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After reading Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office by SAP CEO Bill McDermott I have even more pride looking back on my days at Parkwood Delicatessen & Catering. This job has always held a special place in my heart because of the incredible lessons I learned. Most important being that the customer is always right. I started as a sophomore in high school doing basic tasks like cleaning the counter tops and taking orders but quickly moved up the deli ranks to assistant manager and waiter for our catering events. The deli, although a seemingly menial job, helped shape the foundation of my work ethic today. First was learning to appreciate the value of a dollar. We all have and need that first job that really makes us get it. Next, I realized great customer service above all else and when a mistake happens…fix it. Hungry customers + paying customers + wrong orders = bad. Our response: the customer is always right, well-articulated apology and our solution to the problem. In the unlikely event that we made a mistake, the rapport with our customer was all we had left, so all of this becomes much easier if there was good customer service beforehand. Third, Trust is a key factor to success and can be gained by continually proving your value. It was something that was crucial at the deli if you didn’t want to be taking orders for the next 5 years or being thrown odd tasks. Lastly, you have time to lean you have time to clean! At the end of the day you should be contributing to the overall success of the business. If you have down time, pick up a rag and get to work! There is always something that needs doing and even if it isn’t your job it has to get done. There is, of course, A LOT for me to learn and experience before going from the corner store to a corner office but these are common traits to success for any job in any industry. The Millennial Technologist | #TMT |
