Today Patty and I decided to get a pizza for lunch. Its been a hard week preparing reports and juggling numbers and we were both well fried by noon. I called our regular pizza place, Lazzaras which is just down the street from us.

I ordered, gave my phone number and then hear this, “Mr. Mason, you have ten Loyalty dollars to spend, would you like to use them on this order?”

“What do you mean, Loyalty Dollars? I don’t have a loyalty card with you.”

“Yes you do, we keep track of your orders automatically, and award you whenever you get to a certain amount.”

“Ok,” I said, “Sure, take ten dollars off my bill!”

I went in and picked up the pizza and told the owner and the workers they were brilliant.

Why?

Because they gave a loyal customer the benefit of a loyalty program without even asking. I didn’t have to fill out a card, give an email address, pay a yearly fee, or (worst of all) carry around a card in my wallet to take advantage of the offer. The store simply kept track of my orders (they ask for your phone number whenever you call in an order, very reasonable, right?) and when I reached their awards tier, gave me store credit. That is good business. Working behind the scenes, without pomp and circumstance, without bugging the customer, without the customers knowledge, adding value and rewarding loyalty without prompting.

I think we can all – no matter our situation learn from this. If you are in business, what are you doing silently, without fanfare, to make your customers experience better, to reward faithful patronage? If you are pastoring a church or running a ministry, what are you doing in the background, unannounced, to add value to your congregations life? If your working a job, in middle management, or just starting out, what are you doing to make your boss’ life better? How about the customers you serve? What are you doing in your family without being asked or told, without even making it known, to make their lives better?

I don’t know if they were thinking this when they enacted this policy, but Lazzaras is practicing a principle that Jesus taught.

Matthew 6:1…”Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3 “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 “that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Doing something for your customers without them even knowing. That is simply brilliant.

When everyone else is looking for their slice of the pie, what are you doing to give someone an extra slice?

When I was a pastor, I always had something I did in the church that I told no one about. It was my private ministry between me and God. As a Missionary, I find there are many things that need done that I could budget money for, pay someone to do. But I do them because I can do a lot more than I tend to think. And so can you.

What are you quietly doing to add value, to help someone, to make a difference?