The power of eight
The power of eight
Manager makes home out of motel
MOSES LAKE — Cynthia Eddy teaches her employees to smile behind the desk and over the phone.
"You can call and 'Hello,'" she explained, her "Hello" example lacking pizzazz and vigor. "Or you can call and say, 'Good afternoon. Glad to hear you.' It's like picking up the phone and it's a friend on the other end. It's all in who you are and how you want to present yourself."
Eddy assumed the title of general manager at the Super 8 Motel in May. Since then, she has overseen what she called a "facelift" to the business, painting the entire outside and sprucing up the interior with plants and decorations.
"Just bringing it up so that it really looks a whole lot better than it did," she said. "I'm really pleased with the look … I like making it feel like a home."
Since taking over, Eddy said she's been busy with clean-up, outside work and new staff.
"And just basically learning the ropes," she said with a laugh.
Originally from Boston, Eddy moved to Spokane in 1980, where she owned her own business, an out-patient treatment facility for drug and alcohol abuse for 10 years.
"I got burnt out working with people that had problems," she said.
She came to Moses Lake about 11 years ago, and went to work for Super 8 three years ago.
Her new job at Super 8 is a place where she can still work with people, she added.
"I just love the public. When they come in, I like them to feel like they're coming home for a visit and that we can meet their needs and wants," she said.
Prior to joining the motel, Eddy said she worked for a year at an isolated resort lodge on the Snake River. The only way in and out was via jet boat.
"It was a nice way to enter the hotel-motel business," she said. "You pretty much had to take care of yourself, because you were there, and when you have older people coming up that aren't quite used to the isolation, it took a lot to let some of those women feel comfortable that they were staying there. That was a fun year."
At Super 8, Eddy started out as night auditor. When former manager John Jerentowski, whom Eddy called a "manager above managers" was promoted after five years, she assumed his position and said she aims to maintain the quality Jerentowski started.
The motel has been in Moses Lake for 23 years. Eddy said there are about 12 employees, although the number tends to go up and down.
In the next six to eight months, she said, the motel plans to meet franchise regulations such as the motel's breakfasts, meeting room, heated swimming pool and wireless Internet.
"We're a little behind, but we're starting to catch up to the changes that the franchise wants," she said. "And the best thing of all are the smiles that are behind that desk."
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