I don’t know her – but you likely do. We got to experience her the Sunday morning of the Devil’s Run Car Show in your city. I must mention her, whoever she is, because it felt to us as if we had unearthed an ancient dinosaur somewhere out west and it had spontaneously come alive.
The thing is – we didn’t experience her out in the wild. We experienced her because I’m a Type 1 diabetic and I had no time to eat breakfast the morning before. One needs energy to live and banter with customers at a food truck all day. I should know that by now. That husband of mine said that we had to stop to pick up bags of ice at the gas station for our food truck.
Sometimes he sounds more like my mother than a husband. Because, then he stated (with the deep, bass voice that tells me not to argue), “Then we’re going to Burger King and you’re getting a breakfast meal with a lot of protein. I need you alive at the window today!”
I’m not certain if he was concerned about my life or the fact that without me at that food truck window we couldn’t do much business – but I obeyed. Saturday at the car show was hot! We had reviewed our weather app to witness it was going to be even more oppressive on Sunday. Husband, our employee and myself drove up to the drive thru path and were met with the most-friendly voice! What caught me was how perky her voice was to boot! Her voice sounded like she was happy we had arrived at her Burger King at this early hour.
Husband’s order was easy. Our employee’s order was easier. Mine was a wee bit more complicated because I wanted extra bacon and I needed that bacon to be extra, extra well done. We all got those little potatoes with our meals. I opted for orange juice while the others needed coffee. Once whoever that dinosaur is repeated our orders back to us in perfection she said, “Thank you for your order. I’m working all alone today. I’ll have you pull up to the first window, I’ll take your payment and then I’ll go back to prepare your meals and meet you at the second window. I hope that’s ok.”
We. Were. Awestruck! We didn’t think there were any of her species left on the planet. Oh sure, people show up alone at work all the time now due to whatever it is that caused this lack of motivation in so many. This woman though, this “dinosaur” that came to life in the best of ways – she needs her own museum show! Not only did she read back our order -she communicated better than effectively all the next steps. The first window opened and we were met with a glorious smile. First I said, “Bless you for working today so we could eat! Are you all alone all day?” She explained why she was the only one working.
The reasons would not have jived just four short years ago. Something changed in workers. I’ll save that for another column.
My truth is that had her circumstances happened to me – I’d of likely not shown up, called corporate with a demand to send help or simply walked off and found a new place to work that valued my sanity. She, whoever she is, deserves an award from your Chamber of Commerce and I’d like to be there when it’s presented to her. Maybe we should find out her name and we can all send her gift cards, cards of thanks and praise and then write to Burger King corporate to let them know, “She deserves things her way.”
Whoever she is. What a shining example of a most exemplary employee for their brand! It was the best, well-done bacon on top of truly mesmerizing customer service. Find her. Praise her. Protect her. She’s a nearly extinct species!
