The Majestic Hotel burned down in Hot Springs a couple of weeks ago. It was a sister hotel to the Arlington, which is just up the street. It, like the Arlington, hosted years and years of memories for the thousands, probably millions, of guests that stayed and visited from all over the world. The Majestic Hotel fell into disrepair and was ultimately closed a few years ago, followed by a couple of failed attempts at bringing it back to life.
After the doors closed, those familiar with the Majestic Hotel could only look from the outside and remember the old days and hope for a resurrection in the future. Now, fate has determined that there will be no more memories made at the Majestic with the exception of those related to the demolition of the premier hotel of Hot Springs in the good old days.
As fate would also have it, I wrote a column that came out about the same time the Old Lady of Hot Springs burned. I complained about my perception that the Arlington was suffering from the same things that led to the closing of the Majestic. For those of you that read the column, you will recall the thing that sent me over the edge was the non-working hot tub and the fact that the Arlington has become a “Pepsi” hotel.
I said then - and I repeat it now - that I love the Arlington Hotel. I just didn’t like what I interpreted as the beginning of the end. I might have gone as far as intimating that I wasn’t going to stay there anymore. I felt bad when I wrote that column, even though what I said was true. Really, I felt a little dirty. It was like I was talking about a friend behind their back. It just did not feel right.
Friday, I got a message that the manager of the Arlington, Bob Martorana, had called and wanted to discuss my column. My column is not normally written to recommend or criticize businesses, but I have done it in the past. I’ve gotten a few angry letters and calls from people that didn’t like what I’d written about their business. I wasn’t in the mood for such a call on Friday and was hesitant to subject myself to abuse by returning the call.
I pulled up the column and re-read what I’d written. Convincing myself that it wasn’t so bad and that I should return the call, I did just that. Mr. Martorana was nothing but pleasant. He apologized for my concerns and told me that he had actually made arrangements to have at least two Coke products placed in each machine. I would like to take credit for that, but he told me that he was a “Coke” man himself, and he already had the product placement in the works. He also explained that there had been a mechanical problem with the hot tub, and that’s why it wasn’t working. He ended by telling me that he appreciated my prior stays and hoped I would give the Arlington another chance.
Well, as they say, he had me at hello. Combining my faltering position that I would not stay there anymore with that phone call changed my attitude completely. As you might imagine, I have decided to continue to stay on the Arlington team. I thanked him for his call and told him he would be seeing me back at the Arlington when I stayed in Hot Springs. I did tell him that it would sure make me happy if the hot tub worked next time I visited, and I would look forward to Diet Coke in the machine. He said he would do what he could.
As the owner of a business, I find that it is sometimes easy to forget how important it is to let your customers know how important their business is to you. It’s hard to overestimate the difference it can make in your customer’s attitude toward you and your business. A customer with a good attitude means more business. The bottom line is that it’s always easier to keep old business than it is to get new business.
That simple truth bleeds over into personal relationships. It’s always easier to keep an old friend than it is to make a new one. Reach out to those with whom you have relationships and make sure they understand how important they are to you and your life. An old friend or family member might not be as fancy or hip as some other people, but like the Arlington, the good ones stand tall and pass the test of time. Eventually, your time with others will come to an end in the same way those who loved the Majestic had their time end with the old hotel’s demise.
Don’t end up wishing you would have visited your relationship just one more time. Once time takes them away, they are gone - just like the Majestic.
Being thankful for what we have and letting others know how much you appreciate them will do nothing but improve your life. That’s true for everyone, even those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Arkansas. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com