Max

I drive the "Dance Bus" (aka my Mazda 5) on Monday nights.  I pick-up Lindsay and two other very sweet girls after a couple of hours of dancing at 9:15pm.  Early in the year, on a cold winters night, I went via Starbucks Drive-through at Ironwood to get 3 hot chocolates for the dancers.  This quickly developed into a bit of a pattern and is now pretty much an "always" thing...... when I was away the stand in bus driver even did the hot chocs.... which was sweet.

It's hard to be the cool Mom when you have a teenager - its a bit hit and miss - mostly miss -  but when I have a chance to do something nice I jump at it and they seem to enjoy a warm, sweet drink at that time of the night.

And is often the case when you do something nice for others something nice happens to you too. 

I met Max.

Max is the Starbucks Drive-through guy at the window on Monday nights (and other times during the week).  Max could just take the order and then hand me the hot chocs through the window (like many do) but Max does more than the minimum. 


I am not a person who loves to chat to everyone (I know some of you are surprised by this).  I don't like to chat to my hair stylist, bank teller, esthetician, cashier etc....  But Max and I got chatting one night about my Mazda 5 and its various merits or not, as we waited for the barrista to make the drinks.  I think that made me stick in his memory and so week by week we have had little chats about this or that.  He is unfailingly cheerful.

I was there last Saturday and ordered my beloved (and I do mean beloved) "tall long Americano with one cream and one sugar" and he commented that he would see me for the 3 hot chocs on Monday night.  He always remembers I don't need a tray - I like that!

One night when he was mopping floors instead of being on the drive-through but he came over to the window and said "Hi, I hope you have a great evening".  I asked the Manager "Who is that guy?" and she told me his name was Max and I told her he was a real asset to her store.  She looked unconvinced and asked me if I knew him.  I said "No I don't but I do know that he does his job very well and I very much enjoy his service. Not too chatty but very friendly and efficient."  I asked to her to thank him for me.

I appreciate that Max has a job that likely goes unnoticed most of the time.  Its not a big important job.  Yet he does it well, with integrity and charm.  And for that he gets my respect and gratitude...... and I told him so on Monday at 9:10pm as he handed me the 3 hot chocs without a tray.....