One afternoon a middle-aged white woman from a rural community brought her three children to the Saint Louis Science Center. The woman had traveled to St. Louis solely for one of her children to receive physical therapy for an ongoing issue at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Her kids had grown bored, and so naturally it was up to her to find something to do. She had never been to St. Louis and wasn’t familiar with city life, but someone suggested the Science Center as a place to check out.
She approached Michelle McGruder, a Science Center staffer, confused and unsure of what to do. Once she realized that she couldn’t afford the things that her children wanted to do, she prepared to leave. McGruder, however, stopped her and offered to allow her to use her membership to cover the cost.
The woman began crying uncontrollably before hugging and thanking McGruder. She later wrote her a letter, expressing her gratitude once again and stating that her children would never forget the kind gesture.
“That, for me, was really the reason that I stayed and continued to do what I do,” McGruder said. “People need to know that customer service is not dead and that as human beings we’re here to help each other.”
McGruder, now the manager of visitor services at the Science Center, has been working in the world of customer service for her entire life. Her first job was at Baskin-Robbins, where she quickly noticed the joy that interacting with people and making them smile brought her. She went on to work at Six Flags and YMCA in similar roles.
“It became second nature,” McGruder said. “So I knew that it was something I could thrive in.” She got her start at the Science Center in 2004 during summer break following her junior year at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
She originally wanted to work in the food service department, but was notified that all of their positions were filled and introduced to the current manager of visitor services instead. Following an impromptu interview, McGruder was hired on as a part-time greeter.
After she graduated from Lincoln with her B.S. in Psychology in 2005, she came back to the Science Center and became a cashier. She continued to rise up the ranks, eventually making her way to management.
She had no doubts that reaching such a level would be possible from the moment she arrived at the Science Center.
“I saw women of color in management roles, so that did give me some type of nod that there’s opportunity for growth here,” McGruder said. “As far as what I provided to the staff and the company, and what my managers saw in me, they knew that I was management material.”
From a very early age, McGruder had been steered in the right direction. She grew up in North St. Louis near Natural Bridge and Kingshighway. It wasn’t the safest area, but her parents kept her guarded and stable by sending her to Catholic school. She attended Bishop Healy Catholic School from preschool to eighth grade before moving on to Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School.
On top of that, McGruder’s parents taught her how to carry herself in the professional field. “I saw them working every single day, so the only thing I knew was to have a job and work and provide for the family,” she said. “It just kind of set the stage for my future.”
McGruder’s coworkers have described her as someone with an infectious laugh who serves their guests while having a tremendous dedication to her craft. Her demeanor has been unbreakable, even in the face of adversity.
The Michael Brown and Jason Stockley protests in 2014 and 2017, respectively, led to St. Louis being labeled as dangerous and unstable. This perception significantly impacted tourism and businesses like the Science Center which are centrally located in the city.
“It was difficult around that time for people to be able to trust, but by seeing us smile and seeing us happy, knowing that they’re welcome and we’re approachable, I think that even if they had that initial feeling, once they stepped into the door all of those thoughts went away,” McGruder said.
“They knew they were safe. They felt welcome and it put them in a different perspective. It changed their mind of what they were thinking before they arrived and not lumping everyone into a stereotype.”
McGruder prepares her staff on a daily basis to be ready for such events and takes pride in doing so. “Every day is a highlight,” she said when asked what her favorite part of her job was. “Whatever I do, whether it’s on the floor or with my staff, I enjoy any time I can personally feel that I’ve done my job.”
She listed off leaving visitors with a smile, knowing that her service is appreciated and setting up her staff for greater opportunities as some of her daily goals. “Those are my little awards and rewards,” she said, “every day.”
This is the second in a series of profiles of hospitality professionals that Tashan Reed is reporting for The American.
