Finding stories in the drive-thru line at McDonald's

Social Media strategy consultant Jay Baer tells the story of an employee who exceeds expectations in today's post: Social Media Excellence and a Side of Fries

He tells the story of Mary Moss, who works at a McDonald's restaurant in Chandler, Arizona. At her drive-thru window, Mary stands out as someone who makes sincere connections. She remembers her customers and cares about their lives. As she tells it:

“I think a lot of people just expect quick service, and it surprises them when they get a certain amount of personal attention. Sometimes all it takes is a smile and a quick compliment to turn their day around.”

Mary's unique style with the headset has attracted a following.

One fan started an official Facebook page: I love Mary @ McDonalds

And she caught the attention of her local paper, The Arizona Republic:
McDonald's drive-thru worker gains online fan base

McDonald's is not local. But the way Mary Moss brings heart to her McDonald's job is certainly a good local business story.

A big lesson here is that you can find stories anywhere. Reading blogs, checking Facebook or while stopping by for a burger and fries.

A future personalized

Fast Company recently posted an article describing what IDEO, a global design consultancy used by Fortune 500 companies, believes journalism will look like after its traditional business models have collapsed.
The article criticizes news organizations for their loss of credibility, clunky and inefficient distribution systems and for marginalizing consumers in the dialogue of how to save journalism.
Yet IDEO still has hope for the future of news. It forsees a future of highly-contextualized hyper-local citizen journalism that contributes to a dense web of collective knowledge thriving on immediacy. From the story:

In these scenarios, we see that information has become even more personalized and hyperlocal--and, paradoxically, more communal, participatory, and global. Journalism is more like having a conversation. People speak with unique voices, take ownership of content, and establish credibility, which in turn enables strong communities in which news can thrive.

View the story here. See discussion about the future of journalism here.

What do you think of IDEO's vision of journalism's future? Comment and tell us.