When a customer walked into #494, Stone Mountain, Georgia, with her two sons, she approached the deli counter ready to order. Her youngest son has special needs, and she usually orders his sub for him.

But Deli Clerk Sandy Craig was ready to provide the Publix difference. She was more than happy to take her time crafting the son’s sub just to his liking and engaged him in conversation. As the young man pointed to each of the vegetables he wanted on his sub, his smile grew bigger and brighter.

“I noticed he started smiling more,” Sandy said. “His mom told me that he loved to cook. I asked him if he had a cooking class in school. He said he did, so I told him that would be a good job for him — to work in food service.”

Sandy, who joined the Publix family in 2014, said she wanted to make the young man comfortable, the same way she does with all her customers.

“I was focusing on him, because he was my customer at the time,” Sandy said.

The mother was so impressed with this service that she made a point to tell Sandy’s managers — which earned Sandy a gold coin for taking exceptional care   of her customer and promoting the Publix culture in her work.

“I was just coming in and doing my job as an associate,” Sandy said. “We were busy that day, but I try to treat everyone with respect and make sure they have what they need, and then I move on to the next person.”

And along the way, Sandy enjoys getting to know the people she works with and the customers she meets.

“It’s like a connection place for me, where I can meet and interact with people, including my fellow associates,” Sandy said.

The gold coin is presented to associates who embrace the Publix culture and provide premier service the way Mr. George himself would have. Receiving a gold coin means you’ve made a real difference in the lives of others by going above and beyond. Associates can become eligible for the gold coin by receiving customer praise through the customer care department, which reviews each case based on established criteria and guidelines.

Take a moment to read about other gold coin winners in Publix News.