Great Moments in Retail 1.09: Still the Standard of Service.

One of my first jobs, fifty years ago or so, I worked as a package boy in the local Grocery Store. While I went through an application process, but the real reason I got my job was because my mother was on a first name basis with the store manager (of course.) She could be a demanding lady.

I quickly learned to throw a mean sack of groceries and which customers would tip a quarter for carrying them out to the car. But the truth was that we were expected to carry out anyone's groceries if it was anything but a small sack. THAT was the standard of service.

Flash forward thirty five years and I took my first job in my new career as Wine Consultant for the old family run chain of Red Coleman stores. I quickly found out that the job was not so glamorous as it sounded. Mr. Coleman used to sit outside the store in his car waiting for a customer, preferably a lady, to push a basket to her car. Then he would come inside and woe be unto the staff on duty behind the registers. THAT was the standard of service.

Today is a beautiful day, clear and crisp and not hot, more like Dallas January than May. As I helped a lady to her car and loaded her purchases, I thought of that first job.

Back then I had no idea that fifty years later I would still be carrying out packages. But, that's STILL the standard of service.