The Creed on the Wall

The Creed on the Wall
By Tommy

Not long ago in a small community in Virginia, I stopped for
a sandwich and a cup of hot, fresh coffee at a "fast food" place.
The empty parking lot should have been a clue for me to keep on
going, but I decided to stop.

I went inside. The restaurant was mediocre as far as
cleanliness and appearance. I placed my order and waited.
Several customers were also waiting. When I got my coffee,
it tasted like dirt mixed with motor oil...not that I have acquired
a taste for such things, but the so-called coffee was awful, simply
awful.

As I approached the cashier and explained to her about
the coffee, she looked at me puzzled, but reluctantly said, "OK,
we will make a fresh pot, just for you, Honey."

I said, "No problem, I'll be back in a minute."

After eating the burger...which was not too bad...
except for the stale bread, I returned and sure enough,
the coffee was steaming hot. It tasted like soapy dish water, but
it was HOT! Since I had already spent more time at
this "fast food" restaurant than I had anticipated, I took
the coffee and decided to go. As I was leaving, I looked
up on the wall and spotted an inconspicuous sign that stated:

"OUR GOAL IS TO BE #1 IN THE EYES OF THE
CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES BY PASSIONATELY
DELIVERING THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE
IN TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (15 Oct 97)."

After reading this creed, I almost croaked. Being from
the Southeast, "croaked" is when you almost kill over or die.
I could not believe my eye balls. What a crock of barnyard
fertilizer! This was hypocrisy to the highest limit!

In the early 1970s, I observed one important ingredient
for success in business. Any business that succeeds today must
be "customer" based and "service" oriented. If not, eventually
that particular business will go under.

The reason that the above "restaurant" gets away with
the hypocrisy is: We, the American people, continue to put up
with it. We put up with rude cashiers, mechanics, bankers,
medical doctors, department store managers...you name it!
As long as you and I make no waves in our society, there
will be no waves. There will also be no positive changes
to correct this type of problem from repeating itself over
and over again! Good Day!