I’ve traveled a lot over the years, and have experienced some customer service highs and lows. Sometimes there are individuals who have such a positive outlook on life that they can’t help but put a smile on your face, and in this post I wanted to recognize one of those people.
The Capital One Lounge DFW has amazing service
Several weeks back I reviewed the new Capital One Lounge DFW, which is fantastic, plain and simple. It has some unique amenities, ranging from grab & go food, to cold brew on tap, to Peloton bikes, to nap pods.
One other thing that delighted me about the lounge was how friendly all the staff were. Not only have I heard similar reports from OMAAT readers, but I’ve also experienced it on subsequent visits. Everyone in that lounge genuinely seems like they enjoy their jobs and want to make customers happy.
Frankly I don’t know how they were able to hire such great people, especially in this challenging labor market. It’s rare that employees at US airport lounges create a memorable guest experience, but at this lounge they do. Do they just pay people more? Do they hire for personality? Do they just have an awesome boss and a fun working environment? Is it just enthusiasm because the lounge is new? A little bit of everything? Whatever the reason, I’m impressed…
Rumana is my favorite thing about the Capital One Lounge DFW
When I first reviewed the Capital One Lounge back in November, I mentioned the following:
I was only in the lounge for 20 minutes or so, and when one of the servers saw my enthusiasm for the lounge, she proactively gave me a tour, and was obviously proud of all the amenities. She also recommended the pancakes, and asked if she could make some fresh for me.
I remembered how lovely that woman was, and today Ford and I returned to the Capital One Lounge DFW around a similar time, and she remembered us. We had a very long layover (I didn’t want to plan a tight connection given airline operational issues right now), and we had the chance to interact more with her.
Her name is Rumana, and she’s such a lovely, kind soul. Not only is she incredibly professional, but she also has a contagiously positive outlook on life and loves people:
- Rumana was constantly roaming the lounge with enthusiasm, anticipating what guests may want, and offering to serve people
- She told us about how much she loves coming to work, and how she enjoys interacting with her guests; she said she works multiple jobs largely because she loves making people happy
- She kept trying to get us to enjoy more of what the lounge has to offer, insisting that we were her guests and that it was important to her that we had a nice time
- Rumana is originally from Eritrea, and it was so lovely to hear just a small part of her life journey
- We tried to tip Rumana because of how attentive she was, and she repeatedly insisted that wasn’t necessary, and that she takes care of people because it makes her happy
- She asked when we’d next pass through DFW, and made us promise that we’d come back to say hi, even if we just had five minutes
- We talked a bit about the Dallas area, and she told us that the next time we visit we have to let her know, and she’ll show us around
It’s hard to put into words what a special person Rumana is. If you pass through the Capital One Lounge DFW (she works the first shift), I hope you have the pleasure of interacting with Rumana, and experiencing it firsthand. And please tell her Ben and Ford said hi.
Lastly, before anyone suspects I was getting special blogger treatment, I’m positive she has no clue what I “do.” That being said, the lounge was quiet, which makes one-on-one interaction with staff a lot easier. The Capital One Lounge DFW continues to be spectacular, and I hope things never change.
In fairness, with more people signing up for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review), chances are that the lounge will get progressively busier over time. I don’t imagine it’ll be to the level of Amex Centurion Lounges anytime soon, though.
Bottom line
There are a lot of amazing people out there who get joy out of making other people smile. Those people often aren’t recognized enough, so I love to give a shout out to people when I see this in the travel space. While the Capital One Lounge DFW has top notch service in general, Rumana’s kindness and warmth was the highlight of my day, and as far as I’m concerned is the best thing about this lounge (and there’s a lot of competition for that title).
If you have the chance to pass through the Capital One Lounge DFW, be on the lookout for Rumana.
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