#EverydayHeroes Stories

The #EverydayHeroes at Taj Hotel

November 2008, Mumbai

Often during a crisis, a single hero or small group of heroes who take action and risk their lives will emerge. But what happened at the Taj was much broader. During the crisis, dozens of workers — waiters and busboys, and room cleaners who knew back exits and paths through the hotel — chose to stay in the building until their customers were safe. They were the very model of ethical, selfless behavior.

Karambir Singh Kang

November 2008, Mumbai

This is the story that most of you would be familiar with but the part that you could’ve forgotten is the bravery and sacrifice of Karambir Singh Kang.The general manager of the Taj, who worked to save people after the terrorists set the hotel on fire. He lost his wife and two sons, who lived on the sixth floor of the hotel while taking responsibility of saving the guests’ lives.

For Rajesh Tavalla, it’s more than a General Manager’s job!

December 2015, Tamil Nadu

When torrential rains lashed Tamil Nadu in December 2015, Rajesh Tavalla, General Manager of Lemon Tree Hotel, Chennai set up an emergency centre and he led his team to distribute biscuits and milk to people stuck in traffic jams. Pregnant ladies were given refuge in the hotel, while women were offered washroom facilities. As occupancy surged to over 90 percent, Tavalla and his team marched almost 12 km on foot to buy supplies and keep the hotel functional. He would regularly reassure guests, despite being unable to get in touch with his own wife and son for over three days, as phone networks were down. Later, when 40 guests and 25 staff members from Lemon Tree Hotel Shimona called for help, Tavalla and his colleagues swam through neck deep water carrying food. They also toiled to provide a safe haven for people in the neighbourhood affected by the flood and distributed survival kits with clothes, food, and more to over 150 families. He could’ve easily gone back to his family or said that it’s not really his job but he chose to be a better human being and proved to be a true hero.

Pizza party in the flight by Frontier’s pilot

November 2008, Mumbai

Here’s another exceptional customer service experience story which occurred when a Frontier plane departed DC for Denver an hour behind schedule. Due to bad weather conditions in the Denver area, the plane got diverted and landed in Wyoming. It was around ten o'clock and around 160 passengers were sitting hungry and tired. That is when the pilot decided to surprise the passengers with warm pizzas. The delay wasn’t caused due to the pilot’s mistake but he wanted to make sure he makes the environment a little more comfortable for the passengers. This is also an example of heroism - being there for your people and taking their responsibility. This is the beauty of care which turned a bad customer experience into a customer care story.

WestJet Air Hostess

November 2008, Mumbai

This is another sweet yet powerful story of an air hostess of WestJet airlines who took the responsibility of taking care of a crying baby on the plane. As the passenger stated that the baby couldn't sleep after an announcement in the plane, the air hostess asked if she can walk the baby in the aisle. She did her best to soothe the distressed infant and it was a success too. The mother of the baby was relieved and impressed.