What comes around, the next round
Christmas Eve was a great day at Park Place. I had the opportunity to wish many of my regular customers and friends a happy holiday before closing early. I let customers pick ornaments from the merchandising shelf to take with them, and that brought it's own joy. Some customers were very particular about the ornaments they picked, and had a story for why they picked them. One friend is a new grandpa, and took a "baby's first christmas" ornament. One customer was picking for his wife who is bedridden, and he wanted to make sure it was going to be something to brighten up her day - after he comes home from delivering meals on wheels. These ornaments were worth more to me when they went out the door for free then if they had sold on Christmas Eve.
Prior to closing, a group of about eight disc golfers came in and got hot drinks after playing their holiday rounds. After closing the cafe, I came back later to do some cleaning. As I glanced out the window I saw one of my regular customers out walking his dog, and the dog had a disc in his mouth. My customer (Steve) knocked on the door and showed me that the disc his dog had in his mouth had someone's name and phone number on it. I got the dog to drop the disc by offering him a dog treat, and told Steve I would call the number on the disc and get it to its owner. I assumed it was one of the disc golfers in earlier in the day.
Fast forward to the day after Christmas: One of my disc golfers came back in and I asked him if he knew the player whose name and number was on that disc. Yes, he did. He also knew that player had given that disc as a gift to Forest, another disc golfer who frequents the coffee shop.
Forest came in that afternoon and his eyes lit up when he saw the disc on the shelf. "Where'd you find my favorite disc?," he asked. I told him the story of Steve and his dog who returned the disc. Forest asked what Steve drinks when he comes in the cafe, and put the money on the counter. "Please tell Steve his next one is on me and thank him for getting this back to me."
Fast forward to the next morning - Steve comes in for his mocha and I explain the next round is on Forest, since Forest can happily play his "next round" with his favorite disc. Two customers who couldn't be more different who managed to somehow brighten one another's day...
Prior to closing, a group of about eight disc golfers came in and got hot drinks after playing their holiday rounds. After closing the cafe, I came back later to do some cleaning. As I glanced out the window I saw one of my regular customers out walking his dog, and the dog had a disc in his mouth. My customer (Steve) knocked on the door and showed me that the disc his dog had in his mouth had someone's name and phone number on it. I got the dog to drop the disc by offering him a dog treat, and told Steve I would call the number on the disc and get it to its owner. I assumed it was one of the disc golfers in earlier in the day.
Fast forward to the day after Christmas: One of my disc golfers came back in and I asked him if he knew the player whose name and number was on that disc. Yes, he did. He also knew that player had given that disc as a gift to Forest, another disc golfer who frequents the coffee shop.
Forest came in that afternoon and his eyes lit up when he saw the disc on the shelf. "Where'd you find my favorite disc?," he asked. I told him the story of Steve and his dog who returned the disc. Forest asked what Steve drinks when he comes in the cafe, and put the money on the counter. "Please tell Steve his next one is on me and thank him for getting this back to me."
Fast forward to the next morning - Steve comes in for his mocha and I explain the next round is on Forest, since Forest can happily play his "next round" with his favorite disc. Two customers who couldn't be more different who managed to somehow brighten one another's day...
posted by Dina DiNucci at
5:08 PM
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