My Jimmy John's Experience

Jimmy John’s is a franchised sandwich restaurant founded by the one and only Jimmy John Liatuad.  Rutgers students are fortunate enough to have a Jimmy John’s right here on campus down Easton Ave. 

On my excursion to Jimmy John’s with Purple Drank, I had such a memorable time because Jimmy John's made my trip wonderful.  As we approached JJ’s, the worker welcomed us by kindly opening the door for us.  The little things people do can make a huge impact on others.  

The workers are always smiling and making the customers feel welcomed.  As I was ordering my sandwich, the person said, “Hi, my name is Dan.  How may I help you?” Jimmy John's have a lot of sandwiches on their menu, so I couldn't make up my mind on what sandwich to get.  Therefore, he asked me what kind of sandwich I was looking for and suggested a sandwich to me.  I decided to take his advice and try the sandwich out.  Surprisingly, he ended the order by saying “Have a great day!”  I am usually not greeted like that at most fast food restaurants, so this was very unusual to me.  However, it was a good feeling because he was so positive to me.

Dan is a perfect example of how an orientation leader should be.  As OL's, we need to appreciate the incoming first-year students over the summer to make them feel welcome to Rutgers.  The first impression that an OL makes is what the student may remember the most.  By doing what Dan did and greet the students with a simple, "Hi, my name is Ray.  How may I help you?"  At first, the students will be so overwhelm with what Rutgers has to offer.  If an OL could suggest a class to take or what dining hall to eat at, the students can slowly get a sense of the campus and feel more like at home.


What intrigued me the most is that by the time I finished ordering, the sandwich was made already.  JJ's make their sandwiches incredibly fast.  Usually I think of quality over quantity, but somehow they found a way to make quality in every quantity.  Despite the long lines Jimmy John's deal with, they are able to produce great tasting sandwiches in such a short amount of time.

Throughout the Summer, orientation leaders will partake in many sessions with a copious amount of incoming first-year students.  OL's must remember that they should be producing quality in every quantity.  Although, the students will only have two days for orientation, OL's will do their best at every session by equipping the students with what they need to know for the rest of their college experience.

I walked out of Jimmy John's as an extremely satisfied customer.  I felt like a valved guest because of the way they treated me.  The workers were very positive which made me feel good interacting with them.  I was unexpectedly greeted by the cashier, Dan, and thanked by him for coming in.  Despite the fact that the whole group got sandwiches, the workers were able to make each sandwich taste amazing.  Better yet, the sandwiches came out super fast.  In correlations to new student orientation, the little things we do for the incoming first-year students can have a huge impact on them.  In fact, it can even make their summer a memorable one and proud to forever be a Scarlet Knight.