Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Linear Not Parallel

Early one morning on my way to my client's corporate headquarters I stopped to purchase 60 breakfast taquitos at Whataburger.  I am a participating member of my client's "Breakfast Club."  The young lady didn't blink when I ordered 20 sausage egg and cheese, 20 bacon egg and cheese, and 20 potato egg and cheese taquitos; plus I ordered a large coffee that I was going to enjoy while I waited.  My bill was over $150.  I thought my type of order had to be rare, but she showed no sign of amusement.

Three minutes later another man walked in and ordered one bacon egg and cheese taquito, and he requested light on the eggs. The two of us began watching the team make taquitos ten at a time.

Three minutes later he looked over at me, the only other person in Whataburger, and asked how many taquitos I ordered?  

"Sixty." I informed him politely as I sipped on my black coffee.

"SIXTY!" He repeated in a panicked and annoyed tone.  He was shocked.  I could feel his anger build.  He looked over at me again and claimed that he was about to make a scene.  The man, who had been waiting less than five minutes, demanded his money back.  At which point they took one of the taquitos from my stack and packaged it up for him; he wasn't happy because he asked for less eggs.  They gave him his money back.  He walked out in a ball of anger without any food.

The team returned to processing my order; I was in and out in less than fifteen minutes with my 60 taquitos which was efficient.  It was a big hit at the office to walk in with hot breakfast tacos.  I got laughs when I retold the story about the poor guy that ordered one breakfast taco after I ordered sixty.  The linear process flow was not his friend.

I can't stop thinking about the angry man though.  Attitude is a choice.  This man could have laughed at the ridiculousness of processing my 60 tacos before they processed his one.  Think about it.  That's funny.  Maybe he could have used humor to get the team to process his one taco faster?  Instead the man got angry.  He was mad; he was mad at me for ordering 60.  He belittled the fast food employees.   He stormed out of the restaurant.   Do  you think his whole life is like that?  Do you think he always picks anger?  Attitude is a choice.

I pick happiness.

1 comment:

  1. Great story, great point!
    I chose happiness too..............most of the time... occasionally I get moody and forget to change my choice...........Note to self: That's when I need to go take Blue outside and throw some balls for her to retrieve. It's hard not to join in her joyful play.

    ReplyDelete