Tonight's picture was taken on July 20, 2002, at Mattie's baptism. After attending Charlotte's baptism yesterday, Peter and I both have Mattie's event on our minds. What you may not be able to tell from this photo was the simple fact that Mattie was in CONSTANT motion. Check out his right hand in the photo flapping around, so much so that the camera can't focus on it. Peter held Mattie for the baptism, which was a good idea, since it took great strength to hold Mattie for long periods of time. Mattie never liked being confined and stimulating environments seemed to trigger off more action and activity on his part.
Quote of the day: If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment. ~ Henry David Thoreau
After the baptism yesterday, Peter and I decided to come home and take a four mile walk. We really needed it to process our thoughts and feelings. It isn't like we are talking throughout the whole walk, but being outside for us is therapeutic in its own right. I feel like I have now become like Mattie. When inside, I feel trapped and confined, but being outside in nature seems freeing and less stressful.
Thoreau's quote applies to my day. I experienced the disappointment but I have yet to find the compensation that Thoreau referred to. On July 20 and 21st, Mattie Miracle is hosting a strategic planning meeting for our researchers and other key people to discuss the next steps for the Psychosocial Standards project. In specifics, the plan for how we are going to work on getting the Standards implemented at treatment sites around the Country. Which will take years to accomplish!
With researchers coming into town, I have to plan for hotel accommodations, meals, and transportation to get them here. Not to mention the agenda. On Friday, I blocked off rooms at the Key Bridge Marriott. I reserved the rooms but was told to get each researcher's Marriott reward points in order to qualify for a better room rate. So I booked the rooms and then spent the weekend contacting all the researchers for their numbers. Today I called back the hotel to share the numbers with the hotel reservation department and to get the better room rate. I literally was on the phone for an HOUR! Yes an hour, of which 25 minutes they had me ON HOLD! I honestly was livid, especially since between Friday and today, the hotel changed their story. They won't give us a better room rate because the room options I am asking for doesn't have a membership rewards rate attached to it. Despite the fact that I was promised this on Friday! Honestly I felt like screaming today because the information I was given on Friday was misinformation! Yet no one, not even the manager would own up to this mistake or at least acknowledge what I was expressing. I was dealing with attitude and surliness! Two qualities I don't handle well. They should be happy I wasn't there in person!
To start with today, I called the hotel in Arlington, VA, yet over the course of my various conversations, they bounced me around to different representations across the Country! Can you believe this? One representative even had the nerve to tell me that I should be calling the local number not the national number to get my questions addressed. Are you kidding me????!!! I called the local number, but don't ask me how they moved me around the Country to answer my questions! When I got off the phone I wanted to put my complaint in writing and even that wasn't intuitive on their website. But I did it. I am sure this will go no where, but what I am looking for in all of this was an acknowledgment that they have a training issue problem, since NOT all their representatives share the same information with guests! What happened to the philosophy of...... the customer is always right?! This clearly isn't the case at the Marriott, which deeply disappointments me.
1 comment:
Vicki,
I have come to realize the customer is never correct and there are many other places in our lives where we have to assert ourselves much more than one would expect - like the area of medicine, we are our own patient advocates. I, personally, feel very fortunate today that I actually have a group of Drs. that work with me. It was not like this always.
The Marriott is disappointing. You are surely the customers sending them a lot of business yet they proved argumentative rather than helpful!!!!
Frustrating!!
I love the picture of Mattie in his little Baptismal outfit. Who are Mattie's godparents? I am sure they were deeply affected by his Cancer diagnosis and death.
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