We Act

When a spray tan machine malfunctioned and sprayed nonstop for six hours overnight, flooding the store, General Manager Eve was already en route to a training class and understandably panicked. Without hesitation, Emery Davis and Kylee Reeves showed up within the hour, ready to take action, still in their pajamas. They immediately clocked in and got to work, tackling the cleanup with urgency, teamwork, and care. Thanks to their quick response and dedication, Eve was able to continue on to training class with full confidence that the store was in good hands. Their commitment, hustle, and positivity in a tough situation made a huge impact—and we are so proud to recognize them!

When a guest mentioned they couldn’t eat the hotel breakfast due to allergies, Rhonda Dauzet didn’t just offer sympathy—she took action. After learning the breakfast bags didn’t include granola bars, Rhonda went to the Sweet Shop and personally bought one for the guest at no cost. Her kindness and willingness to go the extra mile turned a small moment into a memorable experience. Thank you, Rhonda, for your heart and hospitality!

On Ryan Perry's first official day, he was assisting at the front desk at Hampton Inn and Suites in Hammond. He had just started learning his new role and the responsibilities that come along with it, but managed to perfectly portray a core value of ours that we take very seriously. We had a walk-in international traveler from Japan come in. He was 76 and spoke very little English. Ryan used Google translate to communicate with Mr. Ota, assisting the front desk with his reservation. Not only did Ryan assist with checking Mr. Ota in, but he also gave him a tour of the property, showing him the breakfast area, fitness center, and pool, all using Google Translate. The best part is that after the tour, Ryan and Mr. Ota even played a few rounds of Pokémon Go together. Ryan went out of his way to make this guest feel important and deeply valued, no matter what difficult barriers stood in the way.

We had a client feel faint after her session. She blacked out for a moment and fell to the floor. FDA Zack Wahlstrom assisted her to the tranquility room, got her some water, and sat with her for a moment…. She did not want us to call 911 but said she would just drive herself to the hospital. We did not want her to drive so Zack volunteered to drive her. Zack and FDA Jimesa took the client to the hospital and sat with her until she was called to the back. Zack left our business card with the ER front desk and asked them to call him when she was released so he could get her. After the doctors checked her out and released her, Zack drove her back to the clinic. A big thank you to Zack for being so kind to this client.

While working her shift at PBT Hattiesburg, Kathryn Wong noticed a customer whose car battery had died. Without hesitation, she remembered she had jumper cables in her car, pulled it around, and helped the guest get back on the road. Kathryn's quick thinking and willingness to go the extra mile turned a stressful situation into a moment of relief—and showed what true customer care looks like. Way to shine, Kat!

Jasmeen Thomas has received several Service Essential nominations for her outstanding hospitality and genuine care for every guest. Her actions speak volumes—when a guest requested milk, she immediately jumped up to prepare it without hesitation. She also took thoughtful initiative when a hearing-impaired couple checked in, adding special notes to their reservation to help the team provide extra care and personally checking on them the next day to ensure everything was going smoothly. She also made a lasting impression when she kindly helped an elderly guest get juice from the kitchen, even after breakfast had ended. Jasmeen’s attention to detail and genuine HEART make every guest feel welcomed and cared for. Thank you for shining so brightly!

On Saturday, we had a guest who was once a member in New Orleans scheduled for a massage. She had a medical emergency as she was pulling up. While driving in the parking lot, she hit the curb. She came into the store very distressed. Madalyn and Seneca attended to her immediately. Madelyn, who is a ULM pre-med student noticed her sensor device on her arm. She asked her if she was diabetic, and she responded that she was. They checked her sugar glucose level and realized it was too low. They got her some orange juice as well as the medical care she needed. She came back the next Monday to thank them for all they had done and even said she would be back to get a massage and become a member again.

The Hampton Inn & Suites in Grenada needed additional support at the front desk and housekeeping to prepare for our inspection this fall. Several properties had team members available and willing to make the LONG trip to spend the week away from home to help. Thank you to Max Gaudet, Irish Jefferson, and Carl Walker for assisting Grenada and being a part of our team.

