It’s Not My Job

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“It’s not my job.” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this. Thirty years of hearing this.

“I am a bartender, I don’t have to clear tables. I am a chef, I don’t want to work the floor and carve beef. I am a salesperson, I don’t go out on deliveries. It’s not my job.”

The best employees are those with can-do attitudes. They recognize that providing excellent hospitality means going above and beyond to take care of the customer. No matter what the task is. They don’t let a title stop them. The best employees just jump in and do.

I have plated up, bussed, expedited, cleared, set up buffets, delivered, waited, bartended, carved, and washed dishes throughout my career as a salesperson. I also learned the more I jumped in, the better I was at my job.

Inspire.

I am sitting in an airport lounge at Heathrow right now. My flight is delayed so I have lots of time to observe people and things. A woman sitting next to me just departed for her gate. She left behind her coffee cup, a plate of crumbs, and a stack of used paper napkins. One of the napkins just hit the floor as she grabbed her bags to go.

Okay, I know, I could’ve picked up the napkin myself because it’s the right thing to do. Instead, I decided to make a hospitality experiment of this and see how long it takes for someone to pick it up.

It’s been ten minutes since the “drop”. I have watched a minimum of eight employees walk by this dirty napkin on the floor. One guy just cleaned up her dirty cup and plate and still left the napkin on the floor.

At first, I assumed these employees just didn’t see it, but now I think this is more of a case of, “it’s not my job”.  The floor sweeper with her broom and dustpan hasn’t walked by yet.

It took about twelve minutes, but the lounge manager just walked by and picked it up. This wasn’t his job, but it was the hospitable thing to do.

Test Drive

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Clients are not always decisive. They want to feel like they are in control of the buying situation. Sometimes the client’s buying cycle doesn’t fit into your “ideal schedule” as a salesperson. That’s sales folks. You need to manage the process. Recognize the client wants “it” to be on their timetable rather than yours. Knowing this, smart salespeople need to try creative techniques for their customers to book sooner rather than later. Educate the customer about realistic deadlines and keep them engaged through the process so you can close the deal.

Seven Sales Ideas to Book that Business:

1. Use Your Event Calendar
Post-covid, customers are still trained to think there are limited dates for your venue and catering services. Understand yield management and that hot dates will go if they do not commit sooner rather than later. Make them have to have you.

2. Use Supply Chain Scarcity
Products and services are scarce and will continue to be. In order to lock in their desired menu or date, make it clear that deadlines are established for a reason and deposits are required to guarantee client-specific wants.

3. Meet the Client in Person
It’s easier for a customer to stall with their decision when communicating via email if they are not as familiar with you. Put in the effort to meet them and develop a connection.

4. Ask for a Minimal Deposit/Retainer to Lock in Your Services
Be flexible with your contract payment terms if it means getting the commitment earlier in the buying cycle. Make the deposit payment process easy for the customer.

5. Listen to Your Client and What is Important to Them
Write down your clients hot buttons and remember them. Think of creative reasons to touch base so they know you are still responsive and “on it”. Reach out just because you can.

6. Ask Your Client When They Plan on Making a Decision
Address any potential hurdles and non-guarantees if the date is later than anticipated.

7. Most Importantly, Ask What Will Make Their Decision
What are the hesitations to commit now? Develop creative ways to tackle and solve those issues now so you can get the sale and move forward.

Inspire.

If you have been reading my blogs the past couple of years, you now know I buy all my jewelry from a fabulous artist and designer in Mexico named Luis Flores (see past blog: “What do you want next”). I met Luis several years ago on the beach in Puerto Vallarta and every year he creates new masterpieces for my lucky fingers.

Luis and I have a routine at this point. He usually knows my arrival date and how long I will be in town. He is an excellent salesperson in that he keeps a mental note of what stones I already have in my inventory. He also knows what I may be “lacking”. Luis loads up his jewelry case in anticipation of selling me new, custom-designed rings he knows I will like. Smart.

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We now have a dance. It starts with me saying “Only two rings this year Luis.” He smirks and shows me a minimum of four. Rascal. He then moves in for the kill. “Amiga, take all these home for a test drive. Just see what you like and you can decide. No pressure. Just bring them back once you have decided.” He lets me take all four home to try and wear for a couple of days. He doesn’t ask for a deposit or money upfront. He sells on trust. He also sells knowing I am going to get comments on the beauty of “my” new rings. He knows I am going to want them all. Genius.  

