A Grand’s Worth of Service

Every so often, the media finds a story that does not involve blood and carnage and controversy. That’s the case with a recent story out of Illinois…

A waitress at an Illinois restaurant received a $1000 tip from an anonymous patron. The waitress, a single mom of a 12 year old, says she’ll use the money to send her child on a trip to Washington D.C. with school.

How cool is that? The absolute bbest kind of chairity is anonymous. Hands down, it’s giving for the point of giving. Not for accolades, not for tax write-offs, not for making good impressions on people around them. It’s giving for the sole purpose of helping.

I love how the Salvation Army gets Rolex watches, diamond earrings and antique gold coins placed in the buckets. Every donation is important and appreciated, but when it’s a sizeable donation just out of the goodness of the giver’s heart, it makes it even more special.

The waitress in question was asked by a reporter, “Did you give them $1000 service? Or is this the way you treat all your customers?” She said, “This was the way I treat everyone I serve.”

Lesson learned-do the right thing, treat everyone the same (that is, impeccably) and maybe, just maybe there’ll be a $1K tip waiting for you, too! And thanks to the media for putting the whole “if it bleeds, it leads” thing on the back burner for a day or two.