car driving
last night i think i began to fully recognize just how sweet being a valet is. beside the fact that its the easiest money i’ve ever made, it has taught me many important lessons and offered many great opportunities that i may never have had otherwise.
things i’ve learned:
1) the job has taught me about humility. there’s nothing more embarrassing that standing in front of a hotel in knee high socks, knickers, a short fat tie, and a derby hat. there is something about being dressed that goofy that humbles a person. people make comments and laugh at our outfits. it’s definitely not the ideal outfit when pretty girls are at the hotel either, haha.
2) the job has taught me about service (this ties in with humility). service is completely about the person that is being served. at times i have found myself wanting to provide good service with the hopes of making a good tip (terrible i know). however, providing good service should have nothing to do with me at all. speaking to a guest with great respect, having a cheerful attitude, and truly wanting to make their experience better is what makes service at the hotel great. none of that should be done with the intentions of making a better tip.
3) the job has taught me that everyone should be treated equally (this kind of ties in with service as well). the hotel i work at is a bit pricey. we have millionaires stay at the hotel, but we also have people who saved for 5+ years to come to disneyland stay at our hotel. we see cars ranging from a beat up honda to a quarter of a million dollar ferrari. everyone, though, deserves the same service. its easy to want to give service to the wealthy. for once again your odds of being tipped are greater. however, i’ve learned that a persons appreciation for good service far outweighs $5 without appreciation. the people who saved for years to be at the hotel i work at are excited just to be there. often the wealthy come in like it’s just another day at another expensive hotel. i love seeing people get excited! it makes it easier to serve. so maybe i need to focus more on my attitude in wanting to serve the wealthy for the right motives.
4) the job has taught me how what it means to work on a team. honestly, this is one lesson i thought i would’ve never learned from working as a valet. however, between all of the different personalities there are and the level of dependence we have on each other, one couldn’t help but learn to function as a team. it is often stressful and frustrating working with so many mixed personalities. i’ve grown a lot in my patience toward people here, and i’ve grown a lot in trying to stay positive. when you’re working with people you’d never choose to spend an hour with day in and day out you have to learn to have a civil and positive relationship with them. it’s been frustrating but a growing experience. having positive relationships creates a synergy thats important for any team.
i could list some more lessons i’ve learned, but this blog is already getting long. so i’ll just get to the opportunities it has provided me.
i won’t list anything here. i’ll simply write about one opportunity its given me in many forms: influence. i’m one of the few, few….ok i’m one of two christians at my job (the other is a bellman). i’ve been given a great opportunity to have positive influence on my co-workers and managers. i have people question me about church and my faith. i have people share with me their beliefs (some seem real odd to me…and i’m sure mine seem real odd to them). however, i can say that i have had positive influence at that place. whether through conversation or action i see GODS WORK in my life on display to my co-workers. i must emphasize that it is GOD on display, not myself. this blog has turned out to be longer than i intended already so i’ll cut it short here. i must say though, it’ll be a bitter sweet thing when i leave that workplace. although i often loathe going to work there, it has truly been a place to learn from and an opportunity to be light in darkness. i hope to never lose contact with the world that is not “churched.” i hope to constantly have influence on the lives of those that are not saved, that are not followers of jesus.
