For The Love of Pizza
Oregon native Kirk Alexander is a 48-year-old man with a love for pizza that goes deeper than the average person. For over ten years, Domino’s Pizza provided him with a daily supply of this beloved cheesy meal. One day, he didn’t call to place his usual order. The employees at Dominoes wondered whether he had simply lost his appetite, oblivious to the shocking real reason why he hadn’t called that day.
After Placing A Daily Order For A Decade Pizza Shop Employees Fear The Worst When Customer Stops Calling
Known Around The Neighborhood
The employees knew Kirk well, particularly as he had a knack for ordering every day. The manager and staff of the Salem based Domino’s branch he preferred to order from was used to seeing his head pop in, after placing an order online. In some ways, he had become a part of their little work family and everyone was used to seeing him often in any given week.
Known Around The Neighborhood
Keeping To Himself
Kirk’s neighbors said that they liked to knock on his door from time to time to say hello, but it would be rare for him to actually answer. Robert Lalonde, who lives right across from Kirk, recalls only a few times that Kirk had actually answered when he had knocked to check-in.
Keeping To Himself
Reserved and Respectful
Other neighbors recall that Kirk was a kind man, albeit that he mostly kept to himself and didn’t like to get involved in the lives of others. Ben Theodoriches, who lived a few doors down from Kirk, recalls him helping out with fixing his computer once, referring to him as a bit of a tech whizz in the process.
Reserved And Respectful
Familiar With The Pizza Crew
Kirk is well known by the Domino’s delivery drivers too, who often had conversations with him at the door when they were dropping off his regular order. It seems he was more willing to speak to the staff at the pizza place than he was to engage with people around the neighborhood, preferring to keep to himself where possible.
Familiar With The Pizza Crew
Kirk Goes Quiet
When Kirk didn’t order one day, nobody raised too much alarm. A few days passed and employees got curious. After eleven days of not hearing from him, everyone assumed he must have gone on a trip with friends, or be out of town for business. They hoped they would see him again soon.
Kirk Goes Quiet
Employees Consider Taking Action
As time went on, the employees even discussed their concerns with the delivery drivers, asking them if they had seen him on their rounds, and clarifying that they hadn’t done any deliveries to his house for nearly two weeks. A quick check of the system confirmed this as well.
Employees Consider Taking Action
A Hunch from Management
General Manager Sarah Fuller had a hunch that something was off. He had been a loyal customer for a decade, and it was out of place for him not to order a pizza for such a long stretch of time. He had become a part of the furniture so to speak, and she worried that something might have happened to him.
A Hunch From Management
A Change is as Good as a Holiday
Over the years, Kirk had taken some time off, but never had he been gone for close to two weeks. The staff pondered whether this could have been an exception, asking each other if he had mentioned something. They even wondered if he had moved to a new pizza place altogether.
A Change Is As Good As A Holiday
Not a One-Trick Pony
Kirk had gotten used to ordering a variety of items on the menu over the years. He wasn’t someone who stuck to a single item, and he explored different options. It was obvious to anyone who knew him that he simply loved the Domino’s franchise and that he wouldn’t just up and leave to go and support a rival pizza business in the area.
Not A One Trick Pony
Time To Take Action
As it was approaching two weeks since he first ordered, manager Sarah Fuller decided it was time to take action. Everyone had grown increasingly concerned that something had happened to Kirk, so she decided to send out an employee to check up on him at his home.
Time To Take Action
Rising To The Occasion
Regular delivery driver Tracey Hamblen was up for the task and ready to pay Kirk a visit. As she walked towards his front door, her first impression was that the lights were on, which was strange, considering it was daytime. She could also hear that the television was on, with the volume turned up.
Rising To The Occasion
Knocks Aplenty
After a few minutes of persistent knocking, there was no answer. After checking in with Sarah, Tracey agreed that it was time to call 911. There was definitely activity in the home, but Kirk had not answered the door, which wasn’t uncommon to his neighbors, but certainly was to the pizza company.
