Pickle Stories

We love it when customers share how Bob Farrell’s infectious “Give ‘em the Pickle” Philosophy has influenced the way they treat customers.  Here are a few of our favorites.

Story 1 (from a plumbing company executive)

At our plumbing company, we give "Pickle Awards" to service technicians in recognition of outstanding customer service. These awards are based upon YOUR popular video "Give ’Em the Pickle!" which we watched about two years ago. The pickles are still coming in weekly! Last week, we received a very special pickle:

A woman called our company asking to speak with our service technician, Dick. She went on to explain that several weeks before she was stranded along the highway after a tire blew on her car. Several cars went by without stopping, but Dick did stop. He went to the nearest station, spent $60.00 on a new tire and returned to change it. She explained to him that she was going through some hard times and did not have the money to pay him and it might be a while. He said, "Don't worry, I understand." She asked for his home address and he gave her his BUSINESS CARD - because he was "pickle oriented." She called to thank him, to let him know she would have the money by the end of the month.

 Needless to say, she was very impressed with the generosity and kindness of our employee. She said, "What a fine representation of your company - believe me, when I need to have any plumbing done, you will be the company I will call." I explained to her that Dick (who had been training at Camp Shelby before being deployed to Iraq) was now serving our country for 18 months and assured her that the money would be given to his family. We are showing Give 'Em The Pickle for the 4th time to our team next week! What a difference it has made.

Story 2 (from a hotel manager)

Here is a letter sent by one of our guests:
On the second day of my stay...I suffered a pinched nerve in my back. I have had this happen to me before and I immediately knew that this time would be much worse than before as I was in a training class and needed to be there. I just couldn't take the time off my daily schedule to get the rest and help from my family that I desperately needed.

As I hobbled by the front desk I inquired about the possibility of getting a heating pad to aid in my recuperation and was told that unfortunately the hotel didn't have one. I wasn't exactly surprised, but an employee named Stephen said that he could get one for me. The surprise was that he would go out and get one for my use.

That first full day of class was one of excruciating pain. When I returned to my room, there on my bed, was the heating pad that would make the rest of the week bearable.

The comfort that that heating pad afforded me was as close to the TLC that I would have received from my own family as I could have asked for. Not only did Stephen go to the trouble of getting me that glorious heating pad, he also provided me with a free movie, cookies, drinks and a refrigerator. I was so grateful that I just had to let you know how this act of kindness on Stephen's part has made this week of training possible.

I work at a large law firm with offices throughout the US and our attorneys and staff do a lot of traveling. I am going to make sure that the appropriate people within our firm are informed of my experience. Your employee, Stephen, should be applauded for his kindness and thoughtfulness. Please thank him again for me.

Story 3 (from a credit union employee)

I just began my new job with this company, and all week I have been hearing; “Have you had the ‘pickle’ yet?” from various individuals, with a mysterious glint in their eye. Well, the ‘pickle’ was scheduled for Friday, so by the time Friday came along I was pretty psyched about learning what everyone was talking about. I even asked them to give me a clue about what might be in store, but they would just tell me to wait and I would find out.

Well, the time finally arrived, and I watched your pickle video. Amazing! I had been to Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, back in the ’70s, to celebrate many birthdays! I lived in Tucson, AZ at the time and those celebrations were unforgettable. I remember once they ran out of candles, so they improvised with a match, stuck right in the middle of my sundae.

 Your “pickle” story triggered many wonderful memories of my childhood, and I just want to say thanks! And thanks for teaching me the true meaning of a “pickle.”

Story 4 (from an employee of a non-profit organization)

Hello. I am a Program Secretary for a Non-Profit Organization that assists many people in the community. We have a gentleman that comes in for assistance maybe every two months or so. Whenever he comes in, he goes to our break room and gets a cup of coffee.

 Well, this particular day, while approaching the break room, I noticed the door was shut and a sign was on the outside of the door saying....EMPLOYEES ONLY. I asked, “Why the sign on the door?”Some of my co-workers began to tell me that this gentleman comes in and gets coffee and that he is “mooching” off of us. So I took a deep breath and said, “If we are that caught up with a little cup of coffee, then we need to shut our doors to the public completely.”

 We offered our coffee to everyone when we had our coffee pot going in the previous office, so I told them, “Glory!!! He's not mooching … Give ’em the coffee!!!!!"

Story 5 (from an employee of a Hospitality Group)

Shawn, the General Manager of one of our hotels, made a couples' vacation.  This vacation almost wasn't.  A couple stopped overnight on their way to Fort Lauderdale to depart on a cruise.  They checked out not realizing that they left behind a bag containing their passport and several important documents that were needed for their cruise.  They called later that evening after having realized that without that bag they would be unable to make their cruise early the next morning.  Shawn drove all night and met the surprised couple in their hotel lobby at 4am with their bag and they made their cruise.  He then turned around and left to drive back to his hotel.

Story 6  (from a customer service consultant and author)

Hi Mr. Farrell, I'm as passionate as you are about service - and that we're all here to serve others! My story is about 'no pickle'...my husband and I went to a fast casual restaurant. He wanted to have a 'glass' glass for his water, and not a plastic cup. He could see the 'glass' glasses right in front of him! When he asked the young cashier for one, she said he couldn't have one...they were only for people who ordered beer! When I asked the cashier why that was, she said "Because if you break the glass and only ordered water, we won't be able to cover the cost of the glass." When I pressed her further, she said her manager has 'trained her this way'. And that was the saddest thing to me. The cashier couldn't have been more than 21. If we 'train'people into 'not thinking' and into not having compassion, what is going to happen to our world? When we help people learn to solve problems, and teach them how to be compassionate and serve others at work, they take that home, to their family, community, country and world! 

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