One of The Planet’s core values is integrity: “In all aspects of our business, our actions are ethical, honest and consistent with our values and can withstand scrutiny of the light of day.”
That core value is evident throughout our day-to-day operations, and recently, our managers reinforced it, reminding us that they keep their promises (costs to their dignity notwithstanding).
If you recall the epic Underdogs vs. Big Dogs dragon boat race, a last-minute wager made the competition pretty interesting: The losing team had to buy a meal and serve it to the winning team.
The Underdogs were victorious (a point that we often reference), so the Big Dogs kept their end of the bargain by serving us breakfast and answering our every beck and call … and we made sure they stayed busy. We were served an elaborate spread of tasty breakfast selections and the managers, led by head waiter Doug Erwin, poured our drinks, delivered our food, picked up our trash, and answered any and all of our absurd requests (back rubs, special orders, spreading jam on toast … you know, the usual).
As you can see, the Big Dog attire for the event was a unique blend of elegance and formality: tuxedo T-shirts.
The Underdogs gathered early, eagerly awaiting their “breakfast served with a smile.” Once the food arrived, an assembly line of “waiters” marched towards the table, each carrying different breakfast items. They all used proper manners, i.e. “What would you like, ma’am?” or “How can I help you, sir?”
Every request was taken with the utmost sincerity. When an Underdog requested milk, a Big Dog quickly headed upstairs to the refrigerator. They were patient as we decided on our pastry selections (and subsequently changed our minds), and made sure to fix our coffee just the way we liked it … we were even offered a variety of creamers. Our orange juice was hand-shaken and poured into our glass. And, once all 20 members of our team were full, each manager took a tray and headed to the call center to distribute the rest of food.
Some of the managers continued to wear their shirts for the rest of the day, and the extra shirts were distributed to the Underdogs to wear as a reminder of the stunning victory.
The team spirit and friendly competition have come to an end … at least for now. There is another Dragon Boat Regatta in October, and if the managers are up for it, we would be happy to place another friendly wager on the outcome.
May the best team win! (GO UNDERDOGS!!!)
- Rachel
P.S. Head over to our Flickr page for more pictures from the breakfast.
