It’s official—you’ve probably never met anyone quite like Cindy Lovell, who last week celebrated 18 years as a Whataburger “family member.”
Lovell was first brought to our attention by a customer who met her outside the store, and was so impressed with her demeanor and cheerful attitude that he approached Sapulpa Times about buying an ad to celebrate her milestone.
We reached out to find out what it was that kept Lovell at the Sapulpa restaurant so long.
“I just like everybody,” she said, sweetly. It’s clear in her voice and attitude that she’s not bluffing.
“All the customers, and the family members (Whataburger’s affectionate name for their employees), it’s a great company to work with. We’re all one big family,” she said.
Robert Allen, the store’s Operating Manager, says that people come by and ask to see Cindy on a regular basis. He credits her popularity to her consistent cheerful disposition. “Cindy’s never in a bad mood,” he said. “I’ve been at this store for five years, and she’s always positive, always happy to be here.”
What’s a typical day like for this cheerful Whataburger wonder?
“Busy,” she says.
“I try to pray every day, ‘Lord, would you please help me to show them you,’ and not let them see me, you know what I mean? Sometimes I’ve noticed that when they’re grouchy or in a bad mood, kindness will win them over.”
Cindy says she’s attended Kellyville Holiness Church “all my life,” and that her dad was a song leader there for years. When he passed away, it was her Whataburger family that helped her get through it.
Her love of life and laughter is contagious, and if you’re in the Whataburger lobby, you might get caught up in the fun that Cindy initiates. “One year at Christmas, we had some customers that like to sing Christmas carols, so I started singing ‘Jingle Bells,’ or something and needless to say, that whole lobby was singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs.”
And to be clear, this isn’t a rowdy 2 am crowd at Whataburger; “it was eight or nine in the morning,” she said.
In her 18 years of service to Whataburger, Cindy says that she’s seen a great improvement in the technology and tools that are used for training. And in true Whataburger spirit, the training is much like the rest of the culture: people helping people.
“Somebody’s with you, they stand beside you and help you get it done.”
As if on cue, a customer walks over to give Cindy a gift to congratulate her on her anniversary. Betty Slaton has known Cindy for years, and she says that Cindy is “such a good employee.”
“She treats everybody so nice and always has a smile on her face,” she said. “That’s why so many people like her.”
