“I am so happy when I wake up in the morning. I am very happy here at St Christopher’s”
Laura
A chance early morning encounter with a patient in the Anniversary Centre inspires supervisor to make every customer feel special.
For many visitors to St Christopher’s the Anniversary Centre is both their first stop-off and its hub. A place of calm where everyone can relax, enjoy something to eat and drink and look out at the pretty garden. Instrumental to its friendly, welcoming atmosphere is supervisor Laura Cespedesmendez.
Six years after starting work in the kitchen, Laura is now very much the smiling face of the café. For the 43-year-old, from Dominican Republic, via Madrid, it was an early morning encounter with a customer that transformed her approach to work and attitude to life.
“One day I was cleaning the coffee machine at seven in the morning when a young woman walked in. She asked if I spoke Spanish. She said she’d been here at St Christopher’s for a month and needed help because she was from Venezuela and didn’t speak English.
“She didn’t look sick to me, and I thought she must be a visitor not a patient. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, so I served her a hot chocolate and then I asked the chef about taking her some food to her room. He told me she might have cancer and was probably going to pass away. I said I didn’t know what he was talking about. I felt my blood sugar levels drop.”
“I fainted, and they had to put me in a wheelchair because I was in shock.”
The loss had a serious impact on Laura which resulted in her seeking psychological support at the hospice.
“From this moment it changed completely how focused I am on my job. Now, I realise everyone who comes here is in a difficult moment and they need a different level of service.
“People respond differently to it. Some people are angry, some are sad and now I understand that, so I can make allowances and understand how to be with customers in that situation.
“Sometimes my boss tells me I talk too much but I think I have a responsibility to be nice to everyone, to smile and treat every customer as special and to make them feel comfortable.”
“I have a responsibility to be nice to everyone, to smile and treat every customer as special and to make them feel comfortable.”
Asked to describe the café for first time visitors, Laura says:
“This is the happiest place in the hospice. You can have food or a drink, have a nice moment, relax a bit and forget your problems for a few minutes.”
And when pressed on the best menu items, Laura picks the fish and chips and jacket potatoes.
“The food is very affordable and the customer service is also amazing because we really care about our customers.”
Despite working long hours – she opens up the café at 7am and closes it at 6pm – Laura says she can’t imagine working anywhere else.
“I am so happy when I wake up in the morning. I could get another better paid job but I am very happy here at St Christopher’s.”
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