“A man and a young teenage boy checked in to a hotel and were shown to their room. The two receptionists noted the quiet manner of the guests, and the pale appearance of the boy.
Later, the man and boy ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. The staff again noticed that the two guests were very quiet, and that the boy seemed disinterested in his food. After eating, the boy went to his room and the man went to reception and asked to see the manager. The receptionist initially asked if there was a problem with the service or the room, and offered to fix things, but the man said that there was no problem of that sort, and repeated his request. The manager was called and duly appeared. The man asked to speak privately and was taken into the manager’s office.
The man explained that he was spending the night in the hotel with his fourteen-year-old son, who was seriously ill, probably terminally so. The boy was very soon to undergo therapy, which would cause him to lose his hair. They had come to the hotel to have a break together, and also because the boy planned to shave his head, that night, rather than feel that the illness was beating him. The father said that he would be shaving his own head too, in support of his son. He asked that staff be respectful when the two of them came to breakfast with their shaved heads. The manager assured the father that he would inform all staff and that they would behave appropriately.
The following morning, the father and son entered the restaurant for breakfast.
There they saw the four male restaurant staff attending to their duties, perfectly normally, all with shaved heads.”
This is a famously circulating fable, which was recently showcased during an NFL football game — two Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders shaved their heads in support of cancer-stricken coach Chuck Pagano. And we all probably know people who have done the same thing in support of loved ones who were facing cancer diagnoses. All of these stories are sweet and inspiring, but how does shaving your head relate to customer service?
Support.
We all have members facing 100-plus-pound weight loss battles. We have members who have diseases that make working out not only a chore, but painful and grueling. We even have members who battle the emotional wrath of a disorder like anorexia athletica. We cannot just be a facility to provide services. For these members to change their lives, we’ve got to shave our heads.
Amanda Purser is the Front Desk Manager at Gainesville Health & Fitness. She can be reached at APurser@ghfc.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
