Lollipops of love

Tue, Jul 4th 2017, 11:07 AM

If you're dealing with a crabby co-worker or sour-faced friend, offering them a sucker may help sweeten them up, according to a 2011 North Dakota State University study which came to the conclusion that people with a sweet tooth have sweeter dispositions. It's a concept Michael Fountain believes in, and he rewards people with a sweet treat and words of encouragement to show gratitude to someone who has gone above and beyond in the customer service industry through his Lollipop Love program.
In 2015, after two bad experiences in one day in two separate offices that left him feeling like he had stolen something from the people he had encountered, Fountain came up with an affordable and what he considers impactful program called Lollipop Love, which recognizes excellent customer service encounters. He decided to hand out
lollipops with encouraging words attached to them after being reminded of how good he felt as a child when someone handed him a sucker.
"Being in the customer service industry for some 25 years after those encounters, I felt I needed to do something, and I came up with Lollipop Love, something that I thought would be affordable and impactful," said Fountain.
Fountain went out and purchased 100 lollipops. The day in November 2015 that he implemented the program, he had an outstanding encounter with Eugene Francis from Super Value, Winton. Francis, who was stocking milk at the store, saw Fountain looking and asked him which brand he was looking for. Fountain said Francis grabbed a hand towel, wiped off excess moisture from the container and placed the carton in his cart.
"After I expressed my gratitude, I continued on, looking for another item which I could not find. I asked him [Francis] if the item was in stock; he went and checked and came back and told me it was out of stock. I also noticed how each customer greeted Eugene and how he interacted with them. I was impressed when a child ran to him and gave him a hug. That was when I decided that Eugene was deserving of recognition. I contacted the manager to let him know that I wanted to recognize Eugene and was told Eugene was one his most awesome employees."
Since that day, Fountain said the connection he has with Francis has been amazing.
He said even though he is handing out a lollipop, he has seen what that little, insignificant act can do to people.
"It gives a person so much confidence and it's amazing what it does for that person as far as their attitude. It changes their attitude, the way they see customer service, the way they see other people, the way they deal with people on the job. It's about spreading the love."
Lollipop Love started with Fountain doling out suckers for people going above and beyond when he encountered them. That has morphed into people being able to contact him and make recommendations for someone to receive Lollipop Love for the service rendered to them.
Fountain goes to the person's place of employment and presents them with a lollipop as well as a certificate and a bottle of wine. Words of encouragement are also printed on a wallet card that the recognized person can take out and look at periodically to be reminded of their recognition after the lollipop and wine are gone. It's a service Fountain offers at $25 to cover the cost of material.
"It's motivating. It's inspirational. This is something that's a game changer," he said. "Two things I believe can change the world -- gratitude and forgiveness. Lollipop Love is a platform geared towards gratitude. It's connected me with so many people, and it's changed my attitude and the way I see customer service, and the way I see people. It helps me to want to help people to see life differently. You hear people say customer service is a lost art, and I want as much people as can to get engaged with it, because I feel it's a give back also. It's amazing what it has done for people ... what it has done for me and I think it has actually done more for me than it has for the recipient. I encourage people who encounter good customer service or encounter someone who goes above and beyond to reach out to me, and I'm willing to go out and reward the person with the love," said Fountain.
Fountain said anyone who wants to awaken happiness in the world around them needs to start by living a life that makes them happy and then radiate their happiness outward.
"If you want to eliminate suffering in the world, start by eliminating the dark and negative parts of yourself and then radiate your positivity outward. Truly, the greatest power you have in this world is the power of your own self-transformation. It starts with the one in the mirror. When things go wrong, take a moment to be thankful for all the other things that are still going right. And if you're struggling to be thankful for what you have, be thankful for what you have escaped. Sometimes the best gifts in life are the troubles you don't have. The world isn't just the way it is. It's how you understand it to be."
As he doles out his lollipops of love, he said he always remembers that smiling triggers happy feelings in the brain and reduces stress.
"Even if you don't feel happy or confident, just behave as though you do and soon you will find the joy in your life, and you'll be more attractive and nice to be around. People will be nicer to you too and you'll smile some more. Joy is infectious, but so is misery, therefore, don't have anything whatever to do with people who dampen your spirits, invalidate your achievements, or tell you what to think."
Fountain also said doing a service for another person benefits the giver as much as, if not more, than the receiver, and that when you do a good deed for someone else you become a better person.
"The positive effect that your good deed has upon you will endure long after it is forgotten by the recipient. Good deeds need not be large or costly. The greatest gifts are gifts of your time and yourself. A kind word or small courtesy will be remembered and appreciated."
Since his first day, Fountain's Lollipop Love has recognized a service station pump attendant who returned $200 that a customer dropped as they were exiting their vehicle, a conch salad stand worker who displayed excellent customer service skills by remaking two fresh bowls of conch salad that had been over-salted, without any complaint, and most recently, he recognized India Hepburn and Tyiesha Miller from Comprehensive Family Medical Clinic who were recommended by Tamara Johnson, who was blown away by the courteous service they bestowed upon her.
On the international front, Fountain has recognized a restaurant worker in Portland, Oregon, for the services rendered to his family.

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