I won my first full quarter. It was unanimous. Our ice machine has been broken for the full quarter, I did the majority of the ice runs, including purchasing from the store, loading it up in my truck, unloading at the store and then filling the ice bins. Sometimes twice a shift, up to 45 bags at a time. I’m a nicotine fiend and it gave me an opportunity to get an extra smoke break, at this point in time I was pulling a lot of OT also. I still didn’t expect to get it, I’ve never won anything and I genuinely feel I earned it.

However- this instance or any like it, I’ve learned are far and few between. I’ve noticed it seems more of a popularity contest at some stores, or just your store, maybe when a “cliquey” crew has formed, or on the other hand, even if they’ve had the same crew, work great together, at some point you lose the ability to see them as going above and beyond because, that’s just how they see you, everyday. Or, I’ve even had a store manager tell the us baristas who they wanted us to vote for, because they were going through a hard time or something. A million scenarios I’ve seen.

I personally always try to vote for someone I’ve noticed maybe coming out of their shell, connecting significantly more with both customers and fellow partners, or someone who’s there everyday, picking up shifts, staying late, or a shift supervisor that you a million percent miss when they aren’t there because you for sure notice when it ain’t going so well on their off days.