That rascal has sold me a minimum of four rings every year. I can’t wait to see what he has made for me this year. I love him for it and I keep coming back.

Snag That Sale!

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Businesses need to snag every sale they can as soon as the opportunity arises. This means ensuring every resource is available to assist with client communication in order to instantly lock in a customer’s decision to buy. These resources include responsive, educated team members as well as an informative website that is easy to find and navigate.

Responsive, Educated Team Members

Make sure all employees know the client buying cycle process. This includes all department employees that interact with customers, not just the sales team. Quite often the first touch with a new client is a customer service representative, delivery driver or receptionist. Provide resources for these employees to be able to direct the client to a seamless and efficient purchase. For example, if a guest asks your delivery driver about placing another order, provide that driver with business cards with a QR code to your drop off menu for easy, online ordering.

Accessible Website

It is so important to make sure your website is easy for customers to use to make a purchase. Provide contact information with options for the customer to choose based on their communication preference (phone, chat, email, order directly online). Highlight menus, products, deadlines and fees with descriptions or photos of available services. This information prequalifies the customer before they even pick up the phone or click their mouse. Recognize at times we have our own catering “language” so remember to use words that are familiar to a buyer that may be new to ordering catering.

Inspire.

I was traveling this month and arrived earlier than planned at the airport in Sarasota, Florida (area code 941). Rather than hanging out there, I headed outside to find a nearby restaurant or hotel to linger in for the hour or so until my scheduled ride was able to pick me up.

I found a new Hampton Inn about a mile away so I walked in and grabbed a seat in the lobby.  I watched a soccer team of 10 year olds load out with exhausted parents. I watched other guests load their plates with free breakfast buffet items before it closed for the day. I grabbed a cup of coffee myself from the breakfast bar and paid at the front desk. There was a nice, normal buzz of a typical morning in the hotel lobby.

Then the front desk phone rang. I had nothing else to do, so I listened to the conversation. “Hi. Ok. You are trying to block rooms for your wedding? You need to hang up and call Judy. She doesn’t work here at the hotel. Her number is area code 315-xxx-xxxx.”  This entire client interaction took 20 seconds.

Darn it! Why did I have to hear such a bad sales experience on my morning off? This front desk clerk immediately threw the work back to the customer. She was not a solution provider to the guest on the other end of the phone. She lost a great sales booking.

She should’ve grabbed the sale right then, but didn’t. She should’ve offered to put the guest on hold and transfer the call. She should’ve asked the phone caller if they would like Judy to call back within the hour. She should’ve directed the client to the website where they could find information about booking a group online. But she didn’t. I am sure this pleasant Hampton Inn lost an easy sale.

It’s ALL Sales, Baby

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Every single person working in the hospitality industry should acknowledge one important fact. We all are always selling. The entire team. Not just people with “sales” in their title. Every employee at the organization affects the sale and hence the customer experience. In today’s world of many choices, a customer’s initial experience needs to make a positive first impression and also be memorable enough to make them want to return a second time.

Effective communication is a crucial element of successful sales. What you say and how you say it influences a customer’s feelings about the products and services you provide. (Of course, body language and non-verbal actions also speaks volumes). Leadership must train every single employee how to relate and verbally communicate with their customers. This art of client conversation will become easier for each employee as they grow more confident and practice this important skill.

When I work with clients on proactive sales techniques, I often encourage the culinary team to be part of closing the sale. This means inviting the chef into the tasting room or joining the initial client meeting. I never accept any justification for why a chef cannot come out and meet the client. We are selling food.  Customers love talking about the creative design of the food and the ingredients needed to make each dish.  A chef is going to be the most impactful “salesperson” to make this customer feel welcome and ready to sign. Chefs need to be client-ready at all times.

The perspective you gain from all team members communicating with clients is priceless. It also enhances an appreciation for each other’s departments while showing the customer the complete package of your entire organization. It’s a team effort. It’s ALL sales, baby!

Inspire

Montana is spectacular. As a first time visitor, I was amazed by the natural beauty and vast, open spaces.  As a tourist, I was excited to try all the great restaurants, brewpubs and bars I read about when researching which cities to visit.

“But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space ... Not a great start to what could be a great experience.”

Bozeman, Montana was one such city. There was a great energy to Bozeman and it’s popular Main Street had several dining options to explore. We decided to try a well-reviewed Italian restaurant on the main strip. I made a reservation the day prior because it appeared to have a crowd nightly.

