That’s the funny thing about marriage …

“That’s the funny thing about marriage, you fall in love with this extraordinary person and over time they begin to seem ordinary. I think it’s all the nagging.” –Phil Dunphy, Modern Family

Yan and I were watching a Modern Family rerun last week when this line made us both laugh so hard we had to pause the show. Then we had one of those moments–

Yan: “Wait, why are you laughing?”

Me: “Wait, why are YOU laughing?”

It was Yan’s birthday this weekend so we dropped the kids off with her sister for a sleepover with their cousins (thanks Matt and Wan!) and I surprised her with a Saturday night stay at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I had booked the room online and included a short note about it being my wife’s birthday and thanking them in advance for helping me make it special for her. And from the moment we walked in, we did indeed feel special.

When we checked in we were told we’d been upgraded to the club level – the one where you have to use your room key just to get the elevator to go to that floor. Nice! There was a great lounge up there with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres available all evening which we took full advantage of before heading out to dinner. There was a complimentary breakfast served in the lounge the next morning, and soft drinks and candy available throughout the day.

The upgrade and the perks it included were fantastic but that was only part of the experience. Every single hotel staff member we interacted with approached us with an attitude of service that felt genuine and sincere. I was so impressed with the staff and even more so, the fact that each one of them seemed to have as their primary mission, ensuring our satisfaction and enjoyment. It really did make the 24 hours I was able to get Yan away from it all very special for her. And I very much appreciate the Omni for making me Yan’s hero. In just one day, they converted me from a simple customer into a raving fan.

I love businesses that understand what service is really all about. I appreciate the fact that my staff (Kathy, my Client Services Director, Laney, my Plan Coordinator, and Bari, my Funding Coordinator) all understand and share my desire to offer exceptional service to our clients, as well. It really doesn’t take all that much effort to transcend the ordinary and reach extraordinary. But being on the receiving end of that effort makes a world of difference, as it did for Yan and me over the weekend. And I can also tell you as someone who strives to provide that level of service to my clients, being on the giving end feels pretty darn good, too.