Wally had a magic glass.
The glass he had was amazing.
If the glass was in front of you at the bar, you were entitled to a free drink.
That glass paid for hundreds if not thousands of drinks over the years.
We would slide it between the group of us like we were playing ping pong professionally.
Buy one get one free. Or two. And sometimes three.
Did we ever.
Occasionally we would get 'caught'.
The bartenders knew. Managers knew.
But Wally was doing it - 'buying' everyone a drink - and he'd been coming there since the place opened in 1994 or something.
Everyday coming there.
So, they let the glass "slide".
--
I once got in trouble with the manager for drinking 5 16 oz beers and only paying for a pitcher.
I don't know, even to this day, what constitutes a pitcher of beer.
But I do know 5 16 oz beers is too many.
I know now.
He actually berated me in front of all the other guest and accused me of stealing from him.
I had in fact been doing the same thing for almost a year by that point.
His bartenders let me.
I tipped well.
And everyone knew me.
No one was fired.
He was a hot head and just wanted to yell at someone for some reason - so he chose me.
My response: "What do you need Marc? You need $100 ? $200 ? What do you need?"
Sixty four cents of beer and the guy caused WW3 and lost half his best paying customers for a week - because we all left.
--
Another time I had asked one of his bartenders what her schedule was and if she would want to be a promo model for a thing I was doing - but only if she were available.
She looked her schedule up and told me she was available.
Within a couple of days this same manager pulled me into a private room (because this time he didn't want to say anything in public), closed the door behind him, and began to berate me for "stealing" his help.
"You can't come in here and take our girls."
I suppose that's a problem for me - I see a pretty girl, I want to take them. Figuratively. I just want them to work for me.
I was like, "whoa, whoa, whoa - and besides, whether you and I know each other or not it's only because I come here every day and I'm still a customer."
It was only then that he came to his senses.
Somewhat.
--
Another time a friend didn't like his meal.
They didn't cook it right or it didn't taste right to him.
This manager accused him of "always" complaining and threatened to throw him out forever.
Can you even imagine.
First of all, this guy spent maybe $600 a month eating and drinking there.
For years.
Second, he wasn't drunk, just unhappy with his meal.
The manager refused to fix it for him.
So he threw it all in the trash.
Food. Plate. Silverware. Drink.
"This is trash."
He was right.
The way they treated him that day was trash.
His meal was just the icing on the cake.
That manager - one of the worst.
He was never fired either.
--
Wally would come every day.
He was like the mayor.
He would be there at 11 am.
Straighten the straws.
Make sure the tables were dressed.
Stock what needed to be stocked.
Flirt with the girls.
Shake hands with the guys.
Shake hands with everyone.
Everyone knew him.
Yes. Wally is past tense. He passed away at the ripe age of 82.
So is the magic glass.
--
The magic glass equaled opportunity to everyone who got it.
There's a lesson there.
We all loved it every time someone there was "playing along" and doling out free drinks.
We literally spent a fortune in the place anyhow. So why not.
In order to create Open Doors and Opportunity you have to play along.
Have fun.
Treat your best customers like they are your best customers.
Treat every customer like they are your best.
Not every customer is right all the time.
I will always believe customers can and will be wrong and it's okay to let them know when they are.
Just don't be wrong yourself - like that jackass manager.
Let the glass slide.
--
Let it slide in life too.
Why not?
Don't be hard on yourself or others.
Have fun.
Be "in" on what's going on.
Just don't care.
Let things go.
Don't get bogged down.
Don't pull yourself into a room and berate yourself because everything isn't perfect.
That's closing your own door.
Let the glass slide.
Give yourself a free pass.
Slide the glass to others as well.
That opens doors and creates opportunity.
Offers/Advertising:
White Hot Weight Loss
Regain Sharper Focus and Boost Your Memory
A Ground-Breaking New Diet
The Jesus Diet
Post Sponsored by:
