Tuesday, July 15, 2014

How my carwash attendant proved Ray Charles was right

"I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great," Ray Charles once said.

Fame is all relative, obviously, but fame is defined as "the condition of being known or talked about by many people." Great is defined as "of ability, quality above the normal or average."

Enter Herson from Guatemala.
Herson cleans cars at a car wash I have been going for years.  The first time he cleaned my car, I was so impressed, I complimented him and gave him a larger tip than I usually would have. He greeted me with a smile, opened my door, handed over my keys and said,  "just ask for me and I will clean your car every time."
He has been cleaning my car ever since.  And has been consistently excellent every time.
We all know how back breaking, drying and cleaning cars can be. Not to mention minimum wage.
But Herson, has stuck with it, has always been pleasant and has always done a superb job.
Arguably, one can say he is great at what he does.

I also noticed that Herson has the same rapport with all his clients. Not just me. It seems that everyone who is a regular at this place, wants Herson to finish their car. It is amazing, I noticed it again today.  I bet his regulars, (count me as one), refer him by name.
Bear in mind, here in LA, a good car wash referral ranks as high as a good restaurant recommendation.

So did Herson set out to be famous by washing cars?  Probably not.  But he definitely is great.
And I am writing about him. And you are reading about him. So its fair to say that he has gained some fame maybe not as large as Ray's, but still.
So no matter what your chosen profession, do the best you can. Don't just be good be great.
You never know what your greatness can bring.

Thank you Herson for being such a great guy! I wish you all the fame in the world!






He can be found at Melrose Strip Auto Detailing, at 7673 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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