Customer service or the lack of it

Tonight was a prime example how customer service is suffering due to cuts of staff, not that there wasn't staff present, what was felt was the absence of visible staff that is there to help and do customer service while other staff is running programs, well or at least trying to run a program. It was a very busy night at the Community Centre, all rooms were filled with activities. One group, who rented the place, had to look after themselves pretty much all night. There was a kids cooking class going on and that staff can't leave to do customer service and then there was me doing my program, which is a very busy and well attended program and there is always lots to due especially in the first 20 minutes, when everybody is coming in until things are settled, people have signed in and take their place. Well last night I was just trying to stay afloat with my program, while trying to start my program, I was selling passes in the office, attending to someone who got injured during warm-up, filling out accident reports, making change, answering the phone, answering questions of patron walking in and dealing with the crankiness of some players, due to the high numbers and the lack of playingtime. Thank God I have a good memory when it comes to faces and names, otherwise I would have been screwed walking back into the gym with all of a sudden almost 30 people in there, and then trying to get organized. Thank God I have a very good rapport with my patrons, so we were all taking the hectic and stress and crumpyness of some in strives and joked around most evening and what could have been a disastrous nite turned out to be a fun night after all. And people were teasing me left right and centre in a good and fun way, and I was able to dish it right back on a professional yet personal level. Thanks Chris and Brandon for being so funny, didn't think I could keep up with you, guess I showed you. he he he. And I do love my job even so I bitch about it plenty, but it's people like that that make a hard night fun and easy.