Customer favorite at Fry’s Starbucks in Gilbert wins Pay It Forward award

GILBERT, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- We Paid It Forward to Diane Schweikardt, a customer favorite at a Fry’s Starbucks in Gilbert.

Jack Laniero nominated Diane for her hard work and friendliness to customers. “With the staff shortages, she sometimes works a week straight. She’s trained all the new people and she’s happy to see everybody every day. Not just me, I hear other customers tell Diane that we don’t go through the drive thru; we come to see you. She is very well-liked in this community,” he explained.

Jack is a regular and got sick a few years ago. Dianne noticed he hadn’t ordered drinks for a few weeks and spoke with his wife, Eileen. She found out what hospital he was in and visited him. This meant a lot to Jack. Because she cares so much about her customers, they wanted to pay it forward to her.

We walked up to Diane to give her the surprise. “Hi how are you? We got a wonderful email from Jack here, and we have something for you. How about a gift of $500? This is from channel 3 news, they call it Pay It Forward. This is for everything you have done and how nice you are. We love you,” said Horton.

Diane is well respected by her peers. She is willing to go the extra mile to ensure her customers are happy. She said it feels great to be appreciated. “I have never had this happen before; I am truly overwhelmed. Thank you so much,” said Diane.

If you would like to nominate someone for our Pay It Forward Award, just log on to our website and fill out a nomination form.

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