For the first time in 26 years, Maria DeSousa will spend Christmas at home in India. The flights were a gift from Polished, where she has worked as a nail technician since 2003. Glen Wilks, the company’s owner, surprised Ms DeSousa during a team karaoke night last month.

Just as she was about to leave, he took the microphone and began speaking about the importance of service — and how Ms DeSousa not only upholds that standard, but consistently makes customers feel cared for and valued.

“She's diligent, hardworking, focused, and an absolute expert in terms of service and hospitality — which is sometimes lacking in Bermuda — and at Polished we try to exemplify those sort of principles.

She’s valued in our organisation, and she really helps set an example for others to grasp what it means to be a service provider,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“We do try to celebrate different moments, and with her coming up on 23 years [working with us], we thought it was a great opportunity to recognise her and everything she’s contributed to the brand.”

Ms DeSousa was genuinely shocked; she hadn’t imagined the evening would turn into a celebration of her work.

“Everybody was having a blast. It was getting towards the end and I had to go but Glen ran with his surprise speech — about integrity, about resilience, about my commitment, about being a professional over the years and giving my support and all that,” she said.

Then came the “biggest surprise”, return tickets to Goa for her family of four. Much as she tried to hold it together, the tears flowed.

“I haven't been on a Christmas vacation ever since I came to Bermuda in 1999. This will be my first vacation going home for Christmas.”

The senior nail technician and beauty therapist received her training in Goa. She followed her husband to Bermuda where she worked for another company before joining Mr Wilks and his team.

“Some of my clients are from when I started in 2003. I go above and beyond for them. I would do anything for my clients,” she said.

Before her mother passed, Ms DeSousa often tried to explain the bond she had formed with her clients.

“I would say, ‘Mom, I don’t see you year after year, but I see my clients so often that I consider them as my family.’ Knowing that I will see them every two or three weeks makes me happy and then, I do my best, I put my smile first and that happiness takes me [through the day].”

Most importantly, it’s what keeps her motivated.

“It keeps me committed,” she said. “And on the other side, Glen is not just a boss — he’s like family to me as well. That’s how I see it.”

She recommends her clients come and see her in the Washington Mall salon every two to three weeks. Her focus isn’t only on making nails look pretty, but keeping them healthy.

“I give my clients tips. I help them take care of their nails. Sometimes they need a break from gels or polish, and I show them how to keep them clean and well hydrated — that’s the key to healthy nails,” she said.

When clients cannot come regularly, she “gives them guidance on [how to care for] their nails” until they can “come back, get it done again and be good to go”.

At the moment though, she is looking forward to getting on a plane with her husband and their two daughters on December 22.

“Now they are part of the Polished family too,” she said. “I have a lot to do back home — celebrate Christmas, celebrate the new year, but I’m mainly going for my nephew's wedding on January 4,” Ms DeSousa said.

“The funny part about it is my girls haven't seen Christmas back home. It's very different. It’s unique in its own way, different than Bermuda.”

Like Bermuda, family sits at the centre of Christmas in Goa but unlike here, festivities stretch past the new year.

“In Bermuda we start early and by the new year it’s done, but our celebrations go from the 12th of December to the 8th of January.”

Their arrival alone will feel like a celebration.

“We leave on the 22nd of December and arrive on Christmas Day. It's a long journey. It's a long way. It takes a toll on you physically and mentally by the time you get there, because of the time difference,” Ms DeSousa said.

Once she’s back, she’s sure her regular clients will be just as interested in her trip as she will be in hearing about their celebrations.

“I think my kindness goes a long way,” she added.

That attitude, said Mr Wilks, is why he thought it was necessary to reward the long-serving technician.

“Everything she's communicated is a reflection of the Polished ethos — what we believe, what we advocate, and how we serve.

“It’s about what we practise and have practised for many years. She exemplifies that and that’s why she should be celebrated.

“Raising the standard of hospitality and service is something we feel strongly about.”