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Positively Outrageous Service is Infectious
My brother and I are out on a bike ride. We stop at a red light. It’s a major intersection, multiple lanes, cars coming from all directions and it’s rush hour. As we wait for the light to change, a DHL delivery truck to our left got the green light and turns left in front of us. As the truck turns, making the corner, the side door is clearly unlatched and flies open. With the inertia of the turn, boxes come spewing out. It was like a box Gatling gun. At least two to three dozen boxes and packages spill all over the intersection. It was shocking.
There’s a collective gasp from all the cars, which is pretty surprising since their windows are rolled up! Like everyone else, my brother and I are simply stunned as we watch this event unfold before us, almost in slow-motion. Simultaneously, we threw down our bikes and run out into the middle of the intersection to stop cars just in case they didn’t see what happened. Meanwhile, the DHL truck pulls over.
He’s face is ashen white, alarm and panicoverwhelm his body. My brother and I gather the boxes as fast as we possibly can. Then, another person jumps out of the car to help, and then another. Four of us grab boxes as fast as we can from the road. Then a red truck pulls into the intersection and the driver yells out, “put them in the back of the truck.” So, now the team of fearless five are picking up boxes scattered throughout the intersection, putting them into the back of this benevolent guy’s truck.
We clear out the intersection and pull the truck over to where the shocked DHL driver is waiting. We start to transfer the boxes back into the DHL truck. As traffic flow resumes, the people that drive by are honking, waving, high fiving and hollering, “good job guys!” The DHL driver couldn’t have been more appreciative as he loaded up the packages and boxes and eventually went on his way. We high five each other and get back in our cars … actually my brother and I mount our bikes and return home.
Why this story? Positively Outrageous Service is infectious. When we saw the incident unfold, my brother and I, and others, jumped in … we went out of our way to say and show: “how can we help?” So keep your eyes open, open to opportunities where you can jump in and be above and beyond the call of duty. Also, it gives an excuse, actually permission for others to also step up, to play and pitch in … help out in any type of situation that’s unfolding.
And you can bet the DHL driver now had a spring his step, a smile on his face and was distributing more than packages for the rest of the day. He was undoubtedly delivering an experience of Positively Outrageous Service!
Having a heart for others, eyes open to opportunities and being spontaneous is not only infectious in its impact in the service of everyone around us, it’s Positively Outrageous.
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