Beyond Her Job Title

The Dutch language newsstand is crammed with niche magazines. They are expensive. One day I asked a seller, ‘Who buys them all’, and he assured me business is thriving. It made me think about a magazine from decades ago that covered everything: celebrities, art, theatre, style and ended with spreads of expensive real estate. I asked the seller if he remembered the name. He did not. As days went on, I asked other, older Dutch folk and everyone rather looked at me strangely. At the bus.train stop on Sunday i asked strangers. Next, I began to ask foreigners who had lived in Holland. They remembered the magazine, but not the name. Now it was an obsession; I had to know. Looking on line, discovered the original publisher had been absorbed into a newer publishing house. A telephone campaign took form. Following my fifth try, I landed with a telephone receptionist who volunteered to pass me along to a colleague. The colleague, who said she was ‘Diana’, volunteered to ask yet another colleague, I could call back in a few hours? Five hours later I called again, and Diana put me through. Lieke listened to my description, conferred off phone and came back and said ?Avenue?. Yes, yes that it is. Diana had gone way beyond her job title of telephone receptionist. I telephoned her again, told her how she had been so unusual in this day and age to go out of her way. She was touched. I asked if her boss/manager was available, and may I speak with her? Diana transferred my call. I spoke with her supervisor: what customer service this employee had given, how gracious, helpful and beyond the call of duty she had gone. She deserves to be watched for bigger and better job positions. To my surprise the b/m agreed, we exchanged a few additional niceties and hung up. Subsequently shared the magazine name with others who were now having sleepless nights unable to remember. Diana made the day for a lot of folks.