Mike Gates has a great attitude. He is always in a good mood and always quick with a laugh. Mike is also a guy that not only knows a lot about printing and signage, but he knows a lot about a lot of things! Mike is an avid sports fan, music lover, and he drives one of the coolest cars that you will ever see, a 1996 Lincoln Town car. Having an affinity for cars, and a knowledge of a lot of things, Mike knows the sound of a car that is in need of repair.
One Saturday, Mike, as the manager of FASTSIGNS West End-Richmond, was in the office catching up on paperwork and getting organized for the next week with his teammate Norman. They heard the sound of a tire blow out. Mike looked out the window and saw a car that had accidentally driven up on the curb while parking, and in doing so hit a metal grate and blew the tire. The lady driver didn’t realize what had happened and proceeded into the business beside FASTSIGNS. After about an hour the lady returned to her car, got in and proceeded to pull out. Mike, realizing what was happening ran outside, stopped the lady and told her that her tire was flat. As Mike later recalled, “she had no idea what had happened and she had no idea what to do”. Mike took charge, and explained to the lady what needed to be done. He found a full size spare tire in the trunk, a tool to unlock the locked lugs, and then proceeded to change the tire. As witnessed by Mike’s teammate Norman, the lady was very thankful and appreciative of what Mike did!
But Mike was not the only one being observant on this day. The owner of the store that this lady had visited noticed what was going on, and what Mike had done for her customer. The next Monday the owner of the neighboring store came into FASTSIGNS and told Mike and Norman that she saw what happened on Saturday, and how impressed she was with what they did. She told Mike and Norman that she needed some signage for her business, and that although she typically works with another sign company she planned to order this sign from FASTSIGNS because she likes doing business with people who have a heart for others!
Even though Mike was just being himself and doing what comes naturally, he was also living out the FASTSIGNS-TREXLO Value of LOVE/PASSION/RESPECT, by “Displaying a love of life with positive attitude and an appreciation for God’s blessings by giving back to those in need”. Mike has been blessed with a lot of knowledge and ability to do many different things, with his mind and with his hands. This lady driver didn’t have the knowledge to change her tire nor the ability to change her tire. Mike used the skills and knowledge that he has been given to give back to someone in need! Thank you Mike Gates for sharing your talents and knowledge with this lady on this particular day, and thank you for sharing your talents and knowledge with FASTSIGNS and our clients every day!