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My mother-in-law is kind, loving, and generous -- boy, is she generous.

Every year, Ami (her nickname, given to her by her grandchildren), takes the entire family on a week long vacation. Through the years, she has taken us to Jamaica, Turks and Cacos Islands, cruises, Disney World, dude ranches in Wyoming and Colorado, and Club Med in Florida.

I remember all of Ami's vacations with fond memories. However, I remember Club Med perhaps even more.

Being pulled by a rope at 20 miles per hour sounds painful, unless you are being pulled in a rubber tube by a motor boat. And that's exactly what I did everyday at Club Med Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Besides the tubing, and the time I spent with my family, there were many other activities that occupied my time.

I also tried sailing, volleyball, being in a show, and even water skiing. What made those events so special for me was the fact that I am disabled. But the staff said, "If you want to try, we will do our best to accommodate you." And accommodate me they did.

I had such a good time that week. I was so happy when they included me in the staff's water ski show. I was so proud when I got up on water skis. It was so much fun when the trapeze artist in the circus attempted to have me hang onto him while he attempted to swing from rope to rope. That week was truly a blast.

As soon as we returned home, I wrote a thank you note to the CEO of Club Med at their corporate office in New York City. In the letter, I mentioned all the members of the staff in Florida who had been so kind to me. I sent a letter, assuming that I would receive a glowing return letter of thanks and appreciation.

A few weeks later I did receive a letter from Club Med's corporate office. I ripped open the envelope ASSUMING that the note would read:

Dear Mr. Segal:

We're so happy that you enjoyed yourself at Club Med. We pride ourselves in hiring only great staff and we are so happy that John, Mary, Bob, were so helpful.

Instead, upon opening the letter I read a standard form letter that said:

Dear Sir,

We thank you for taking the time to write. We understand your concerns and are currently looking into them.

Sincerely,

Club Med

I read the letter again. I could not believe it. My letter was thanking the organization for what the staff had done for me. However, the organization's letter was quite confusing. I wanted to know what "concerns" it was referring to that required "looking into."

I quickly drove in my car to the travel agent who had booked our fun vacation. I "demanded" from him an explanation after shoving the letter before his eyes.

After scanning the letter he chuckled and exclaimed, "Mike, you don't understand? Club Med and other vacation companies receive so many letters, and about 99 percent of the time the letters are negative. Club Med receives countless letters. Being in the service industry they want to respond quickly. Therefore, one person's job is to open the mail and send a form letter reply, often, unfortunately, without reading the letter. Another individual's job is to read the letter and reply appropriately to the guest."

The travel agent concluded by stating that he would be shocked if I did not receive a "more suitable" letter from Club Med in six to eight weeks.

Sure enough, in six weeks I received that letter. The new letter made me feel good as I realized that "my friends" at Club Med might get some well deserved recognition.

Now, I am constantly writing letters in response to some kind of service. Whether the service is good or bad, I believe the company wants to know, and should know, how the guests had been treated. If someone does not let the company know, it will simply assume that everything is perfect. So, I write letters -- usually "thank you" letters -- but occasionally I write letters of complaint (or to put it more positively, letters of "constructive criticism").

I have been so busy writing letters to companies that I have forgotten one major thing: "Thank You for Everything, Ami!"

___________________________________________

Michael is a social worker at Memorial Hermann Hospital, an author, and well sought after inspirational/motivational speaker. His "miraculous comeback" story has been featured on national television and magazines. Mike's story, "My Miraculous Family," was published in "Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul." Since then, he's had many of his stories in various anthologies, newsletters, and booklets. Mike lives in Houston with his wife, Sharon, and their daughter, Shawn. He is available for public speaking engagements and can be reached at: http://www.allworld.net/segal