Most people are familiar with the phrase “finding a needle in a haystack.”  Yet, few can actually give an example of a time when they found a tiny object that was feared gone forever due to the quick thinking and positive attitude of an Actively Engaged employee.

Deb Kirby, a resident of Attleboro, Massachusetts, is one of those people after she accidentally threw away five of her favorite rings, including her wedding and engagement bands, last month.  Fortunately, she was reunited with them after Waste Management workers helped her sift through 15 tons of garbage.  What makes this story special is not only did Kirby get back her beloved rings, but the Actively Engaged Waste Management employees who went above and beyond the call of duty to help Kirby did so without thinking twice.

As soon as Kirby determined she had thrown out the rings with paper towels, she called Aaron Smith, who is the district manager of Waste Management and the trash hauler for Attleboro.  Smith was truly touched by Kirby’s story and felt compelled to do everything in his power to try and recover the rings.

After making a handful of telephone calls, Smith figured out that the truck carrying Kirby’s rings was not far from the incinerator.  In the nick of time, he had the truck immediately redirected to a transfer station where the trash bags were unloaded.  Upon narrowing their search to between 100 and 200 bags, eight Waste Management workers and Kirby began to search them.  As soon as one of the workers found Kirby’s jewelry, she became overwhelmed with emotion and immediately hugged him and his co-workers.

Kirby was more than impressed with the Waste Management crew.  “They could have very easily said there’s no way you’re going to find those rings,” Kirby said.  “But they took the extra steps and they made the effort and it paid off.”

This story is a perfect example of how Smith and his engaged colleagues created a satisfied customer who was happy to openly share her experience with others.  Smith and his fellow workers boosted Waste Management’s external brand reputation simply by going above and beyond.  Plus, people who heard this captivating anecdote will now have a more positive association with Waste Management.  Overall, Actively Engaged employees truly care about their job and demonstrate a willingness to go outside of the responsibilities included in their job description to help a customer.