Sadly, some people are just plain rude. No matter the situation, they just can’t help but bring the negativity. Thankfully, there are lots of kind people out there too.
The owner of Pizza Inn in Greenville, South Carolina showed how awesome she is when she turned a rude customer’s suggestion on its ear.
It all happened on a Sunday when a customer asked one of the employees to refill the salad bowl. The employee is Ryan Mosley and he has Down Syndrome. The customer complained.
“My manager explained to him the situation privately, ‘That’s not his job. We’ve trained him to do this and there are special circumstances,’ and the customer was still not happy.” said the owner.
The customer suggested that they post a sign warning customers that they have employees with special needs.
When Amanda Cartagine, who owns and operates the beloved Pizza Inn, heard this, she was instantly offended.
“These are like my kids, and it made me angry. I wanted to do something that was not rude, but got my point across,” she said.
Amanda Cartagine, takes pride in her staff and she thinks of them as her kids. Her Pizza Inn staff is diverse. She says that around 60% of her employees have special needs.
“If you have the patience to let them take their time and learn at their pace, when the light bulb comes on, they are unstoppable.” she said.
It’s people like Cartagine who can change the world by taking the time and effort to help others in need.
“Some of us have different color hair, some of us have tattoos, some of us have different walks or personalities, but as a unit, we are family.” Cartagine says.
Cartagine wanted to do something about the situation. She was angry and protective of her employees. She took the customer’s suggestion of posting a warning and decided to change it in an inspiring way.
She posted a sign of her own. But unlike the customer’s rude warning, this was a notice full of kindness and heart.
The newly posted sign reads, “We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and hire all of God’s children.”
Precise and to the point, the sign was a big hit in the community. The little note created a swelling of pride for Cartagine, her employees, and her customers.
And does Cartagine care what the complaining customer thinks of this new sign?
“If he is not OK with that, then I’m OK with him not coming back.” said Cartagine. “That’s a dollar that I don’t need.”
Ryan Mosley started working at the Pizza Inn over the summer and he has excelled in Cartagine’s kind and loving environment. His mom, Angie, said that Ryan loves getting his paychecks.
“He loved the fact that he has money in the bank and he can actually go buy his favorite video game.” Angie said.
Angie Mosley is very proud of her son’s achievements and she was disheartened when she heard about the complaint. So few businesses take the time and effort to hire people with special needs.
“We parents with special needs (children) are always faced with breaking down barriers, stigmas, teaching other people that our children are more like them, than different.” said Mosley.
This video is very inspiring. Amanda Cartagine runs a caring and compassionate pizza joint that rises above and beyond the norm. Her story and what she’s doing with her restaurant could have us all striving to set higher standards.
Ryan’s mom hopes that this new sign will spur people on to be more open-minded. And we can all endeavor to be more welcoming of differences.
Watch the video below to see the kindness and grace exhibited by this wonderful employer.
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