Going the Extra Mile

[HostDave]

By Christopher Kyte, President

The American Queen itself is a Victorian wonder. The food is fantastic. The entertainment is memorable. The destinations are charming. Exploring America is a forgotten art coming back into vogue. All these things combine to make Steamboating a vacation unlike any other. You’d think that would make a voyage with the American Queen Steamboat Company memorable enough. But if you did, you’d be wrong.

The single factor that takes all these special elements, brings them together, and then elevates the entire experience, is our team members on board. They are our often unsung heroes and their warmth, professionalism, kindness and caring is what takes each unique aspect of the American Queen and combines it into a chorus that really sings each and every day. But even that doesn’t fully describe their largesse of spirit. We have strict guidelines on the service levels that we deem satisfactory for our guests. Happily, our team looks at these as minimum standards, not a regular goal to be met but never exceeded. It goes without saying that we have no specific performance rules for going above and beyond for our guests. Really, the sky’s the limit.

On our July 11 journey from Louisville to Pittsburgh, one of our crew, Chris Williams, did just that in a way that earned him the love of our guests forever and took a special moment and made it utterly unforgettable.

A couple was sailing for the first time on the American Queen. In fact, it was their first riverboat cruise of any kind. They were seated at a table for eight with six other guests, none of whom knew each other before the trip. Everyone got along famously, as you would expect from the friendly folks who are drawn to the Steamboating experience. It turns out the couple discovered that one of the other couples, who has sailed seven times before, was celebrating their 40th anniversary with this particular voyage of the American Queen.

One night, the entertainment in the Grand Saloon was five-time Grammy winner B.J. Thomas. Knowing that to keep things interesting, B.J. sometimes changes out songs from one performance to another and being huge fans, the two couples wanted to see both shows. Of course, the problem with seeing both shows is that there was no time left in the evening for a full dinner. While the treats available in the Front Porch of America were tempting, it didn’t seem a proper way to celebrate such a milestone. The River Grill was a possibility, but there just wasn’t time to sit down for a meal and getting something “to-go” and eating it balanced on their laps in the Grand Saloon didn’t seem elegant enough either.

At some point during the deliberations, Chris overheard the conversation and how important the anniversary and B.J. Thomas were to the two couples. At that moment, he had an idea that he knew would elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary and create a moment that would make the night truly special. Chris offered to serve the dining room menu in the big balcony box at the rear of the Grand Saloon.

Let our guest explain what happened next: “We had no idea what a spectacular presentation he had up his sleeve for us! We arrived at the box to find a table setting fit for royalty! Linen, crystal and china, specially folded napkins...it was a terrific presentation. Chris poured wine for all of us before the show and during the time between shows we got our starters and entrees. Chris even remembered that one of our group particularly liked the escargot and brought that as a special surprise for him. It was so over the top in service and thoughtfulness I thought that the ‘higher ups’ needed to know how much we all appreciated what Chris did to accommodate and embellish our plans for a celebration. I believe it is this kind of service that will bring about the success of the ‘returned’ American Queen.”

And in a wonderful twist, both couples have already booked Old Fashioned Holiday cruises for 2013. As the anniversary couple disembarks, the other couple will be boarding and staying in the same stateroom!

Sailing the American Queen will do more than take you on vacation. It will truly move you. And I thank team members like Chris Williams for their dedication to making every moment special for our guests by going far above and beyond what anyone could ever dream.