06/04/2026
1. Your appearance and posture set the tone. Long before I entered law enforcement, I learned the importance of dress, deportment and presence. Not only did Ed, the owner of the service station, insist on (and pay for) clean and pressed uniforms, he mandated that no matter the weather, we had to be outside at the pumps, always ready to serve.
2. How you treat others says a lot about your character. Whether it was a brand new Mercedes Benz filling up or a beat up old Toyota that just needed five bucks in the tank to get to work, each customer had their oil level checked, tire pressures topped off, and windows washed. Everyone was treated equally.
3. Accountability is more impactful than discipline. I left the oil cap off after servicing a car. A day later the owner came back (rightfully) demanding he be made whole. Ed reassured the customer that we’d make it right and, in lieu of firing me, calmly instructed me to pressure wash the customer’s engine compartment and detail the car. Mistakes are learning opportunities, not a personal affront in need of retribution.
Thanks, Ed.
