Written by my good friend the MoonMan, Gary Moon

People often ask me how I always seem to get the best deals and treatment wherever I go.  They never believe me when I tell them my secret...donuts and bagels.  It's true, donuts and bagels have opened up so many doors for me.  A perfect example happened this past Friday when I had to take my wife's car into the dealership for service.  I always take our cars to the dealership...I'll write more on that another time. 

 I'm the type of person that doesn't like to inconvenience friends.  You know what I'm talking about...we all have friends who want us to follow them to the auto repair shop, wait around for them, drive them to their work or home, and then pick them up later in the day to go get their car.  The only time I would do that is if my friend and I were able to spend the day together...go to lunch, go to a movie, and just hang out...otherwise I don't bother them.  My friends are busy people...just like I am...so I try to be respectful of them and their time.

 My appointment at the dealership was for 8:30A.M.  Before arriving I stopped at my local Safeway (not sure if they have Safeway in your area...but this is one of my favorite stores...I'm able to rack up frequent flyer miles by shopping here...more on that another time) and buy 1 dozen assorted donuts and 1 dozen assorted bagels, and 1 bottled water for myself.  The total cost was $13 and some change (I double dipped on the frequent flyer miles by paying for everything with my AMEX card). 

 When I arrived at the dealership I walked into the service area carrying a box of donuts (I've found that this crew likes donuts and I'm not going to let them down).  I'm immediately recognized and acknowledged by my first name.  I refuse to have people call me Mr. Moon.  I let them know that Mr. Moon was my father and that my name is Gary.  I'm always a little cautious around anyone who insists on having people (especially in the service industry) refer to them as Mr. or Dr. or whatever title or degree they've earned.  I have an old friend who is friends with Paul McCartney (yes, the Beatle, Paul McCartney).  Jokingly, I asked him if he referred to him as Sir, Paul.  He said, "No. I just call him Paul."  Think whatever you may want to about McCartney...I think he's pretty down to Earth and grounded after hearing that story.

 After checking me in at service they let me know that my car would be in the shop till almost 4P.M.  They asked me if I'd be needing a car to get around.  I let them know that I would.  They told me that they would pick up the tab for a loaner car and that they would have a nationally known car rental company (I don't want to mention any names so as to not incriminate anyone) pick me up and provide me with a vehicle.  I told them thank you and let them know that they can call me on my cell when the car is ready to be picked up. 

 I went back out to my car and got the dozen bagels and wait to be picked up.  The gentleman who picked me up didn't know me so I introduced myself.  This company always has new trainees coming in so I make it a point to find out their name, where they're from, and what inspired them to work for this company as opposed to any other.  When we arrived at the rental lot the manager immediately came out to greet me and I gave him the dozen bagels for his employees.  He verified that my car is in the shop for service and that the dealership is covering the cost of my car. 

 Here's where the beauty of my bagels comes into play...the dealership will only pay for an economy car for a full sized car.  But, because I've established a great rapport over the years with this company and its employees I get to choose which car I want to drive at no extra cost to me.  I've also done my research and I know that car rental companies always like to offer specials on the weekends because that's when they rent the least number of cars.  So I'm going in on a Friday (the start of the weekend when they should have most of their cars returned or returning).  I also make sure to let everyone know that I'm flexible...if they need me to return their car to them a little earlier I can definitely do so.  Before I forget...I should tell you that my wife and I are Toyota people.  We're not into spending big bucks and having huge payments for a car.  The cars we drive are not brand new...but they are extremely well maintained and serviced. 

 That being said what car do you think I chose?  I chose the Jaguar. :-)  It was free and available for me to use a good part of the day so I thought why not.  Did I start driving it around and showing it off to everyone?  No.  That's not the point...the point for me is that I wanted to spoil myself a little bit...I wanted to indulge myself by driving a premium automobile.  I did some errands, I drove to a family members house and used their computer to answer some e-mails, and I returned some phone calls.  I had lunch with a friend, ran a few more errands and by then it was time to return the loaner car and pick my car up from service.  It was a great day.  I got a kick out of driving the Jaguar...I had a smile on my face most of the day.  And what did it cost me?  A dozen bagels.

 Back at the dealership I noticed that my car had been washed and vacuumed for me.  As I was checking out the service writer let me know that she had given me a 20% discount off my total bill.  She told me that she had applied a 10% off coupon that they had recently mailed out and that she gave me an additional 10% off for being a loyal customer.  Think about it...a simple box of donuts got me first class service...but it's a little bit more than that.  I know what you're thinking, "There's a catch."

 No, there's not a catch (some of you may still think it's a catch...but you're wrong)...you just have to do things with the idea of doing good for others.  When I deliver the donuts and bagels I'm not thinking about how I'm going to get them to do anything for me.  I go in there knowing that these people work hard, they have a tough job, and a majority of the time they have to deal with rude and inconsiderate customers...I just want to try to put a smile on their face.  I always go in expecting nothing and I always find myself getting so much in return.  If you can brighten someone's day or put a smile on their face, they will remember you.  I admit that I want to be known as the uplifting and inspiring customer and not the jerk that everyone dreads seeing.