"Calm and courteous under very difficult conditions"

I attended an ENT Out-Patients appointment this afternoon. The car-park was full to capacity on my arrival, but car park staff quickly found me a parking space. I did not have to wait for my appointment and the consultant explained everything clearly. So far my experience was 'very good'.

However, things got much better! On leaving the out-patients, at around 1510hrs,

I discovered that two out three parking validation machines were out of action. The woman on duty at the main reception was having to cope with refunding one customer whose money was lost in the machine and whose ticket was unvalidated. Apart from this trying circumstance, the queue of traffic at the exit barriers was growing. At the main reception desk a sizeable group of people who felt their cars were trapped in the car park were beginning to give voice to their unhappiness. The receptionist was confronted with (a) the parking management technology melting down; (b) a series of screens showing queues of traffic and (c) a growing crowd of unhappy people. She managed the situation well, the car park barriers were managed to let motorists through and gradually 'normal conditions' resumed. This woman needs a commendation for managing everything so respectfully and skilfully.