“How do you handle bumps on the road?”
Sophia Panopoulos
Carrolton Bank | Carrolton Select Club
St. Louis, Missouri
We went to Harrah’s Casino, and our travelers were offered $15 worth of free play but had to stand in a long line to receive this freebie. I was very concerned because many of them couldn’t stand that long, but the casino came up with five or six wheelchairs and saved the day.
Deb Connor
Community First Bank | Premier Club
Keosauqua, Iowa
Fifty-four of us went to a theater performance in Des Moines, two hours away. We arrived to find out that the governor had canceled the performance because of the flooding in Des Moines, even though the theater was not near the flooded area.
We had already eaten dinner, and I thought, ”What do we do now?” The bus driver and I put our heads together and decided to go to the nearby Prairie Meadows Casino — and no, they didn’t close the casino due to flooding — and spent a few hours. One lady won big, so she was happy about this bump in the road.
Esther Scott
Hinsdale Bank and Trust | Platinum Adventures Club
Hinsdale, Illinois
We had an architectural cruise planned in Chicago, along with lunch at a culinary school and a tour of a Jewish synagogue.
I was told to pick up the cruise tickets at what turned out to be the wrong place, and we had to walk quite a distance to find the correct place. We arrived at the departure dock just in time to see the boat leave.
I sat everyone down in the air-conditioned departure area and gave them our options, and everyone agreed to take a later cruise and skip the synagogue tour. Everyone was nice about it, and we all agreed: That’s life.
Julie Peyton
West Central Georgia Bank | Banking Buddies
Thomaston, Georgia
Our motorcoach broke down at night, and even the lights didn’t work on the bus. We were lucky that an ice cream shop was only a half-block away, and while they were about to close, they were happy to see a busload of people all show up for ice cream.
By the time we were done, the bus was fixed.
Mary Beth Kurasek
Busey Bank | VIP Program
Urbana, Illinois
I had a romantic Valentine’s Day trip planned to see a Frank Sinatra tribute kind of show. I made arrangements for 50 people, including purchasing 50 beautiful chocolate roses.
And then, only 20 people signed up. I was so upset.
I scheduled a smaller coach, and the participants ended up feeling really special because of the more intimate feel. I also realized how nice it is in my position to work with a small group.
I gave the extra roses to my bank group helpers in other branch locations, and their responses were overwhelming. You would have thought I gave them a million bucks. It ended up being a win-win situation.
