What a strange day. Work started at 8:30 am – 70th birthday party for the father of a repeat client, brunch booked by a woman insisting I personally handle festivities. Truth is, lasting impressions are common, I’m good at my job. Meeting hundreds of clients a year, committing each name to memory isn’t a priority. No worries, even if greeting her face to face doesn’t kindle a spark, she won’t suspect otherwise.
Genuine “hello, so nice to see you agains” left my lips. “How long has it been?”. Answering “eleven months, let me find my husband and children, I want you to see the baby”, offered just enough time for a secret love my job happy dance. Off she went, oblivious to her status on my impression list.
Eleven months ago she booked a “birthday” party – 70 guests, generous selection of stationed cocktail reception food, birthday cake – standard family party. A heads up regarding relevant details would have been nice. “Guests 5-7 pm” isn’t the same as “you can’t serve anyone until the Rabbi circumcises my son, blesses the food and breaks bread”. OK – good to know.
Adaptability is my middle name -hardly the first, certainly not the last event to stray off course – what impressed client to ask for me by name almost a year later? Bah, doesn’t matter! Her name meant n0thing until the moment fresh eyes prompted “pinch me now, it doesn’t get better than this!”
Repeat client perfection has nothing to do with her impression, everything to do with mine. I wonder if she knows our first encounter is legendary? Not for omitting details of the Bris – in my line of work that’s another day at the office. Her legend wasn’t born during the party, it grew from something left behind.
If ever in doubt as to how to make a impression, let me assure you – a coffee cup of foreskin and bloody gauze will suffice. No point in calling out “excuse me, you forgot something”, goodbye pleasantries had been exchanged. Standing alone, cup of foreskin in hand, several thoughts came to mind. Was this usual practice? An oversight? Might they return in panicked haste to retrieve it?
Twenty minutes clean up, one minor detail before walking out the door. Tossing coffee cup in the garbage bin, I drove away pondering the absurdity of believing it socially acceptable to leave the caterer a cup of bloody gauze and snipped bits. Regardless, I made a positive impression, an imprint void of coffee cup acknowledgements or comprehension of the lasting impression stamped on me.
I recently visited a hotel school in the area here ( Glion). The kids that go there made a lasting impression on me. They were groomed and polished by the school and their social skills were perfect. But what got me was their ability to be genuinely nice to impossible guests and customers. They really wanted to care.
This is in contrast other businesses (like banks) where I have worked where people genuinely want to be assholes. Hospitality attracts hospitable persons like yourself. I’m sure your customers love you, even if some are assholes themselves.
PS: now you have left me with the annoying question about teh fate of foreskins after the event. My jewish friends have no idea what I’m going to ask them next.
Consider yourself deputized. Find out anything you can – I have to know if coffee cup snippy bits shenanigans are normal. 🙂
Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented:
Not the kind of impression I want to make. ~ Connie
One just never knows what they’ll find here, does one? 🙂
(take that any way you want. 😀 )
But did it make an impression? Big hug 🙂