We showed up for our 7:45 reservation on time. The vibe, smells and overall buzz was great. I gave my name to the host and she said “give me a minute”. She came back with menus in her hand and said, “we are ready to seat you”. She walked us to our table in a connected annex side room. This space had a different feel and energy but was perfectly fine. The table she walked us to was between the bar and an open door with a great breeze passing through.

“Are you going to be okay with this table right here? This is all I have. Unfortunately I had another table held for you but the guests haven’t even ordered yet because we are so busy. Sarah should be over once she finishes taking their order.”

Really?  My response was, “Do we have a choice?”. There was an awkward moment when I looked at my dining companions and said, “Are you guys okay here? Do you want to wait for “our” table or keep this one?”.  We opted for the annex table because we were hungry.

We were fine with the table before she said anything.  We were actually excited to be in this cool restaurant.  But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space. She also implied that service was going to be slow. Not a great start to what could be a great experience.

This is what she should have said:

“I have this great table for you. I hope you like our new annex. We are so excited to have this space. We built this because people wanted another option from the main dining room. It’s a more airy, open space that’s closer to the bar. I put you near the door too so you can catch that cool breeze. I hope that is okay!  As you can see, we are pretty busy but I will get Sarah over here to get your drink order right away. In the meantime, look over the menu and let me know if you have any questions. I am going to grab you some water just to get things started for you.”

It’s ALL sales, baby.

Selling is New for Some of Our Salespeople

I started my business three years ago. The typical phone call I get from a potential new client is, “Can you teach my salespeople how to sell and stop being order takers?”

Owners, managers and company leaders, we have done a disservice to our sales teams for the last two decades with poor sales and business development decisions we have made:

• We call some salespeople “salespeople” when many are truly “account managers”  

• These “account managers” are used to handling inbound leads and have never attempted an outbound new business call their entire career

• Lead distribution has fooled these “account managers” into thinking they have been “selling” all this time

• We have become reliant on external venues and third-party websites to provide leads and have forgotten how to find new business

• Leads are expected. Leads should not be expected. I call leads GIFTS.

• What we considered selling in “our day” is different than what happens today

Sure, salespeople and account managers need to be skilled in relationship building, listening, knowing their product and understanding their client’s needs. That type of selling is very important and I am not minimizing it. I love when salespeople take a $50,000 client and turn that client into a $250,000 client. That is an imperative expectation of individual sales growth. However, that doesn’t mean they have been fulfilling your expectation of selling; they have been nurturing and growing existing business. 

Once we return to planning gatherings over 10 guests, we need to recognize something; the phone ain’t going to be ringing as much as it did for the last 11 years. We need to get our hustle back on.

So now we will see who is

a real salesperson, right? 

When we all return to the office post-COVID-19, your sales team should have more time to sell. I bet some have never done this before. I can actually guarantee this, as I have owned my business for three years and have worked with several salespeople who have told me as such. This is a skill set that needs to be taught, re-taught, audited and developed. Do not assume your team knows how to sell. Provide them the tools and coaching to make them comfortable as many need to start at square one.

Seven Initial Ideas for Leadership Coaching:

• Have honest, individual dialogues with each one of your team members

• Ask them if they have ever called on a new client

  • What made them feel good? What made them feel bad?

• Define your actual expectation for what a “call” is

  • Phone vs. Email?

  • Is tackling your stagnant client base a good start?

• Look at a sample outbound email to see how they introduce themselves

• Look at what collateral materials are readily available following the initial call

  • Be prepared for immediate follow up

• Pretend to be the potential customer so the salesperson can practice

  • Ask questions back/email responses back

• Provide resources for research

  • Stagnant- Invoice Reports, Revenue History

  • New Biz- Trade Publications, LinkedIn, Google Alerts

As a former catering salesperson, the luckiest thing that happen to me was not being at the “big dog” company. I had to be scrappy and creative to find new business. I had to have guts to call on previously proposed lost business. Have that mindset now no matter what your company’s size and resources. Everyone is in the same doghouse now.

Sales Leaders — What Do We Do Now and Next?

I am trying to remember what happened post — 9/11 and post — 2008 recession. I was a Director of Sales managing four salespeople when the unspeakable horror hit NYC, DC and Shanksville in September 2001. I was a Vice President of Sales managing 32 team members when the financial disaster hit our entire country in September 2008, newly hired one month prior. 

Of course I remember these tragedies both in different ways; the first from a human perspective with sadness and disbelief; the second from a business perspective of what the hell just happened and do I even know who I am managing yet? For the life of me, I do not recall specific tactics and plans that got us back, but I do remember one thing, I had to be a leader.    

