Great coworkers can leave a lasting impression.

The following story is about an employee who recalled working with a remarkable coworker who stood out from everyone else.

She demanded perfection as she worked as head housekeeper, while working alongside her staff, and even went above and beyond to help in unexpected situations.

Beyond her job, this housekeeper did other things that made her appreciated by the people around her.

Let’s take a closer look!

Most Memorable Co-Workers

Anybody who has been in the hotel business for even a short time knows that the employees can be almost as transient as the guests?

But sometimes they stick in memory, even decades later.

My most memorable co-worker was when I was very new to the front desk at a hotel in downtown Houston.

We had a head housekeeper who was just incredible.

Meet Mamacita…

We called her either Miss Paula or Mamacita.

Her staff would do anything for her, too. Not that she was easy to work for.

She expected every room to be perfect. As far as I remember, she got it.

I do not ever remember anybody coming back to the desk complaining of any cleaning issues.

She would be right in with her staff, too.

I remember this tiny woman in her 60s climbing a 25-foot ladder.

She did this to personally clean the crystals in the chandelier in the lobby.

This woman was thankful when Mamacita helped her set up a banquet room.

One evening, she helped me set up a banquet room for a function.

We had not been notified of it. She even rigged some beautiful centerpieces.

I will be darned if I know how. This part was an open secret.

I did not catch on until the second hotel where we worked together.

Mamacita also organized an informal English class for hotel staff.

Mamacita was very much in favor of keeping and honoring one’s own culture.

But she also arranged for anybody who wanted to attend informal English classes.

Twice a week, eight to ten of them would gather in one of the suite parlors for a couple of hours.

If the hotel was full, they would have the class downstairs in Mamacita’s office.

Our General Manager knew, but I am not sure very many others did.

I heard later on that she helped tutor for citizenship, too.

She will always remember how nice and thoughtful Mamacita was.

I will never forget that wonderful, wonderful lady.

She made a difference in many lives.

Never Miss a Story

Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.

Including mine as a very wet-behind-the-ears front desk clerk.

I would love to hear other stories of memorable co-workers, bad or good.

Some people will really leave a mark on our lives, especially those who made a difference.

Mamacita was one of them, and she has proven that one can still be kind and genuine even in the workplace.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who was facing serious accusations before retirement, but luckily had security footage that proved his innocence.
Do you know a person like this? Let’s check out other people’s comments.

Yes, indeed!

This person shares their personal experience.

Here’s another valuable lesson.

There are good people in the world, says this one.

Finally, short and straightforward.

Some coworkers don’t just do their job… they become the standard everyone else remembers.