How Much Do You Spend on Entertaining Yourself?
Twelve bucks for a movie. Seventy for your cable bill. A hundred for a rockin’ haircut or an awesome pair of shoes. Fifty for a massage, twenty for a facial. Fifty or (a lot) more to see your favorite sports team. CDs, DVDs, a night on the town…
All so you can smile for a while, entertain yourself, maybe feel one with the world.
I got you beat.
You ARE going to have a marvelous Monday and rock another Customer’s Experience right now
Here’s what you do:
Get in your car.
Drive to your local McDonald’s. Get in the drive through lane.
Go healthy like I do if you want—order a plain bagel. No guilt later about Mickey D’s breakfast.
Pull out your debit card to pay, and here’s the important part:
Say to the cashier, “Hey, can you do me a favor? Swipe that card twice. I’d like to pay for the person behind me.”
There will be consternation. First they’ll assume it’s a friend of yours. You’ll explain that you’ve never seen the person before; you feel like being nice.
Then they’ll think you’re trying to pick the person up. You’ll smile and say nope, just felt like it. I knew it would make her day, and maybe someday she’ll do it for someone else.
They may ask if you’ve won the lottery. Just say, “It’s a McDonald’s breakfast. How much can it set me back? I wanted to give someone a smile.”
I’m not saying they’ll be reluctant. They’re making small talk. Because believe it or not at some McDonalds’ doing this will require a password, that the manager has to come type in. Do not ask me why.
Pay, get your caffeine and your bagel, and drive off. You’ll never see the person again. But the person you gave the smile to—surprise!—is in your car right now.
It might be half an hour before you think to look at the receipt. It’s a McDonald’s breakfast that you didn’t eat, and it’s going to give you longer-lasting joy than the last concert you went to. Wondering if she’ll tell a friend when she gets to work. Wondering if you’ll start a movement. Oh, those eyes are twinkling, and then you take a look:
$1.90.
The best money you ever spent.
Now you go off and be a mogul. Lead your own business, and rock your own Customers’ Experiences. It’s a lot easier with a twinkle in your eye.
Go on, I dare ya. (I know you love a dare.) Then come back and leave me a comment. I want to hear how it went for you.
Have a marvelous Monday.
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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23 June 2008, 6:58 am
That’s a cool idea, Kelly. I was smiling as I read the post. I would most likely give the McDonalds in town a complete conniption and end up having an argument with them to get them to do it, but it’s a cool idea.
Fast fact: We have had swipe machines at our local McDonalds for less than a year.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Bridging the Information Gap with Analogies
23 June 2008, 7:35 am
James,
Most likely? Didn’t I dare ya? Go on, give it a shot! It’ll go better than you think.
I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s been more than two or three years here, so LittleVille QC isn’t too far behind. I remember being shocked when they did it (can’t we all manage to pay cash?) but now I’m so used to it everywhere that I sometimes don’t have any cash on me at all. Time marches on.
Regards,
Kelly
23 June 2008, 8:42 am
Hey! Colin and do this often in the drive-thru at Timmy’s! The cashier is surprised at first, but then they go along with it. We pay cash – makes it easier, and you can’t pay debit at Tim Horton’s yet (as far as I know!). The last time we did it, we hightailed it out of there because we didn’t want to be stopped for thanks – and we had to drive back! We’d been so excited and flustered we’d left our order behind! D’oh!
I heard someone did this once and because the person paid for was so touched he did it, too, and this continued for something like 200 people! I think it was on the news or something. I can’t remember. Anyway, I love doing it!! You’re right: it makes you feel great and it is entertaining! The best is that surprise the person behind gets (if indeed the employee doesn’t just pocket the extra change and charge the person as they drive up. I just thought of that now. Isn’t that awful?) and how their morning might just have been made, if not their day.
steph’s last blog post…This is My Brain. This is My Brain on (No) Drugs
23 June 2008, 9:07 am
Steph,
Well, the debit card did prevent that icky possibility. I have the receipt and all.
I love the 200 people thing. That IS a movement. I knew it was nothing new under the sun, but I’ve never heard of joy getting out of control like that. How perfect.
Glad to hear you already know the power of rocking someone else’s day!
Regards,
Kelly
23 June 2008, 10:11 am
Kelly: I really love to think of things like that and do them. It’s totally fun. If you have any more ideas, share them! I think by doing them we contribute to the customer service of a company (just thought of this now). We give the next consumer the maximum customer service!!