Knocks Aplenty
Getting Increasingly Worried
By the time Tracey got back to the store, everyone was on edge. They pondered what was going on and what had happened to their beloved customer. Sarah asked the authorities to keep them in the loop about any news once they had entered the residence and they agreed.
Getting Increasingly More Worried
Calling Kirk Directly
Hamblen also considered that it may help to call Kirk directly, in case he simply couldn’t hear the knocking over the television set. Her first attempt was sent straight to voicemail, which was another worrying sign. Once she had returned to the restaurant, she wondered whether to worry her colleagues further by letting them know that his phone was also off.
Calling Kirk Directly
The 911 Call
So how exactly do you start a 911 call like this? Everyone wondered about this, and Tracey decided to mention that she needed some help, for what was likely an emergency situation. Calm and without a hint of panic in her voice, she relayed the message to the operator, hoping they could do something with the information.
The 911 Call
The Authorities Get Involved
Tracey proceeded to tell the 911 operator that Kirk had been a regular customer, but that they hadn’t heard from him in more than ten days. The operator decided that it was worth getting the Marion County sheriff’s department involved to see if he was alright.
The Authorities Get Involved
Clarifying Their Concerns
The 911 operator expressed interest in how they knew that Kirk hadn’t just taken a break from ordering from their store, or that he was perhaps away for a short period. Tracey clarified that he had only missed the odd day or two of not ordering over the period of ten years, which was why they thought it was a serious situation.
Clarifying Their Concerns
Police Arrive on the Scene
It didn’t take long for the sheriff to send his deputies to Kirk’s house, wary of what they might end up finding. Approaching with caution, the deputies knocked for a couple of minutes, calling out his name in an attempt to get his attention from outside.
Police Arrive On The Scene
Taking Swift Action
After a few minutes, the deputies thought they could hear someone calling for help from inside the house. Wasting no time, they forced entry into the house, only to find that Kirk was in serious pain from suffering a stroke. The paramedics did what they needed to do, escorting him to the hospital swiftly.
Taking Swift Action
Police To The Rescue
While it was hard to hear anything over the television set, one of the deputies thought they had heard someone crying for help. At that time, Kirk was sprawled across the floor, in need of serious medical attention. It wasn’t long until he was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Police To The Rescue
Mystery Solved
As it turns out, Kirk was alive, but not well. He was in dire need of medical attention, and the stroke he had suffered was slowly making him more incapacitated and unable to move. Had the authorities arrived just one day later, the situation may have had a very different outlook altogether.
Mystery Solved
In a Stable Condition
Everyone could breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing that Kirk was getting the medical attention he so desperately needed, and soon he was in a stable condition. There was still an air of uncertainty around how long he had been on the floor, as nobody had been around at the time he had the stroke.
In A Stable Condition
Saving Kirk’s Life
It was clear that this pizza lover had been found right in the knick of time, and doctors assured all parties involved that he was due to make a full recovery. The team at Domino’s rejoiced and were happy to have been able to play a part in helping a member of their “family”. Sarah Fuller expressed thanks to everyone involved in helping to save his life.
Saving Kirks Life
The Recovery Process
The team at Domino’s decided to take things another step further, chipping in to get him some flowers and get well soon cards from the entire team. The idea was for him to know that people do care about him, which would hopefully help to speed up the recovery process. Uplifting others was part of the Domino’s business mantra, to begin with.
The Recovery Process
Reunited At Last
Although he was struggling to communicate after the first day in the hospital, by the turn of a new week he was getting healthier and happier by the minute. He was soon moved to a rehabilitation center at the hospital, to help fast track his recovery and so he could go home soon.
Reunited At Last
Making a Speedy Recovery
Even though he was tremendously tired from the ordeal, it was clear that Kirk was doing a lot better after a few days. When visited by the regional director of public relations for Domino’s, he expressed his thanks to the team for what they did. In response, he was told that their efforts were all part of what was expected of employees when it comes to great customer service.
