I saw something really nice today. I was getting groceries late tonight at the Pearl Street Safeway in Tacoma. The fellow next to me in the line was a Viet Nam Veteran, walking with a stick now. He had one of the old style Viet Nam veteran jackets on, with his outfit logo on the back. As I was loading my groceries, he came out of the store with the guy who had bagged his groceries bringing the cart for him. It was dark and raining, and the man was very slow finding his keys. It can be difficult to dig in your coat pocket while leaning on a cane. The bag guy just stood there, chatting calmly with him until he found his keys and got the door open. Then he carefully loaded the groceries in for him, and then walked with the man around to the driver side, and stood by while he got himself into the car. If youve ever helped a disabled person get into a vehicle, you know how long that can take. Especially when you are standing out in the cold rain. What struck me was that the employee didnt act as if he were somehow patronizing the older fellow. He didnt seem to notice he was out standing in the rain and the cold. He spoke to him man to man, with friendly respect. No impatience. No hugging himself and hopping from foot to foot. And then he asked if there was anything else he could do for him before he took the cart back into the store. He never diminished the mans dignity. So I went back into the store, tracked the employee down, and said I was really impressed with his customer service and wanted to give him a tip. I tried to give him ten bucks. And he smiled and said he wasnt allowed to accept tips. So I asked if I could at least speak to his manager. He looked startled, but the cashier he was working with directed me to the store manager right away. I told her what I had witnessed and that she had a great employee in Ian. And she said she knew. We need more Ians in this world.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 06:33:44 +0000
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