"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE NICE!"

          It was a typical busy Saturday on a cool November at Chick Fil-A. The restaurant was very busy with guests sitting at tables, many were lining up in front of our counter and our drive thru was as usual lined up around the block and Door dash drivers were sticking their phones in our faces anxious to get the food they need to deliver to their clients. Our team members were taking orders, delivering food to tables, making drinks and shakes, bagging food and calling out names hoping people hear their names so they can get the correct food they ordered either mobile orders or at the register. Speaking of mobile orders, we always encourage our guests to download the Chick Fil-A One app. Each time they scan their app when they order they accumulate points which they can get free items off our menu. On this particular day, I heard a phrase that not only made me laugh but made me think a lot about the current state our world is in...BEING NICE!

     One of our guests walked up to the counter to order lunch. He was a man who didn't smile and was in a hurry. Our team member noticed when he scanned his app, his name didn't come up. She asked him for his name and he proceeded to argue with our team member. Each time she tried to explain why his name would come up he got madder. She tried to tell him there was a glitch in the system. She got frustrated with him. He got madder During this time I was busy trying to refill lemonade and sweet tea. With my back turned to the discussion happening, I heard a phrase I will never forget. The guest said to my fellow team member "You're supposed to be nice!" I honestly almost burst out laughing. Here is a man getting angry, yelling at a fellow team member over his name not appearing after he scanned his app and he wants to know why people aren't being nice to him? Seriously? 

     Many people who I meet at Chick Fil-A love coming because we are a company who thrives on great hospitality. When we were trained, we were taught something they call the Core Four. 

1. Share a Smile 

2. Speak enthusiastically

3. Listen attentively

4. Give great eye contact

I try to do these everyday outside of my job! This past week I received many compliments from guests who love the fact that we are nice and we do thrive to give great customer service. I guess after hearing this gentleman make his comment, it makes me wonder why we all can't be nice. Maybe I am Mr. Naïve! Maybe being a Christian Man, I would love to see everyone in New York, in America and in the world being nice. Apparently that is not the case. On a typical day at Chick Fil-A I meet maybe 95% nice people and the rest are not very nice. You wonder why? You ask yourself what is going on in their life that they have to be so mean or nasty. You begin to understand that they are not really really mad because they ordered a sandwich with no pickles and their sandwich had pickles, there are other things going on in their lives. I would love to see a world where everyone is nice. I don't watch the news much anymore for the simple reason that it is depressing and truthfully you see a lot of nasty people on it. No, not the reporters but the people in the news. 

     I have been told many times I am a nice guy. In fact as a joke back in the late 1980's, a friend bought me a T-shirt that said "I'm not nice." After a few washings the N and O in "not" fell off so my shirt read "I'm t nice." They all said it was proof that I really am nice. So as we continue living life in this rat race we call life, let's all try our best to be nice and...don't fight with Chick Fil-A team members. They really are hard working kids!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!