Creative Dining Services’ Inquiring Minds interviewed Sawako Cline, Spoelhof Café Supervisor & Sushi Chef at Calvin College.  Here’s what we learned about her:

[Creative Dining Services' Inquiring Minds]: So, you are a Supervisor for the Spoelhof Café and Sushi Chef.  What is your favorite part of your job?

[Sawako Cline]: Interacting and building close relationships with students and fellow employees.  I like making sushi and introducing a new cuisine to people and seeing the great reaction people have when they try it for the first time.  I also enjoy being challenged with my creativity and utilizing it in many different areas at Calvin College

[CDSIM]: Our readers would like to know: what is your favorite cuisine?

[SC]:  Japanese.  I was born in Japan and Japanese cuisine is something I grew up with and have a passion for.  It’s such a beautiful cuisine, it’s like artwork on a plate.

[CDSIM]: If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?

[SC]:  Being that Japanese is my cuisine is what I was raised with I have many Japanese staples in my refrigerator.  I don’t keep any junk food or pop around, I try to eat as healthy and as fresh as I can.  So in my refrigerator I keep things like Salmon, swordfish, miso, dashi, farm fresh eggs (won’t buy them from the grocery store), cold brown tea, homemade Japanese hot sauce, Brie cheese and chocolate.

[CDSIM]: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

[SC]: Fiji.  It’s such a beautiful place with gorgeous beaches.  I hate snow and winter!

[CDSIM]: And finally, how will you handle your new-found fame once this interview is published on the Creative Dining Blog?

[SC]:  I’m going to use this to get on the Food Network!

I run a hotel-with a lot of help from a lot of great people. It works for me, for now. The job fits me. I’m messy and chaotic, and the job is messy and chaotic. The hotel just celebrated its 14^th year in business! Yea us! In 14 years we’ve accumulated many stories. Most of them are funny. A couple of them are sad. I’m going to share them, here, for your enjoyment.

I would be remiss if I did not start out with the all time #1 famous customer service story of all time, The Great Luggage Chase!

***

Early May, 1998 -

It was Monday, the day after graduation at Hope College. It was “Sue’s” first day as a full-time employee of the Inn. Sue had also just graduated from Hope College. It was a busy morning. There were several check-outs from the weekend yet to go. A very elderly man, Mr. Doe, who had been a special guest of the college for graduation, checked out and proceeded to leave his suitcase, an old, shabby Samsonite, in the lobby, next to another pile of old, shabby Samsonites, while he used the restroom.

A large, rambunctious family came down to check-out as Mr. Doe’s daughter wheeled him away from the front desk. After settling their bill, the family loaded up their 1975 Volkswagen “Vanagon” with their luggage – the pile of old, shabby Samsonites from the lobby.

Ten minutes later Mr. Doe was wheeled back from the restroom by his daughter to find his luggage was gone. He told Sue. She froze. The large family was gone, started on their 360 mile drive back to St. Louis. They must have the missing suitcase!

She called her supervisor, Linda. Linda froze. They both went out to the lobby and told Mr. Doe his luggage was most likely on its way to the “Show Me” state.

“But my heart medicine was in there.” He said to Sue and Linda.  Oh, did I mention the constant ticking sound his oxygen tank was making?  And it got better: Not only was Mr. Doe’s heart medicine in the missing suitcase—his plane was taking off at 2:00.

Sue and Linda looked at each other. Linda finally choked out, “Mr. Doe, don’t worry. We’ll get your luggage to the airport in plenty of time!” On that weak promise Mr. Doe and his daughter drove off to lunch and then the airport.

Sue and Linda acted fast. They got the keys to the Inn’s van. They shot out of the parking like Santa on his sleigh shouting, “We’ll be back!” . . .

***

Stay tuned for the finale of the Great Luggage Chase!