My letter to the hotel this evening.... Good evening, I just wanted to send a message as having started my career in Hotels.. I know how important it is, to be recognised for the good things, as so often only the bad things get said, and also, just to point out an example of how differently someones attitude to a situation, can make such a difference to someone staying or visiting your hotel. I am writing to especially say a big thank you to Jocelyn - (Front Desk / Lounge? Thursday 13th July 2017 Early shift) I called the hotel in the morning around 9am, to ask to reserve a table in your lounge area for my elderly, soon to be 80 year old Mum, who had driven some distance to St Leonards (she hates driving) to meet a childhood friend and her husband for tea and catch-up. Friends she hadnt seen for over 35 years. My Mum finds it hard to have time to herself or enjoy life as she is the main carer still, for my house bound Dad, so I was so very keen to do what little I could, to make this meeting as easy and stress free as possible. Mum would have been a little nervous even of coming in to your hotel.. so I wanted to have her, be able to report in at Reception so someone who could tell her where to go and for them to have a nice table reserved for her.. Being an ex hotelier myself.. (I trained at Hastings College behind the hotel back in the late 1980's!) I really wanted someone to do, what I would have done, to make sure they were comfortable. I also wanted to pick up their bill on my card. When I initially called, I spoke to a gentlemen.. I started to explain the story above.. and was fairly quickly told 'that it would not be possible to reserve a table and 'she just had to go upstairs and there would be plenty of room' and I was dismissed. Now I KNOW, you could reserve a carpet tile in a hotel if you wanted to. You just put a reserved sign on it! It had been my idea for them to meet at your hotel so I needed it to be better than their original plan to meet outside 'What was Woolworths' in Hastings town, as that was one place Mums friend remembered of old.. (Imagine them hanging outside McDonalds trying to find somewhere to sit for a coffee?! ) So I thought of the hotel as I knew it would be calmer for them to meet out of town. After I put the phone down, I thought to myself that customer service was indeed dead and my Mum would have to fend for herself.. But, never one to give up, I decided to ring again and hoped to speak to someone else.. when thankfully, Jocelyn answered the phone.. she listened to my story, immediately seemed to understand I was just being a protective daughter to her Mum.. and she did everything asked of her and more.. my Mum was comforted to have someone look out for her, and to know she had a table to go to, and when her friends were late, Jocelyn helped to try and contact them.. Mum asks me to pass on her thanks to Jocelyn too. All in all, they had a lovely time, 3 hours and 3 pots of cream tea later and most importantly they now have a really fond memory of their day. Thank you Jocelyn, for having the qualities of a great 'hotel person', and I hope the person I first spoke to, learns from your example. It will change his life in hotels if he does. Thank you and Employee of the Month / Year for Jocelyn! - from a relieved daughter..