I picked up our Greece pictures from Sam’s today, and overall they are disappointing. Thank God we were there, that’s all I can say. There are a few very good ones, but overall, they don’t do justice to the wonderful memories I have of the trip.
I stopped at the post office, and mailed my thank you letter to the fine folks at the Mykonos Grand, along with a picture of Maria, and $30 for Mrs. Alexandra.
Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort
Ayios Yiannis
Mykonos 84600 Greece
September 24, 2004
To the Wonderful Staff at the Mykonos Grand:
Let me start off with a grand thank you for making our recent stay at your hotel, and our vacation on Mykonos, first class!
You can’t imagine how many times, in response to the question, “How was Mykonos?” that I’ve said, “We stayed at the most wonderful hotel – the Mykonos Grand – where they understand customer service! Here in the States, we say, “They get customer service.”
Here are the examples I cite of the incredible service:
1. On my first morning there, I thought breakfast was upstairs somewhere. I went to the lobby to ask where it was. The gentleman behind the counter could have just said, “Go to the elevators, and push the buttons that say ‘restaurant,’ and it’ll take you right there.” But he didn’t. He came from behind the counter and escorted me down to the restaurant. And as soon as we started walking he said, “What’s your room number, sir?” I gave it to him; he punched it into his handheld, and said, “Right this way, Mr. Martin.”
2. That morning, my partner didn’t make it to breakfast, and I asked in the restaurant if I could take a plate back to the room for him. “Oh yes, of course,” was the response. “Are there any ‘to go’ containers, or cups?” I asked. “No, no. Just take the plate and the glass. Just leave them in your room when you are done. The housekeeper will take them away. Just go. Don’t worry about anything. Enjoy.”
3. I left my glasses by the pool one day, and on my way down asked a gentleman straightening chairs in the pool area if he had seen them. “No,” he replied. “Okay,” I said, “I think I left them down by the Jacuzzi, but I may have left them up in the lobby by the computer, too.” “Just a minute,” he said, and telephoned the lobby to check up there for them. (I later found them by the Jacuzzi.)
4. I went back to the room one day while Mrs. Alexandra was cleaning our room. Though she didn’t speak English, she held up one of our pillows and two fingers in a questioning way, which I came to understand as asking me if we each wanted another pillow. She made a “V” with her fingers and put them in front of her eyes then moved her hand to point to my partner’s pillow, which was being supported by two throw pillows beneath it. She was telling me that she figured we use two pillows from seeing that. She promptly provided us each with an additional pillow.
5. Once again, later in the week, I misplaced my glasses again! And once again, I asked down by the pool, and this time, again after asking my room number and addressing me as Mr. Martin, the gentleman said, “We’ll look for them.” I really had no idea where I’d left them this time. About 40 minutes later I ran back to our room to get my camera, and what is sitting in the middle of the desk in our room? My found glasses. Amazing. Evidently I had left them on the ledge outside our room; they’d found them, and put them back in the room for me.
6. Upon our return, I was catching up my journal, and couldn’t remember the menu of our farewell dinner. I emailed the hotel to see if it would be possible to have someone remind me of it. Promptly, Mr. Dimas returned my email with the complete menu.
These are the things that made a difference, and everyone working at the Mykonos Grand should be proud that this culture of customer service abounds there. Everyone we interacted with on the staff exemplified it, including, but not limited to:
• Elina at the front desk, who welcomed us to the hotel on Monday
• The gentleman who escorted me to the restaurant, and the ones who helped me with my lost glasses (I wish I’d gotten their names; I believe one of them was the same gentleman who escorted me to breakfast on Tuesday morning.)
• Mrs. Alexandra, who cleaned our room, and who has a keen sense of awareness and thoughtfulness
• The staff at the spa, who took the time to give a tour of the facilities, and to explain how the steam room and sauna worked
• Maria at the restaurant, who was just plain fun every time we encountered her there, and posed for the fabulous picture enclosed
• Glykeria, who was a total delight waiting on us at our farewell dinner on Thursday night.
There were others, too, whose names I don’t have. From the people serving our tables at breakfast each morning to the “omelet lady,” to the other people at the front desk – they’re all to be commended!
I could go on and on – and I have – but I did want to recognize and acknowledge the amazing work all of you are doing. Please take time to celebrate your success, and know that the work you’re doing is creating wonderful memories for your customers, and serendipitously, gaining you an untold amount of free advertising as I tell all my friends about our stay there!
With so much gratitude,
[Signed John Martin]
Two State students, a girl and her boyfriend (I’m guessing) spent way too much time at the counter trying to get in touch with the girl’s mail person as she believed s/he had a package or envelope for her with two tickets to some game tomorrow in Virginia that she just had to have today.
After that, I stopped by the grocery store.
Later in the day, I got my hair cut.
Robert came over and we went to Red Lobster for dinner. I had the Crab-Stuffed Flounder again, and he had a platter that contained shrimp, scallops, and the crab-stuffed flounder on it as well. It was all very yum, and he treated. Nice.
At home, we went through the pictures, for him to see them, and to separate the copies.
We did a very challenging crossword puzzle from week before last’s Independent.
Robert left just after 11:00.
It’s a beautiful night and my upstairs windows are open. Joe and I leave for the beach at eight o’clock in the morning.