"That best portion of a good man’s life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." –William Wordsworth
Recently, I visited a local retail grocery chain store in close proximity to my residence. It was there that I discovered an act of kindness in an unlikely place, and it has dramatically impacted my life.
Although I love the convenience, this location is notorious for being out of certain items. I’ve always had good customer service experiences at this location; however, this visit impacted me the most.
Upon arrival, I was a little pessimistic about the store having a sufficient supply of my main stockpile product. As I approached the paper product aisle, I noticed that my favorite brand of toilet paper was entirely out of stock.
In my frustration, I searched for a nearby associate for assistance and asked for a restock of the item. The young lady stared at me with a welcoming smile and proceeded to emit non-verbal grunts. It was apparent she was hearing and speech-impaired.
Despite her physical challenges, she displayed enthusiasm and a friendly demeanor while eagerly assisting me in finding the product. She reemerged after tediously searching the storage area, displaying a panic-stricken facial expression. I assumed her empty hands and frustrating gestures were attributed to her not finding the product.
The female employee maintained eye contact and used sign language, animated gestures, and verbal grunts. Despite my disappointment, I was pleased with the persistent effort of the young lady.
As I walked toward the checkout area, the speech and deaf employee ran swiftly toward me while holding several packages of toilet paper. The inflection in her non-verbal gestures and grunts displayed her excitement. She exceeded the call of duty to satisfy the customer.
After searching for this product during a previous shopping trip, I solicited assistance from an employee who was lackadaisical about helping me find the product, so I departed the store empty-handed.
However, this remarkable young lady was unrelenting in her quest to fulfill a need for the product. This employee’s excellent customer service is commendable.
I thought, “I must share this unique customer service experience with the corporate office.” As I recalled the interaction on my drive home, my heart melted, and tears flooded my eyes. I later shared the news with a friend who was also moved to tears by her kindness.
Despite her physical limitations, I was impressed with the speech and deaf young lady’s work ethic and customer service skills. She could have felt sorry for herself and wallowed in self-pity; instead, she focused on the customer’s needs. I was awestruck by the strong character of this young woman. I learned some life-changing lessons from such an inspiring, empathetic female employee.
So, what did I learn?
*Let go of life’s idiosyncrasies—to stop sweating the small stuff.
*Resist the urge to complain because others face more significant challenges.
*Physical limitations do not hinder the building of great character.
*Go above and beyond the call of duty to show kindness to others.
*The speech and deaf female retail store employee embodied courage, tenacity, and empathy.