Honestly, I have a feeling that the positive experience the person behind you had at McDonald’s probably made them even more likely to go there again, even if it was you and not MacDonald’s who gave them a free meal.
steph’s last blog post…This is My Brain. This is My Brain on (No) Drugs
23 June 2008, 10:34 am
Kelly
It migth have to be Burger Thing.
Otherwise, the nearest McD’s is a 30 minute drive….and I can’t afford the gas.
(Not at $5.20 a gallon!)
- Friar
Friar’s last blog post…Now Popeye’s gone P.C. on us, too.
23 June 2008, 2:42 pm
What a great idea! And yet, one I would not have thought of doing until now. So the dare is on…
Lance’s last blog post…Sunday Thought for the Day
23 June 2008, 9:09 pm
Every person. The payback is amazing. And it costs nothing.
But you know what? That dare sounded like a double-dog dare, so I’ll try it tomorrow.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – you ain’t done lookin’ yet.
23 June 2008, 10:34 pm
Steph,
I’ll keep thinking. Another semi-off-topic topic is bound to come up now and then. Sometimes I think I could have a second blog just for off-topic stuff. Then I remember I have zero free time as is!!!
I agree about bringing the person behind me back. I thought of that too, a few hours later. How it would have made me feel better about the meal, if I were her, and I’d be back (through no fault of McD’s own).
Nice work if you can get it. Most of the benefits went straight to me. Cool!
Friar,
BK tomorrow morning. If Brett goes too it’ll freak the BK drive-through people out.
Brett,
Oh, yeah. It’s a double-dog dare if you need that. Plus you drive with your wife, right? If you don’t tell her in advance she’ll think you’ve gone nuts, too, and then she’ll give you the “my hero” look when she understands. That’s got to be worth a trip to the drive-through.
Later,
Kelly
23 June 2008, 10:44 pm
Lance,
Oops! Sorry I didn’t get your comment approved earlier. Welcome, and thanks for taking me up on it! I look forward to hearing how it goes for you.
Enjoy the best money you ever spent, and have a Terrific Tuesday.
Regards,
Kelly
23 June 2008, 11:35 pm
Kelly
Being the sh*t-disturbing Friar that I am, I’m trying to imagine what the anti-thesis to your post would be.
How about when you go through drive-thru, refuse to pay?
Tell them that the person ahead of you promised to pay for your meal. When the cashier wont’ give you your free food, act all indignant and hurt. Then peel away with your tires screeching, acting all pissed off.
Hahahahah!
(NOT that I’d ever do this…but you gotta admit..it would be an interesing Psych 101 Experiment.
Friar’s last blog post…Plantain Wars
23 June 2008, 11:37 pm
@Brett
Whenever people ask me “how’s it going”?, they expect you to say “Fine”
Instead, I tell them spontaneously how I feel.
My answer could be “Average”. Or “Tired”. Or “Hungry”.
Or I give them a number. “Seven out of 10″.
It always suprises them when they get these types of answers.
Friar’s last blog post…Plantain Wars
23 June 2008, 11:51 pm
Friar,
You are trouble!
I admit, though I like the idea of asking folks (because I’d be willing to hear the answer), I’m apparently terrible at answering “How’s your day.” A friend I worked with once said, “I’m not going to ask you anymore. You’re not cheery enough when you answer.”
I said, “You want a cheery answer every day? I thought you wanted to KNOW.”
True to his word, he never asked again. From then on I’d say, “Good morning,” and he’d say “Good morning.” Works great if you’re not much into truth or depth.
I’d much prefer your 7 out of 10. You can really go somewhere from an answer like that: “Oh, really? I’m about an 8 today,” or “Where’d the other 3 go,” or “You’ve been at 7 for a week, what gives?”
Of course you might think seven’s fabulous, if you’re more of a 5/10 person. We need to establish a baseline.
Later,
Kelly
24 June 2008, 1:09 am
What’s this? Kelly hath ditcheth Typepad? I thought I’d die of shock…
Then I read this… and I thought “Clearly, dear customer service guru, you’ve never been to my town where they can barely get one person’s order right and charged properly…. Can’t I just throw some money in the street and entertain myself thinking about someone finding it? Because that would be WAY EASIER.”
But then I got this mental picture of myself walking through the drive-thru (because I don’t drive), and that was very funny. So I might try it. And if I get arrested, I’m blaming you. But don’t worry — I’ll be sure to link to your blog when I blame you. Bwah ha ha.
