Hats off to Anna
‘I noted that in much of your literature you state that you reward stars who go above and beyond their normal duties.
One such person stood out in this respect. Anna attended to us on Friday and Monday, and the efficiency with which she completed her tasks was evident. What impressed us most was her calm and prompt response to every request, her personal engagement with us, her eye-to-eye contact and the genuineness of her smile and disposition, as if she was proud to be of service.
Even her goodbye on Monday was so cheerful, genuine and kind.’
The letter goes on to mention the exemplary service and the fact that because of the warmth of the welcome, and the comfort of the stay, the guests will be returning in the New Year.
But it was the very last sentence that really touched us.
‘Please also consider passing this letter on to Anna, as sometime in the future maybe, she could use it as a reference.’
Now we are in no hurry to see Anna leave, she really is a service superstar and together with her colleagues, she helps to make Mandolay a very special place to visit, but we do pass on comments, and we encourage team members to catalogue their achievements.
We even collate quotes ourselves and use them when completing references for staff that are moving on.
We know how powerful first hand feedback can be, and we have often heard back from potential employers saying how much they appreciate these positive quotes from guests.
Ours is a wonderful industry and we are always delighted to welcome people that are genuinely committed to creating a career in hospitality. This sometimes mean that we ‘lose’ good staff but by creating a working environment that rewards ambition, we gain far more than we lose, and when people do move on, it is more often than not with our blessings for their future.
Being a good employer does not end when someone leaves, it carries on and brings with it its own rewards, as we witness former team members doing so well.
So thank you Mr. Davies for your lovely letter, and for recognising the importance of rewarding great people.