WINDSOR, Ont. — A Windsor, Ont., housekeeper said she expected the usual haul of linens and towels when she began cleaning a room at a Days Inn hotel — not a bag filled with US$4,700 in cash.
But when Jenn Zojac spotted the purse left behind by a guest who had already checked out, she didn't think twice before handing it in.
"It just seemed like something you're supposed to do," she said. "You find something in a room that means a lot to someone, you give it back to them."
After searching the bag for ID and finding the wad of cash instead, Zojac immediately turned everything in to the front desk manager, who helped track down the guest in Montreal and arrange for the money to be returned.
Zojac, who has worked at the hotel for three years, said it would never occur to her to do anything but return the items guests leave behind.
She said she has been caught up in a "whirlwind" of attention online and in local news recently for what she did, but she assumes most people in her situation would have done the same thing and thought nothing of it.
She said the important thing is that she acted as a good role model for her children, who are thrilled with the attention Zojac is getting for her good deed.
"They think it's just the coolest thing ever," she said, adding that her son has been carrying around a copy of the local newspaper displaying Zojac's photo on the front page.
Hotel owner Tony Mujral said Zojac has set an example for not only her children, but all the hotel's workers.
"It sends a good signal to everybody. I like to think that when you do honest work it pays off," he said. "We, staff and management, are proud of her."
Zojac and Mujral said the guest, part of a group of tourists travelling together, was elated and thankful to have the money returned. She left Zojac a small reward for her honesty.
