Best in the World Jack In The Box Restaurant

I was out for a quick snack and stopped by a local Jack In The Box. I looked over the items and pulled up to the microphone to make my order. I was greeted, "Welcome to the best of the Jack In The Box. How can I help you?"

I laughed to greet. If I had somehow stumbled into what was really the best Jack In The Box restaurant in the world? Or if I stopped in at a fast food restaurant, who thinks of himself as the incarnation of the world's best Jack In The Box? Or, if I had (which was more likely) simply by chance used a very sarcastic? Over the loudspeaker and microphone system of communication, one might think that sarcasm would be easy to spot, but I was coming with indicators of zero. I had to wait for a face to face to decide the intent of the greeting.

I pulled up the service window. A friendly face takes my money, since my order, and wished me a good day. There was no sarcasm. There was only the efficiency and genuine friendliness. He was named Carmen.

As I left I promised myself to send an email to the headquarters of Jack In The Box. I did, and received a standard reply thanking me for my comments, which have promised to pass along to the restaurant. I never heard any more. I went to another Jack in the Box restaurants, and has submitted no claim to being the best in the world, so I'm left with the feeling that maybe this was the best in the world.

It's not often that I visit this particular restaurant, but I have several times after the initial accident. Once I had the same clerk and was once again impressed by his delivery. Other times I was greeted by friendly people, but without the conviction that this was really the world's best Jack In The Box. I stopped recently and was fascinated by another employee. He did not use the same phrasing, but his voice was an element of faith.

I think what I experienced was a time when this was really the world's best Jack In The Box. . . and perhaps even every time Carmen is present. I do not know that my accolades were ever passed along, but in a world of customer service complaints I hope you received my complimentary comments. Encouragement is sometimes everything for front-line service workers.

There is a glimmer of hope that Carmen had a hand in training and passed his enthusiasm and his passion to his fellow workers that somehow worked for the World's Best Jack In The Box, and they do it, too.

I think we should all have the conviction that we work with the best people and provide the best service and best products in the best organization for the best industry in the world, and we should share those beliefs and feelings with our colleagues. . . as well as our customers .......