When the manager approached me, I could tell she was
nervous. She smiled politely and asked if she could help me, to which I
replied, “Yes, please. Do you see that young man at the drive through window?”
I asked her, pointing in that direction. She nodded. “Do you know what he said
to me?”
“No, ma’am.” She was quiet and cautious, waiting to hear
what I said and bracing for the worst.
“He said, ‘Thank you for choosing McDonald’s. I hope you
have a wonderful day. And please, drive safely.”
I smiled. The manager smiled, too, but a little warily. I
continued, “I’ve been going through drive-thrus for about 25 years, now, and I
have to say, I have never been greeted so sincerely. I wanted you to know that
he’s doing a great job, and you are doing a great job. Thank you so much. He
made my day.”
And she smiled bigger. Later, I was told by another patron
who followed me out of the restaurant, she gave that employee a big “High 5,”
and they smiled and laughed, together.
I am not naïve. I know that employees are coached to say, “Please,”
and “Thank you,” and “Have a nice day.” I even know that some employees like to
put their own spin on it, and say, “Have a great day,” or “Have an incredible
day,” in an effort to help people hear the greeting, instead of allowing it to
be just another bit of polite noise we exchange with each other. But I have
never been told to drive safely, and certainly not with the full eye contact
and smile that conveyed such earnest well-wishes. How simple. How impactful.
I don’t know what the rest of the day was like for that
employee or for that manager. I do know that the rest of my day, I was
happy. I was happy that someone cared about his job. I was happy that someone
cared about the customer. I was happy that someone cared about, and seemed
proud of, her employees and her own effect on the team. The entire exchange inspired
me. Through some form of psychological transference, I then saw my own team as
people who cared about their jobs and their customers, and who were proud of
themselves and their effect on the team. I am sure that my renewed outlook
allowed me to talk to them with more care and enthusiasm than I may have on other
days before.
You never know exactly who might set an example for you, or
what small thing you might do, today, to set an example for someone else. When I
think about that simple exchange, and how great an impact it had on me and,
therefore, the people with whom I interacted that day, I realize just how
powerful our human connection can be. I hope to remember this example for a
long time, and continue to pattern myself after that young man who handed me a
glass of tea through a drive-thru window.
