LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Customer service can be a tricky task to master, but a longtime Louisvillian has it down pat. You'll find George Crawford at the St. Matthews Chick-fil-A five days a week, sharing his smile and songs.
The Birmingham born boy became a Louisville local back in 1963. Since then, he's had a hand in hot spots all over town.
"I helped set all of that marble all the way up and down on that Humana building on 5th Street,” Crawford said.
He also decked out the docks by the Belle of Louisville and served in security on 4th Street Live. At 78, he’s retired before, but he couldn’t sit still for long. After asking for an application in the drive-thru, Crawford started at the store three years ago.
"Every day working here, I get a joy. I'm a people person, and I love people. I know mostly everybody who comes in here, and they know me. I try to keep it real. Sometime, I'm proper. Sometime, I'm not,” Crawford said. "You showing people love like that, and sometime they don't really believe it. I say well you're at Chick-Fil-A, and I say we're going to spoil you while you're in here. So, that's what I do. We spoil them."
You can often find Crawford playing his harmonica for customers and passing out candy to the kids.
"I'm working in the store and playing, and the little children just love it,” Crawford said. "Every kid who comes in here gets a piece of candy, a treat. They call me the Candy Man and the Harmonica Man."
Crawford said his faith fuels him.
"I give God all of the glory,” Crawford said. "It's just a blessing."
His favorite food does, too.
"I like that number one chicken sandwich that my wife don't want me to eat because I'm not supposed to be eating that kind of stuff because of my sugar,” Crawford said. “Sometimes, I just splurge. I get that number one and a large fry. I like that spicy deluxe. That's me."
Crawford provides plenty of his own flavor, with an attitude we can all adopt.
"My secret weapon is more love. That's the key right there,” Crawford said.
Crawford and his wife have 6 children, 31 grandkids, and 8 great grandkids. You can catch him Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
►Contact reporter Sara Wagner at swagner@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Sara) and Facebook.