Amy’s last blog post…Glass or Ruby: If The Slipper Fits…
24 June 2008, 5:49 am
@Friar,
Honesty is acceptable
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – you ain’t done lookin’ yet.
24 June 2008, 8:50 am
@Kelly
We had an admin assistant once…who made a point of saying “How are you”…she would not continue the conversation, and kept repeating the question, until you gave in and told her “Fine”.
It was like some kind of brain-dead pavlovian response. To this day, I dont’ know what she was trying to prove.
Being an engineer, I like to quantity things. So if I’m having an average/mediocre day…it’s a six or seven. But if it’s a Friday, it’s guaranteed to be an eight. More like a nine plus at quitting time.
Things cant’ always be “Great”. So I also say “average” a lot.
Meaning not great, but not bad either. Average. Okay. Par for the course.
I think that’s a good answer, because often how life is…in the middle (between the extremes). But people give me strange looks when I tell them that.
PS. I didnt’ do drive-thru this morning (not even for myself).
Friar’s last blog post…Plantain Wars
24 June 2008, 9:19 am
AAAAAmYYYY!
Miss you, chick. (Can I say that on a business blog? It’s mine and I just did.)
Can’t [insert buddy here] drive you so you can be relatively conventional for just a sec? (It’s too much for me to ask, isn’t it.) Go ahead, walk through if you will, but I can’t bail you out. I’m three thousand miles away (actually, I’m up in the mountains right now, it might be even further than usual). I will read you post about the goofiness of a walk-through, though. In SF some wiseacre probably does it every week.
Brett,
Glad to hear you’re not looking for what my friend was!
Friar,
Wouldn’t give up until you said “Fine”! Ugh! If she had to hold out at least it could have been for something less milquetoast than “fine.” She could have held out for “Great.” It might be like smiling: if you do it, it cheers you up, even if you don’t mean it.
No confessions! Action! He he, I like that you’re playing along so I can push you to go try it. Go tomorrow, dear Friar. I await the reaction from the Burger People. You might have to say “9″ on a Wednesday. It’ll give you the warm fuzzies.
Confession from me: the first day I thought of doing this was not the day I did it. I went through to get my caffeine as I do a few days a week when I need a jolt, thought of it, and chickened out. The next day I went through, told myself being chicken about doing something nice was stupid, and I did it.
The post didn’t occur to me until hours later, when I was thinking about how many layers of cool there were to it. (In case you’re wondering if I paid $1.90 so I could get a post out of it.)
Until later,
Kelly
24 June 2008, 6:08 pm
I’ve counted one American and the rest Canuck responders. What’s up with that? You international fangango.
You are a bodhisattva. That is a good idea.
I have a garden for entertainment. I watch things grow. And if not, they will die and I have to save them. That’s my entertainment for the summer. And traveling. I can’t do anthing of course without money.
I hope your summer is going well.
E
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post…What are You Fishing for?
24 June 2008, 7:27 pm
Ellen,
You know I had to look bodhisattva up, right? What a nice compliment. Thank you.
Ah, I miss gardening. A fine entertainment, though never inexpensive for me, at least.
My summer goes pretty well. One crazy week of work, one crazy week of family, repeat. Weather’s great up here, but the gas prices take my breath away, just like everybody else. Can I get a post out of our increased travel costs? Hmm.
Later,
Kelly
25 June 2008, 12:12 pm
Miss you too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (How many !!! does it take to be redundant?)
If I walk through the drive thru, I will definitely post about it.
And now I have to go look up bodhisattva. Oy.
Amy’s last blog post…Can You Write Away the Block? How About the Burnout?
25 June 2008, 12:24 pm
Kelly,
I might try this at other places, too.
I did give away a child’s broken antique rocker at my garage sale at a dirt cheap price. That was probably dumb, but I felt sorry for her trying to make money from selling stuff at flea markets when the economy is so shitty.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post…What are You Fishing for?
25 June 2008, 7:57 pm
Amy,
You stopped right before redundant. Just right.
Ellen,
You softie, you. That’s what makes the world go ’round. Kind-hearted people to spread a bit of cheer.
Later,
Kelly
12 September 2008, 10:46 am
Great post Kelly. Here in Ottawa we have a retired guy who spends his day following the bylaw officers who give parking tickets and puts a quarter in the expired parking meters just before the guy can whip out his pad of parking tickets. Kinda cool!
12 September 2008, 11:54 am
Lion,
I do it sometimes, too, but believe it or not, in some places that is illegal. Seriously! Just another example of justice being blind.
Regards,
Kelly