Making A Speedy Recovery
Team Pizza For The Win
Even though there are thousands of franchises across the United States, this particular Domino’s was standing head and shoulders above the rest for going above and beyond in this situation. Corporate headquarters expressed their appreciation for the team members who had gone way beyond their job requirements to ensure the safety of one of their beloved customers.
Team Pizza For The Win
One of Multiple Stories
This was not the first time that Domino’s employees had delivered more than what they were expected to do, and there were many stories of branches growing close to their most loyal customers. This was, however, the first time that it had led to the prevention of loss of life, which was an amazing accomplishment by anyone’s standards.
One Of Multiple Stories
Modern Day Heroes
For the team at this particular branch, life continued after the incident. They were widely considered to be modern-day heroes, but manager Sarah Fuller downplayed this, stating that everyone was just doing their jobs, and looking out for someone who they all cared about greatly due to interactions at the store over the years.
Modern Day Heroes
Humility and Compassion
There’s no denying that this team showed a tremendous amount of compassion and kindness in their bid to help one of their customers. It wasn’t long before the media made a splash about what happened, and all over the country, people found out about this incredible and special small-town story.
Humility And Compassion
Appearing on National Television
Sarah Fuller and assistant manager Jenny Seiber even got the opportunity to tell the story on national television after being invited to be a guest on ‘Good Morning America’. Unsurprisingly, the hosts commended them both for trusting their gut and doing the right thing in a tough situation.
Appearing On National Television
Kirk’s Condition
While appearing on the program, Seiber mentioned that she had been to see Kirk three times since he arrived at the hospital and that she was growing even more fond of him now that they had all gone through a somewhat traumatic experience together. His condition was steadily improving day by day.
Kirks Condition
Taking His Time To Recover
In the interview, the women also discussed that he was very “out of it” when they first went to see him, but that he was on the recovery path and in a much better state a couple of days later. Once he hit the rehabilitation wing of the hospital, he was out of the danger zone.
Taking His Time To Recover
A Surprise Thank You
While still on ‘Good Morning America’, the two women were given a surprise out of the blue. One of the hosts announced that because they were modern-day superheroes, the team was sending them, as well as the entire staff at the restaurant, to go see Captain America: Civil War, which had just hit theatres! Sarah and Jenny were in for another major surprise, however.
A Surprise Thank You
Off To Vegas We Go
The second part of their surprise was that Domino’s head office had arranged for both managers and driver Tracey Hamblen to travel to the Domino’s Worldwide Rally in Las Vegas. This convention, which took place each year, showcased some of the best performing staff members around the world and this team was gaining the recognition it deserved.
Off To Vegas We Go
Everything Worked Out in the End
Just when they thought the good news would stop rolling in, the Sheriff’s office confirmed that thanks to the swift actions of the team at Domino’s, Kirk was in a stable condition at the hospital, and he was expected to be able to return home after a short recovery period.
Everything Worked Out In The End
A Personal Thank You
The Sheriff’s office also put out a statement personally thanking Tracey Hamblen for his quick actions on the day Kirk was found, and for going out of his way to look out for his fellow civilian. They also mentioned that it was incredible to see the outpouring of positivity being spread as a result of this story.
A Personal Thank You
Keeping in Touch
Even after a couple of weeks, the employees still checked in on Kirk in the hospital regularly, making sure he had the things he needed, and that he wasn’t getting too lonely. This showcased that they cared about him over and above his role of being their most loyal customer. They cared for him on a more human level as well.
Keeping In Touch
Looking To The Future
With Kirk’s health slowly returning to him, everyone expressed a wish to see him at the store again soon. They were hopeful that he would make a full recovery, returning to his routine of calling them most days of the week, taking up his rightful place as an important member of the Domino’s family.
Looking To The Future