Company Blog

The Massage

by Adam Zack — April 17, 2019

Simple communication is something we just can’t take for granted.

My dad has always loved a good back rub. The stress of running a grocery store would build up and his back and neck muscles would tighten. He’d ask me or my brothers to occasionally rub his back. But he never got professional massages until we were grown. And I don’t mean a Robert Kraft-style professional massage. When we started going to food shows – FMI in Chicago or Fancy Food in San Francisco, we got the idea to get massages in the hotel spa. The stores were successful and running smoothly, and the indulgence of a professional masseuse was well deserved. We were at the Omni hotel in San Francisco, each in separate massage rooms. I had a female masseuse and about half-way through the rub down she started crying. I kid you not. I hadn’t said “Ouch”, “A little to the left.” or “Harder, please.” I hadn’t said anything. She just starts sobbing. I went to say something, looked at her, and discovered that she was deaf and mute. And, it turned out, had just got her massage license and this was her first job. It was awkward at best.

So why hadn’t the receptionist given me the heads up? It would probably have been helpful to know that the person working on my muscles couldn’t hear a word I said. It was just a simple lack of communication. The front desk was supposed to let me know and each thought the other had told me. Simple communication is something we just can’t take for granted. Thinking that daily tasks and duties will automatically be known by the whole staff, or that someone else will fill everyone in is easy to do. My friend Jose always says: “Communication, Tio. Communication.” And he’s right, we can’t just assume that our employees know our intentions. Don’t make an ass out of u and me. My brothers and dad, though got a great kick out of how I made the masseuse cry. I think it was a lack of communication they were happy happened.