Memorable Introductions

One time I was working at my desk next to the equipment showroom when I was approached by a customer asking for help. I immediately recognized her as someone who had been working with one of my colleagues who was out that day, so I was happy to assist. The customer in question looked me dead in the eyes and said, “You are going to save our marriage.” Now she had my attention.

The customer, Toni, led me over to the showroom where she and her husband, John, had taken it upon themselves to bring together a little mock kitchen, arranging a sandwich prep unit next to a deli case and a work table. The conflict was essentially that they had a very limited space to work with and they really couldn’t agree on their workflow. With a few qualifying questions I ascertained that this couple had never owned or worked in a restaurant before, so I knew that everything would require a thorough explanation. After a lot of back and forth, I finally asked the right question: “Why don’t you put a worktop there?”

“A what?”

“A worktop refrigerator. You can store things in it, but the top is built for you to do prep and use small equipment.”

“That exists?”

Sometimes you just have to ask all the questions until you hit the right one.