How An Entire Community Repaid This McDonald's Employee's Kindness

The purpose of fast food is explained in the name: quick service that lets customers get in, order, and get out. A 2021 study by SeeLevel HX found that the average spent waiting for fast food at a drive-thru was just 6 minutes and 22 seconds (via PR Newswire). That's not a long stretch of time to meaningfully interact with someone, and it's still nearly a half-minute longer than the previous year's average. But employees have been known to go above and beyond. 

Many people consider Chick-fil-A the reigning champ of customer service, and it has the customer service awards to back up that claim. Perhaps you've also heard of the Chick-fil-A drive-thru employee who Reddit praised for pushing a customer's broken-down car in 115-degree heat and even offered the driver lemonade. There were also the Chick-fil-A employees who braved a winter storm to serve free food to snow-stranded drivers and welcomed people into their restaurant. 

But while Chick-fil-A seems to have the most recognized employees, they are not the only food industry workers who've earned the gold star for kind behavior. A McDonald's employee in Texas is so kind that a whole community took the time to say thanks.

A Mcdonald's employee in Bedford, TX is for her cheery, mood-boosting behavior. WFAA reported that Dawn Crager has been brightening the days of drive-thru customers for 11 years. They're met with a familiar "hey, sweetie" and sent on their way with a "have an awesome day!" Crager not only has a signature greeting and sign-off but also really likes to get to know customers and their stories. "Three of them I can think of right now I'm really close to," she noted in an interview, "and I do spend some holidays with them."

Crager's way with patrons has not gone unnoticed. She has some loyal customers, and some of them literally go the extra mile to see her. Instead of visiting a closer McDonald's, they drive to Crager's location just for her cheery hello and to catch up. Recently, customers showed Crager how beloved she is. During the course of a shift, they gave her gifts, cards, and other tokens of appreciation. Customers have rained praise on her, saying Crager "starts your day off right" said calling her "a ray of sunshine." Another appreciative community member said, "She is just a blessing to a lot of us." Despite only having a short amount of time at the drive-thru, her kindness goes a long way toward making people's days.