Thank you, Bossy!

By Janice Sakuma, 365 Days of Service, HI Region

At many ski resorts, skiers in the morning are greeted by resort employees who show you where to park. They guide cars one by one, similar to those guiding airplanes on the tarmac, sans orange tipped flashlights. Picture cold mornings. Frosty breaths. Walking on icy asphalt. And hundreds of eager but not always cooperative drivers. The responsibility of squeezing as many cars as possible onto frozen spaces morning after morning is sure to be a thankless and mundane task.

One morning this week, we arrived SUPER early before any attendants were in sight, and headed to the end of the lot. An employee caught our attention and pointed us to a stall at the entrance to the restaurant. The PERFECT 'ski in ski out' stall. A few minutes later, that same employee greeted us and said "how's that for a parking space?" I gave him a thumbs up and thanked him for the BEST parking space of all. (I wish I got his name too!)

A few minutes later as we were walking thru the parking lot we heard someone yell  "Have a good day Bossy!" My husband and I looked at each other a little surprised. "No - Bossi is his name," the speaker said somewhat defensively.  We just shrugged our shoulders and went on with getting our ski boots on.

Soon however we noticed an exuberant 'parking lot attendant.' He captured drivers attention with pizzaz and style. He greeted them with smiles and good cheer. Sent them on their way with well wishes for a great day on the mountain.

In between cars he stopped and hollered, "Hey are you from Hawaii?" "Why, do I still have my Hawaii sticker on my forehead?" I replied a bit puzzled. "No" he said, "I recognized your accent!" He walked over and laughed and talked for a few minutes.

Mike 'Bossi' (and the first gentleman that parked us) were doing the same 'mundane' task under the same conditions of the other resorts. Their approach and style - happy and sincere - set us up for a great day on the mountain. They were the perfect ambassadors for their organization. They gave the best first impression in a quick minute contact, and added to the anticipation of a fun filled day. And this all occured in a parking lot!

Thank you Alta! We had a Great Day!