Enjoy a truly tacotastic time at the Herriman Taco Bell
Aug 11, 2021 11:55AM ● By Karmel Harper
Tacotastic Justin with one of the store’s delicious delights. (Karmel Harper/City Journals)
By Karmel Harper | [email protected]
There is a silly meme out there that says, “You cannot make everyone happy. You are not a taco.” However anyone who has visited the Herriman Taco Bell on 5088 W 134000 S and has had the pleasure of interacting with employee Justin Reynolds might disagree.
In early July, a post raving about Reynolds’ outstanding customer service in the Herriman Happenings Facebook page garnered over 330 likes and dozens of comments praising Reynolds’ work ethic and friendly attitude as well as general compliments for the entire staff. The store's Marketing Training Manager, Melissa Lambert, was overwhelmed with gratitude for the praise Herriman residents showered on her team. Lambert said, “This made my day. It has been stressful lately. My staff has been working a ton so we don’t run short. They truly are all amazing.”
But one particular thing caught the attention of Herriman residents that uniquely belongs to 17-year-old Reynolds, who will be a senior at Herriman High School in the Fall. After exceptionally great service and ensuring orders are correct, Reynolds’ farewell phrase places the final cherry on top of an ideal fast food experience. Reynolds says to every customer, “Have a tacotastic day!” Reynolds’ signature adieu is a phrase that customers love and remember. This simple phrase is just one example that conveys his immense joy in his work and love for his co-workers. Clever quips aside, Reynolds’ work skills are impressive as he has an incredible memory and is quite skilled at multitasking. He has memorized the prices including tax for the entire Taco Bell menu and is able to group customers’ orders into combos in an instant, saving them some money. His sharp memory also gives him the ability to remember faces to recognize and acknowledge return customers. In a fast-paced work environment that keeps employees on their feet all day, Lambert also loves Reynolds’ ability to remain calm.
Justin's mother, Veronica Reynolds, said that Justin has been a people person ever since birth. She said, “He always makes me laugh. People just gravitate towards him and he makes them happy. He loves going to work and his co-workers are like family. He says he loves being at work almost as much as he loves being at home.” Although Justin is often found working the drive-through, he loves working a new role called “Bell Hop” where he goes outside, meets customers face to face, and takes their order via a tablet. He said, “I get to actually be there in front of the customer and communicate with them in person and not through a speaker box. They can see my face and I can see theirs and it is just better.”
Emily Taylor of Herriman said, “I too have had a wonderful experience at the drive thru with Justin. My husband and I always hope we get him when we order. I always know my order will be made right when he's there. We even did the Taco Bell survey and put a good word in for him. We hope they gave him something for that!” Indeed, Taco Bell does reward their employees who get shout-outs from the surveys. Lambert explained that every time an employee receives a “Highly Satisfied” rating from the survey, they receive a poker chip. Employees can collect poker chips to redeem prizes. Reynolds has already redeemed two Amazon gift cards and is well on his way to redeeming more.
Reynolds’ short-term goal with Taco Bell is to continue working there as much as he can and become a Team Trainer. His other interests include computers and plans to pursue a Computer Science degree in college. In a world where a lot of fast food jobs have high turnover and low employee satisfaction, the team at the Herriman Taco Bell gives their customers more than just quesadillas and burritos. They provide smiles, happy employees, good service, and a tacotastic experience.