12/14/2022
20 years ago, a young high school girl put in an application at J.E. Rice Co. for summer help. I said “how about starting 8 o’clock Monday”, she gasps and says “8 IN THE MORNING?!” Not a great first impression but funny now. Little did we know that her name and J.E. Rice would become synonymous! The position we had available at the time was customer service floor help. To say the job description of this position is diverse and challenging is a huge understatement. Not only are there thousands of items to know and show, there is every walk of life coming down the aisle needing and expecting your expedient help with knowledge to boot. Every customer is treated equally at our store, but they do sometimes fall into categories. The grumpy demanding older man is a frequent and appreciated visitor, but the last thing they want to see at “their” hardware store is a happy, smiling, perky kid asking eagerly if they can help. And to make things worse, it’s a GIRL! She was look passed, scoffed at and belittled often, but would kindly and respectfully thank them then lick her wounds and be more determined for the next opportunity to help. A sponge for knowledge, she went from knowing absolutely nothing about what was in this store to knowing as much as any one of us. Knowing your customer is key….. when to be funny, when to be serious, when to be fast, when to take your time with someone. She became one of our most trusted and sought out customer service representatives of all time and the grumpy old men’s “go to gal”! Anyone who knows true old school customer service knows it’s hard to be “on” all the time, especially when your personal life might be upside down. No matter what was going on behind the scenes, her welcoming and warm greetings, eagerness to help and the ability to make her customers feel like they were the only thing that mattered to her at that moment made her exceptional. Patty, thank you for showing up at the wee hour of the morning that Monday! We had a lot of fun, laughs, cries and battles together. We tackled every day together and with so many meaningful relationships formed over the years. Good luck with your next lucky landing spot and you can NOT be replaced. Thank you for your dedication, loyalty and for taking such good care of your Community and your J.E. Rice Family.