Did I know what specific steps I had to take as a leader to get revenue rolling in again? No; it was the first time these two different things happen to me in a management role. But I did know I had to inspire and lead the team to find our footing again, move forward and eventually return to booking events again. During this drought, I had to develop a strategic sales and human resources plan for when it was time to get back to business.

This is where we are now — right? Kind of. What is weird about this disaster is how fast it hit and the unknown end date. This is agonizing for us all; we are expert planners that like every detail finalized, all logistics in place and timelines followed to the minute.

Sales leaders, step up now, because this unknown cannot hold you back.

We are hospitality wizards. My entire career, I approached every event thinking, “I am going to face at least one challenge that will require a decision on the spot; let’s just hope it’s at the beginning of set-up and not while the guests are walking in the door”. Well, guess what, this is our set-up.

Start tackling this challenge now with your remaining sales team members so when your clients are at your door again, you know what you are offering next.

Leaders To Get to the Next….

Finalize your Business Focus

• Review business that has postponed and confirm new status

• What products and services are you offering moving forward? What is changing?

  • Recognize we are not going to be 100% the same business as before

• Think Differently – How do we adapt and what are the most profitable lines of business?

• Get pulse from sales team on annual repeat customers for Q3 & Q4 events

  • What will be their revised sales projections for May-December 2020?

  • Have you developed a new revenue goal and related expense budgets?

• Have you updated your P&L projections?

• Owners…Do you feel good about all this?

Develop New  “Life of the Sale”

• Think Through the Customer Experience from Inquiry through Invoice

  • Based on each business line

• Measure the Path — Who and What is Needed at Each Step and When?

Be “Sales” Ready

• Be Ready for First Inquiry- Can you follow up with pricing and a proposal in an hour?

• Develop and Share Event Ideas- What types of events will clients be asking for?

  • Employee Appreciation? Team Building? Fundraising?

  • What Venues are available and make sense for these event types?

  • Non-Saturday weddings?

• Update all Marketing Outlets — Website, Social Media, etc.

Develop an Operational Timeline

• Look at Event Calendar — what has postponed and when does the first event kick in?

• When can you start rebuilding BOH operations?

  • What are the financial thresholds for this ramp up?

• What information do you need from the sales team to help you make these decisions?

Communicate to the Team

• What is the best method of communication? Group or Individual?

• Recognize “What does this mean for me?” is top of mind for most employees

• Are you ready for all the questions?

• Remember to be honest and open

Take a moment to reflect on who you would consider the three best leaders in history. If your three are similar to mine, each historical figure brought their people back after a significant crisis or tragedy. They faced adversity but persevered through determination and grit. As a sales leader, adding strategy, planning and hustle into the mix means you are focused on the next. Do it. Our community, staff and customers are all looking forward to it.

Did we survive another year?

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It’s the beginning of November. Like most businesses, you are in the home stretch. Hopefully you are having a fruitful and rewarding year of sales. You probably are enjoying a few quiet weeks before holiday party insanity happens from the end of the month thru New Year’s Eve.

But as sales leaders and business owners, something else may be gnawing at you. It’s not production timelines or finding enough servers for Saturday night’s event. It’s the horrible anxiety of… Are you going to hit your year-end goal? Unfortunately for most caterers, it seems like we roll into November wondering, how did we get ourselves in this situation again? Are we going to survive another year by the skin of our teeth? How and where do we pick up last-minute business?

This is a stressful and painful approach to the last two months of the year. We should be celebrating our success rather than stretching an already exhausted team to the max in order to make the annual goal happen. 

Approaching sales in a strategic and methodical way now is the key to kicking off next year right.  When meeting with my consulting clients, I teach strategic sales processes such as the following:

• Each sales consultant should have a customized, written sales plan buttoned up and ready to go by the end of this month so they can hit the streets after January 6th

• Next year’s individual numeric sales goal should be set by now and your sales consultant should have been tracking bookings since this past September

• Sales consultants should end January with 50% of the year already booked definite

• Proactive rebooking of clients should take place in early January (if not already) so you can see how next year is shaping from the start

My clients have already seen revenue and outbound activity increase because sales consultants are being held accountable through targeted actions such as above. I also see how this helps the Director of Sales more effectively manage, lead and inspire their team through this organized and timely approach.

Inspire.

I am a business owner now. For 25 years, I was always the employee. A business-minded, owner-acting employee mind you, but still an employee. Which means I had no risk nor pressure about paying the bills.

It’s different when you are the owner. You think about every expense. You think about every sales opportunity as well. Should I spend money on this in order to support my business? Did I make the right decision regarding price? How often should I touch base with that potential client who hasn’t responded to my proposal? Have I followed up too many times?

I have been in business now for 2 1/2 years. I approach my own business development strategies as the only sales “generator” the same way I did as a large catering company’s Vice President of Sales managing over thirty individuals. I set annual numeric goals and develop my own expense budget through reviewing my relatively “new” history and determining what is realistic for next year. I think about client patterns, catering seasonality, industry trends and who may need me while investing time and financial resources for my marketing and networking efforts.

I never want to approach my own business hoping I am going to make it by the end of the year. I will always stay on top of my game and be proactive throughout the year with my sales efforts. This allows me to enjoy these last two months, take a look back at the great year I had, reflect on years prior and look forward to the great year ahead.

Just Ask

The greatest thing a salesperson can do is understand the mind of their customer. This means understanding what they are looking for including how and when they will buy.  The salesperson must provide all the resources needed for the customer to make the eventual “purchase”.  

Food and beverage buyers have been trained since youth on the four parts of the “bill” … Food, Beverage, Tax and Gratuity. We have been going to restaurants our entire lives. As caterers, we often feel the need (because of our catering systems and our own internal processes) to break out additional prices for everything we provide. We feel good because we are being “transparent”. Sure, that’s great and some clients love it. I sold this way my entire career and was successful. However, I am sure I lost a lot of business also, because I thought it was the only way to show my pricing. Think differently. ASK your customer how they would like their catering pricing to be presented to them. Mix it up and be flexible.

You should also know who you are bidding against and how they show their pricing. Educating your client on the variances in how Caterer X vs. Caterer Y prices their proposals makes you more knowledgeable and memorable. Do not hesitate to ask the customer who they are receiving other bids from. “Mrs. Smith, if you are comparing my proposal to Caterer X, I can tell you that they do not include the service knockdown time in their staffing fees. That is an additional charge after the event.”

Lastly, once you send the proposal and pricing in the style the customer has requested, you have to ask what more information do they need to make a decision? This is a crucial step to closing the deal. Just ask for it! You have spent so much time putting the proposal together, value your time spent and ask for the business.

Understanding how the client wants to buy and when they want to buy should save you at least one revision. Isn’t that worth asking the question alone?

Eat. Drink. Inspire.

I was shopping for a hotel in Miami. I was going on a business trip for two nights and will be working non-stop from morning until evening. I will not even pack a bathing suit. I found a rate that seemed reasonable for the area for $225 per night plus tax. Ok. Wait? On “Confirm Booking”, the rate increased by nearly $30 plus tax per night. What happened?

Amenity Fee.  A $30 per night amenity fee was added including the following: Valet Parking (no need), access to outdoor pool and hot tub (regrettably not using), daily newspaper (people still read paper copies?), fitness center access (no comment) and daily bottled water (okay–good). So I am essentially paying $30 for one bottle of water a day.

I would rather have been quoted $255 per night plus tax. I would have booked it. Now I feel nickel and dime’d for things I do not want and will not use. Why pay for that? I booked another hotel without amenity fees. Guess who won? Me. Don’t you be the loser with an easy sale.

The Grass is Always Greener

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Sales is a tough business. Managing sales people and then keeping them happy is an even tougher business. But … sometimes you lose them. And lately, it seems like more and more salespeople have been leaving companies for greener pastures. They move to another city, they want more “work/life” balance or they decide sales is not for them. No matter what the reason, it’s painful for management. All exits of staff is a loss of training time and recruitment dollars.

In my 25 years of managing an uncountable number of sales team members, I have been fortunate to develop nurturing and long-term relationships with several of them. I have attended weddings, baby showers and funerals. I have kept in touch by their choice. If they want to continue the mentor and mentee connection,  it is an honor to still be connected to them. However, what I find interesting is that I don’t really hear from any of my sales team members that were working at the company I left two years ago. Why? They are all doing great. Who do I hear from? Several former team members who had left that organization. Again, why? Not for fear that I am no longer a workmate but rather, they are asking my advice because they didn’t realize how good they had it and what they gave up.

