Tonya Gaines of Parking and Transportation Services helps a visitor get his sibling with limited mobility to an appointment.
Russell Hess knows a thing or two about taking action. The retired government official with the U.S. Army has held a number of senior-level positions throughout his 40-year career including site installation commander over five sites employing about 40,000 people. With a background in finance, he’s a bottom-line kind of guy who believes in the power of actions.
Recently, he had an interaction with a University of Maryland, Baltimore Administration and Finance employee that prompted him to take action.
Hess was escorting his sister to the University of Maryland Medical Center as part of ongoing treatment for an accident she suffered in 2023. Partially paralyzed from the neck down, his sister has extremely limited mobility. In assisting with her care, Hess was experiencing firsthand how challenging the world — and many tasks we all take for granted — can be for those with mobility limitations.
When Hess and his sister arrived at SMC Campus Center parking, they were greeted by Tonya Gaines, a facility ambassador with Parking and Transportation Services (PTS). A recent cancer survivor who lost her husband to a drunken driver in June, Gaines immediately saw the challenges Hess and his sister would face in getting to their appointment.
“We pulled in and Gaines immediately assessed our situation,” Hess said. “She apologized for the lack of nearby handicapped parking and found us a special spot so that we could get my sister out of the car and down to the sidewalk.”
But it was Gaines’ next actions that stood out to Hess.
“At that point, she had already done her job and then some,” Hess said. “I asked her for directions, and she pointed out where we needed to go. Rather than let us make the journey alone, she told us she was going to escort us there to make sure we got there safe and sound. You must understand that my sister’s mobility is greatly limited, and this five-minute walk would take us 30 minutes.”
According to Hess, Gaines twice stepped into the road and stopped traffic so that he and his sister could make their way across the street. He noted that she made sure to take her time and not hurry them, which was greatly appreciated. Once the trio arrived at their destination, she made it a point to tell him to come find her so that he could bypass the walk and pick his sister up at the door.
Stacy Holmes, operations director, PTS, said this is not unexpected.
“Tonya Gaines exemplifies dedication and professionalism in her role as an ambassador with Parking and Transportation Services, consistently going above and beyond to ensure a seamless parking experience,” Holmes said. “Her friendly demeanor creates a welcoming environment for both patients and staff alike. She plays a vital role in assisting all parkers, especially patients, when parking in the Penn Street Garage.”
Tellingly, while Gaines was being photographed for this story, a man and woman in scrubs waved and called out to her by name. They approached and asked what was going on. After explaining the reason for the photograph, the man nodded approvingly and hugged Gaines.
The woman, who identified herself as Morgan Alexander, immediately volunteered, “Oh my gosh, she is a legend. She always looks out for everybody. One day I actually forgot my wallet at home. When I pulled in, I told her, ‘I’m so sorry I left my wallet at home.' Rather than have me hold up traffic while writing a check, she paid for my parking and just asked me to pay her back when I could. That’s just who she is, the kindest person who is always looking out for everybody.”
With their interaction coming to an end, Gaines offered Hess advice on how to navigate their next visit, should it be necessary. Hess was so taken with the service he got, he went to the PTS website and filled out a satisfaction survey.
For all the praise Hess offered, he said he wasn’t the one who benefited the most.
“All these things you hope for in an employee, she exceeded them all,” he said. “I was thrilled to have her help. But honestly, the most appreciative person was my sister. Understandably, she’s had a rough time. So this gesture just meant so much to her.”
Here are Hess’ comments on the satisfaction survey:
“I would like to take the opportunity to recognize an employee, Tonya Gaines, for her OUTSTANDING customer service on 8/13/2024. Me and my recovering sister arrived at the parking garage at 621 W. Lombard St. for an appointment at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Outpatient Clinic. It is extremely difficult for my sister to walk. Gaines found an immediate quick access parking space. She escorted us up the street to the outpatient clinic making sure that we negotiated traffic and got there safely and quickly (or at least as quickly as we could make it). She was polite, pleasant, helpful, knowledgeable, and patient while representing your hospital extremely well. She provided helpful information to assure pickup and future visits would go extremely well. Well done!!! I commend her for her service and professionalism. Thanks!”