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Joyce, My New Hero

Joyce is a semi-retired bedside nurse from Sacramento. One is not supposed to make a Special Ed diagnosis without the approval of the School Psychologist. So, as we used to say on The Plantation, "Her behavior is consistent with.... Bi-Polar / OCD -- "slightly medicated".

Under some circumstances, her behavior might be obnoxious, but today she hyper-focused on how great I am and how hard I work and ----- Especially how unreasonable it is that my gratuity is not automatically added to the price of the trip (Big OVATION!)

"Why don't the salespeople ask when they book the tour if the customer wants the gratuity on the credit card or if the customer intends to pay cash"?

"What if the customers are from some "OTHER" country and they don't know that gratuities are expected in this business"?

"What if the foreigners don't realize that the expected gratuity is 15%"?

"What if they can't do the math and they don't realize that 15% is $20/person"?

YOU GO, JOYCE! YOU TELL 'EM GIRL!

My day consisted of

Six very nice Australian doctors and nurses form Melbourn in Phoenix on a medical conference. The Australians are always very nice, but they're not clear on the concept of gratuities -- so they think that exempts them from paying. Not once my Joyce finished with them! They lined up with their $20 bills in hand as they exited the bus. (Yes, the sky IS that blue.)

Two odd Brits from Hampshire. Brits are also very nice and no trouble. They ARE clear on the concept of gratuities, but choose to limit themselves to $5/person. When you pick up Brits in the morning, you may feel free to call your agent at the Bank of England and tell him to plan on a $5 deposit that night. Not a farthing more! But, once again, my OCD Hero came to the rescue and they squeezed their Pounds out. Two overweight midwestern retirees. Again, usually cooperative and pleasant; but they are "EXEMPT" from the 15% rule because they are part of some elite "entitled" class of Americans who have "paid their dues" and who are currently extremely worried about government managing health care (for people other than them). They're usually a $10/couple (which puts them on par with Canadians), but my hero Joyce appealed to their sense of Patriotism to act like true Americans and Pay-the-Man.

By the time Joyce was finished I had $180/gratuity. Plus, 9 of them went on helicopter rides and the helicopter Co. commissions me $10/each for "delivery". (Not worth it for one, but very worth it for 9). So, I ended the day with almost $300 cash!

Joyce rocks! Dear St. Anthony, help me find another Joyce for every trip. Or, Dear St. Jude, send me another Joyce for every trip. Or, Dear St. Catherine, help another Joyce find her way for every trip. I guess I should stop....