Tip: We need more people like Rhonda!

Most of you know that I am a big fan of Chick-fil-A. I have been eating at the original Dwarf House, where Chick-fil-A started, since 1967. It is located on Central Avenue, not too far from the Atlanta airport. That is where Truett Cathy invented and patented his famous chicken sandwich and started his business back in 1946. Originally it was a very small restaurant with only four booths and four counter seats, hence the name, Dwarf House. Over the years, the restaurant has grown in size but it still remains a cozy place to eat. Almost everyone who eats there does so on a regular basis.

For many, many years there was a waitress who worked there by the name of Rhonda. She had an incredible attitude. Regardless of when you walked in or who you were, she would treat you as though you were absolutely the most important customer in the entire world! She gave you a big hello and sometimes, a hug. She was always “up” and filled with energy and excitement. She got your order right every time and checked up on you several times during the meal to see if there was anything else she could do to help you. She was incredible!

I was once talking to Rhonda and she told me that they had promoted her and asked her to teach all of the other servers at the Dwarf House how to do a good job. She told me that she worked with wonderful people and looked forward to teaching them some of the pointers she has learned over the years through her own personal experience.

I was not surprised that they chose Rhonda to teach the other servers. She was so fantastic that it just followed that she should be the one to be in charge of the training. There is an old saying, “Cream always rises to the top,” and this was certainly true in her case. All of the other people who were trained by Rhonda surely had the benefit of her experience and expertise.

I congratulated Rhonda and told her that I was proud of her, but she just shrugged it off as no big deal. She went on about her business with the excellent service and great attitude that she had always provided in the past.

The reason I believe Rhonda was so successful was largely because she enjoyed serving people. It was not “put-on,” or fake, or for show. It simply came out of her heart. She attracted people because she had a genuine servant’s spirit.

Have you ever stopped to think about what really causes success in any business endeavor? I believe it comes down to good service. Think about the places you enjoy going to most. Isn’t it because there is good service involved? And think about how you feel when you get bad service. It causes you to not want to do any further business with that establishment, doesn’t it?

At the end of the day, everything boils down to service. If a company is succeeding, it is not only because they have a good product, but also because they give good customer service. This is not only true in a business relationship, it is also true in a personal relationship as well. Anybody who is part of a family and knows how to genuinely love and serve other people will soon be thought of as someone who is very special in that family, indeed.

It is easy to talk about this. It is easy to write articles about it. It was even easy to watch Rhonda do it. The hard part of service comes where the rubber meets the road. That is the question, “Am I able to have a servant’s heart towards other people?” “Am I willing to really care for them and put their needs and wants ahead of my own?” This is not easy to do. Sometimes there are challenges that get in our way and make it necessary for us to deal with situations that are very painful, hurtful and sometimes expensive. Yet, I have found that if I can keep a servant’s heart and truly desire to be a blessing and an encouragement to other people, it always makes everything go better; even during the difficult times.

I am so glad I met Rhonda years ago in my life! I want to be wired like her! I am working on it because I know what it looks like. I’m not there yet, but I am making progress. I am sure you feel the same way, don’t you?

Tip: We need more people like Rhonda!

Have a great week! God bless you!

Dr. Robert A. Rohm