“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” Jacques Maritain
I present a lot of two-day training programs, meaning my hotel stays are usually for two nights. I got into the habit of leaving a tip for the housecleaning staff for each day of my stay instead of just at the end of it, in case it’s a different crew who is taking care of my room.
For the first time, I came back to my room after a long day of training to find a “thank you” note from the custodian. It was a simple note, written on a piece of the hotel’s writing pad. As often as I have left tips for the cleaning crew, this was the first time someone thanked me. A thoughtful gesture that probably took less than thirty seconds to write made my day.
Needless to say, the next day’s tip was a lot bigger. I asked the manager for the name of the woman who cleaned my room to make sure she was the one cleaning it on day two when I checked out. I wrote Tonya a personal note with my tip, letting her know the difference she made for me.
I don’t know the rest of the story. I can only hope that my personal note to Tonya brightened her day as she brightened mine. What random act of kindness will you do for someone else today? Do it because YOU want to – not because you need to know what happens next.
PS – After all, making a difference doesn’t always require knowing what happened in the end.