training program. It shows managers and employees how we benefit personally from the service we provide, that we are always at choice and our experiences both for our customers and ourselves and is in direct proportion to that understanding.

Looking for a customer service expert or concierge trainer?
Email Holly or view videos of Holly in action.