“Would you like a bagel while we speak, Miss Jones?” I asked.
“No, sir.” She smiled. “I already ate this morning, and it’s my pleasure to just watch you devour in front of me.”
“Okay.” I pretended not to hear that last part. “What exactly do you do here?”
“I’m an aesthetic specialist.”
“I know what your job title is,” I said. “What does it mean?”
“I make things more aesthetic and special.”
I gave her a blank stare.
“I’m very fulfilled here.” She smiled. “I do great work.”
“How about you walk me through your typical day here,” I said. “Let’s try this question that way.”
“Oh! Well, after clocking in, I redeem my punch card for my free daily latte, and I start with the hardest thing first: the lobby’s grand fountain.”
“Since tourists throw new coins in there every day, I make sure to take my time spreading them around so they shine well under the lights.”
I set down my knife.
“The water is freezing cold, so I have to make sure I wear weather-resistant gloves,” she said. “I try my best to make sure all the silver coins are on top within four hours.”
“You’ve been getting an actual paycheck for this?”
“After that, I commit to the new Cross mantra and eat my lunch while walking to my next task,” she said. “That’s where the aesthetic part of my job really kicks in.”
It better…
“I go from floor to floor, department to department, and make sure that each receptionist and waiting area has freshly trimmed flowers, clean windows, and that everything looks social media-ready.”
“And this takes four hours as well?”
“No, this takes six.” She shook her head. “By the time I reach the fiftieth floor, I’m technically ‘off,’ but I go the extra mile and finish the final floors before leaving for the day. I take my job here very seriously, and I hope you can see that, sir.”
I was speechless.
“Do you want me to explain why I shouldn’t be fired now?”
You’re already at the top of the list…
“No, that’s okay,” I said. “I think I understand your job perfectly.”
“I also brought my ideas like you asked.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her purse. “I used to work at our competition, so I can totally tell you the ins and outs, and where we can crush them long-term.”
I took the paper from her, bracing myself for more disappointment, but on it was a list of QR codes. Above each one was a category—loyalty program, customer service, barista benefits, marketing, and sales.
“I drafted a ten-page plan for each,” she said. “I figured it would be easier for you to read it this way, but um…I’ve already lost fifteen minutes of my fountain time today, so do you mind if I get to it?”
“Go ahead, Miss Jones,” I said. “Enjoy that job while you can….”
“Thanks!” She didn’t catch my tone.
When she was out of my office, I scanned her work to my cloud and texted Ciara.
I just gave you access to something I want you to look into by the end of the day. Get Miss Stone to help you with it.