With a hurricane bearing down on Louisiana, our hotel leaders, Amy & Ryan, headed into the storm to be onsite with their hotel teams. On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall as a category 4 storm in Louisiana. The devastation caused by the hurricane closed our Massage Envy clinics in New Orleans, Palm Beach Tans in Hammond and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and resulted in millions of dollars in damages to Hampton Inn & Suites Thibodaux and Hammond – both while completely full of team members, their families, and hurricane evacuees. Communication was hit or miss, and we lost contact with our teams. Sunray team members lost homes, faced injuries, and were without power for weeks in some areas. Across the company, Sunray team members immediately started asking how they could help. Jody and the amazing construction crew showed up in record time with supplies for repairs and to mitigate damage. The corporate office team divided up and hit every home improvement and hardware store within a 20-mile radius to load up generators, gas cans, dehumidifiers and other critical supplies the hotels needed to address extensive water and wind damages. Bottled water and nonperishable snacks were loaded up for the hotel evacuees due to limited supplies. Multiple team members drove hundreds of miles back and forth from Mississippi to Louisiana loading and unloading supplies for a solid week. Meanwhile, hotel team members sucked up water non-stop, pulled soaking wet carpet, stripped hallways down to the studs, and washed linens for what seemed like days. Meanwhile over in New Orleans, one of our Massage Envy managers delivered sandbags to all other clinics ahead of the storm and offered help to anyone needing it after the hurricane passed. He secured each clinic, inspected for damage, and helped with clean-up at other locations. He even went to find a team member sleeping on the side of the road in his car when he broke down trying to evacuate to family in Mississippi. He did all of this while dealing with damage to his own home and sleeping outside in a hammock during the power outage. Our Palm Beach Tan teams jumped into action and visited salons to check for damage and reopen while also navigating curfews and impacts to their own homes and families. Our Sunray teams personally reached out to every team member impacted by Hurricane Ida and checked in with them regularly. Resources were provided, and Sunray supported those most impacted in the aftermath. Tosha Smith, general manager at Hampton Inn & Suites Thibodaux, said, “Each of these people put their own duties and responsibilities on hold to help us and did it with smiles on their faces and genuine concern because they truly cared about us.”

When the computers went down unexpectedly, Emma Ammons stayed calm, acted fast, and kept her cool. She worked quickly to resolve the issue and continued to greet each guest with kindness and patience—even as more people came in and systems were still down. Emma, thank you for turning a stressful moment into a shining example of professionalism and grace!

When Nina Tieu’s client didn’t show up for their scheduled appointment at Massage Envy, she didn’t let the downtime go to waste. Instead of waiting around, she took the initiative to deep clean the service rooms that weren’t in use. Nina made sure everything was spotless and guest-ready. Her proactive attitude and dedication to keeping the environment clean and welcoming reflect the kind of care and professionalism that make a lasting impact on both team members and guests.

Recently in Hammond, Francis Cook and Charlotte Landry handled an extremely stressful situation with the utmost courage and poise. The way they reacted immediately to an extremely delicate and chaotic situation with the demeanor they exhibited certainly should put them in the Sunray Hero Hall of Fame. Not only that but they approach every day with the utmost professionalism and are constantly providing mentorship to the newer members of the team. They are both examples of everything the Sunray Core Values stand for.

Massage Envy Gulfport raised money for Bridggett Singley, one of our longtime massage therapists. We deeply care about each other and always lend a helping hand when our team is going through a hard time. Bridggett has experienced some health problems and has been out of work. We collectively raised $1,152 for her and her family.

One of our team members was getting ready to clock out and head out for her weekend plans one Friday. It was pouring down rain. About 10 minutes before her shift ended, one of our regular tanners came in and told us about his car troubles. After his session, the team member walked outside with him and tried continuously to help him jump off his car IN THE RAIN. She had special plans that night that she’d been counting down all week, but she still took the time outside in the rain for over an hour to help a customer in need. She’s a superstar!