Awesome service at a corporate monolith
I usually feel a little guilty eating factory farmed meat shaped into mass-produced meals, but when they have Simpsons toys as the kid’s meal (or mid-thirty-year-old-man’s meal) toy, I am there.
Collecting all ten would be a challenge, and is often thwarted when the burger jockey behind the counter doesn’t care whether you get a Spongebob toy or a Simpsons toy. I almost gave up and ordered on the internet. Then, Jess, at the London Road Burger King, went above and beyond (and in one case, deep into the bowels of the shop) to make sure I got the figures I was missing. Service like that ensures that Burger King is not just a guilty pleasure; it’s an actual pleasure.
Do you have any examples of workers who could be ground up by the machine who are instead polished to a golden shine of awesomeness?
The curly-headed kid at the paint desk at the Menard’s in West Duluth. Big Box paint mixers are notoriously surly but this guy gets it right and smiles while he’s doing it.
I have always found the people who work the London Road BK drive-through to be very cheerful.
The night guy at the Central Entrance Taco John’s. I think his quirkiness is rubbing off on his co-workers as they are all pretty quirky now, I recently noticed.
The gal who takes the money in UMD’s pay lot. What a miserable job, sitting in that hut in the snow and the rain, and she’s unfailingly cheerful and friendly.
Pete, who works the cash register at the Central Entrance Taco Bell at lunch on the weekends. He really seems to enjoy interactions with the customers and also has the quirky trait. Probably the only fast food cashier who circulates through the restaurant asking customers how their food is when nobody is there to place an order.
Tim — Are you talking about the guy who gives you your change and says, “And your change….. 657 pennies….” ?
Oh – and my service award goes to all the employees at the Shelton Milk House in Gary New Duluth. Mostly they are kids, but they are kind, smiling, quick, helpful, complimentary, and aren’t playing on their cell phones when you walk up for check-out.
bluenewt, I’m glad you mentioned the UMD parking lady. I love her. She’s always pleasant, and she even noticed when I got a new car, and I don’t even park there that often.
That UMD lady rules, but she just retired. 🙁
Rae — That would be the guy.
+1 Gary Milk House, its just a food/gas station but they can make you feel like a welcome valued customer.
+1 to Pete @ Taco Bell.
Great service and a friendly guy.
jessige, the UMD parking lady I was talking about was there this morning, so I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same one.
There was also a woman who worked at Zhong Hua, the Chinese restaurant in West Duluth, that I liked a lot. Very sweet and friendly. She had a baby and I haven’t seen her there since, but I also haven’t been there recently.
Pete at Taco Bell is hilarious. He always calls us “M’lord” and “M’lady” when we go to the till.
I love Nancy at Cub Foods, who works at the self-checkout lanes. She’s always nice and helpful and remembers us when we are in there. I’m always a little let down when she’s not there.
Nancy rocks! (She’s our neighbor, too.)
Mary has been working there forever, and knows all three of my kids.
The box might be big, but the people that work there are your neighbors.
My kids and I love Debbie, a checker at Cub Foods. She always remembers us and when I show up with only 1 kid in tow instead of 2, asks after the missing child. And she takes time to write up a quick “award” for the 5-year-old.
Deb at Cub is the bomb.
I’ve only experienced the Taco Bell dude once, but he was pretty enjoyable.