Maybe it was a rash decision, maybe they left for more money or maybe they thought something better was ahead. Either way, they didn’t think about the infrastructure and support they received from their former company that was not detailed in their paycheck. They didn’t think about the award-winning culinary team making their food (so they didn’t have to be concerned with food quality). They didn’t think about trucks breaking down on the highway (because the operations team always took the vehicles in for servicing). They didn’t think about the payroll actually being funded on payday (because it was). They didn’t have to think about a thing because they thought all these things were normal, especially if this was their first job out of school.

Employees need to realize that “compensation” is more than just money and benefits. Do not take for granted all the other “extras” your company does to run as a successful business. I am not talking free lunch either. I am talking about running a solid business. The core and infrastructure that a company provides is often as important as the extra money in your paycheck.

Inspire.

It was my second vacation day in Mexico. I was already settling into my routine. I was staring out at the blue water. The sun was blazing. The palm trees were swaying. Ezequiel, my lovely waiter asked me what I wanted to drink to cool down. It was very hot. He struck up a conversation and he asked me where I was from. I said “Chicago” and he said, “What is the weather like in Chicago right now?” I said, “Snowy and cold.” You know that smug feeling you get when you know you could be home shoveling, freezing and fighting the elements but you are actually lounging on a tropical beach chair? I could not have been happier at that exact moment. Ezequiel looked at me, then out at the beautiful water, off the steamy sand and said, “I wish I was in the snow right now”. We just looked at each other and laughed. The Grass is Always Greener.

Nice Guy

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Catering sales consultants should always be nice. Customers mostly buy from people that are pleasant. Sales consultants should also be just as nice and considerate to the backbone of the catering business; the warehouse, operations and culinary department team members at their own company. This “back of house” core team is the reason we are in business. Spend time getting to know these important and talented people that make what you sell so wonderful. Stop being so “front of house”. Show them a lot of appreciation for their hard work and thank them.

Recognize the value of relationships with each department member and what you can learn from them. Have you ever thought that your food delivery drivers have the most frequent interaction with your actual customers? Ask them how your customers respond and react to your products. Consider the reality that off-site venue representatives probably have better relationships with your service captains than you. Why? Because they spend long event hours together and develop that special bond.  

Get out of your comfort zone and ask for feedback from department leaders on what you can do to make your production paperwork better for them. Learn from them and ask for advice. If you are nice to them, they will be honest and give you what you need. If they do not consider you as an ally, they will just think it’s a waste of their time.

We all have closed dates. What about your competition? You never know how and when you will need them. Be nice to them too! I have referred business in the past to my competitors and have received business in return. I truly would not be in business today if I had not been nice to my competition.  The support they have provided me in my first two years of business consulting has been immense. I am grateful to all of them. Remember, what goes around comes around. It pays to be nice.

Inspire.

Every Monday at 11:00 am my Dad stands outside his garage door waiting to hear the sound of the engine revving from a big truck turning the corner. Then he sees the big green box coming toward him honking furiously and sees two arms waving out the window. The garbage men have arrived for the weekly pickup. The garbage men are my Dad’s new friends.

I love their relationship. It started a year ago when my parents moved into their new home. They moved because the new place has an attached garage that their previous place did not. My Dad is a master of several crafts, with woodworking being his most adept. He spends 8 hours a day working in that garage, designing bookshelves, building rocking horses, creating chicken coop egg-separators; you name it, he will figure out how to make it for you. He is very passionate about this hobby. If you are lucky to receive one of his creations, you can see the love he puts into each piece.

One hot Monday, Dad was working in the garage when the garbage truck arrived for pickup. Dad offered each garbage man a cold bottle of flavored water. The guys were so pleasantly surprised and grateful for this simple gesture. They said, “Nobody is ever this nice. Thank you”. After they thanked Dad, they said they would see him next week. They also rolled his regular trash and recyclable bins to his garage door. The rest of the neighbors bins were tossed at the end of their driveways without a thought to which way they landed. The garbage men honked that day as they drove away. 

Since that day, Dad gives them different flavored waters to try each Monday. They love it. They are now pals. They talk about what’s new. The guys ask what new project Dad is working on. They get out of their truck to admire his woodworking projects. At Christmas, Dad gave each of them a bottle of wine and homemade pizzelles (thin Italian cookies). They still always honk as they drive away.

On Mondays when Dad and Mom are not home, they leave the bins at the end of the driveway. Dad doesn’t get to see his friends and give them cold drinks. It doesn’t matter. The guys are still always gentle with Dad’s bins. When they get home from their errands or activities, the bins are placed at the top of their driveway, lined up near the garage door. For just a little act of kindness, Dad now has the best garbage service in the neighborhood.