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Theatre owners actually have a name for it. It’s called “blow-by.” Believe it or not there are human beings capable of ignoring the compelling smell of, 
you guessed it, popcorn. What once was a tiny seed of hybrid corn eventually winds up with the power to bring this full-size man to a dead stop and drag me by the nostrils with the promise of an unexpected sample of what is little more than salt and hot air.
Customers who stray too close will find themselves captured by the almost-burned taste of exploded kernels and the sometimes added treat of butter flavoured oil. No point in asking, popcorn isn’t what you would call health food.
I’ve been a lifelong lover of popcorn no matter where it comes from whether it comes from oily steel pot of a theatre popper or the electronic guts of a microwave oven I love the taste, smell, and crunch of fresh popped popcorn. I like theatre popcorn, gas station popcorn. I even like fresh from the bank lobby popcorn.
Yes, my bank pops popcorn just for me.
When I walk through the doors of my bank the smell of popcorn dominates the experience. It just hits me like I have walked into a brick wall. And suddenly… I’m happy. I couldn’t tell you what the going rate for a CD is. I have no idea what or even if there is interest paid on a savings accounts. But I can tell you it’s the popcorn I’ve come to expect. I really have, it’s just something that they do that I appreciate because it makes the day seem a little bit special.
I look forward to seeing Tiffany who is in the back who I actually love dealing with. Just the other day she said “Mr Hoffman we have something special for you today.” With that she pulled out a box of popcorn that looks like it just came from the movie theatre. They know I am addicted to their popcorn!
Not only do I do my banking there, but I have my business there, all of my family is there and I bring people there. Why? It’s not the popcorn; it’s the fact that they go out of their way to know who I am and to take advantage of those little opportunities.
I’ve come to expect popcorn all the time, but what I don’t expect from every bank is for them to know me, let me know that they know me and do those extra things like popping corn just for me. My bank and the people who work there are positively outrageous.
Is there somebody today, somebody this week that you can go out of your way…just a little bit to let them know you know them?
If you did that would be Positively Outrageous Service!
