En-Treat-ing Them Not To Get Her In Trouble

(I am helping a lady with two trolleys and two toddlers through my till on a Friday afternoon. One of the poor mites is sick with a cold, and the other is grumpy and tired. I’m trying to keep them amused while keeping the experience as stress-free as possible. The mother has unloaded everything and just arrived at the other side of the till when she leans down and puts her head in her hands in genuine distress.)

Customer: “Oh, dear God, no. Please don’t. This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.”

Me: “What’s wrong, love?”

Customer: “I left the bags in the back of the car. I left the d*** bags in the back of the d*** car and I can’t go get them.”

(Her sadness is so distressing I immediately try and fix it.)

Me: “That’s okay; I’ll go get them for you!”

(The customer stares at me as if I have two heads, and I make a hasty retreat.)

Me: “I mean, only if that’s okay with you. I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said anything—“

Customer: “No—“

Me: “—but, I mean, you can’t go get them, and you’re under enough pressure as it is… I apologise, ma’am, I over-help sometimes.”

Customer: “No, it’s okay. Go get them for me, please. Thanks so much!”

(She hands me a HUGE bunch of keys.)

Customer: “I’m the white one by the brick wall opposite the pub. Bags are in the boot, left-hand side. Thanks so much!”

(Astonished I’m not in trouble, I take the keys and hurry into our car park. There is only one brick wall next to the pub, but there are at least five white cars. One of them is a brand-new, gleaming Rolls Royce Phantom which is being admired from afar by several gentlemen. Not knowing which car is the one I want, I find the key-fob and press it. Everyone jumps as the Phantom lights up and clicks. Everyone stares at me as I casually walk over, pull open the boot, grab a stack of neatly-folded shopping bags, and close it again. In the back seat of the car is a stack of kiddy treats. Acting on impulse, I open the back door and grab a couple.)

Me: *shrugs* “Forgot the bags, didn’t I, like a silly numpty.”

(I scurry back inside to find the mom trying to corral two screaming kids and arguing with my manager.)

Customer: “No, she offered to get bags for me out of my car! She has not abandoned me!”

Me: “Hey, I’m back. They were exactly where you said they were. No problems. Hey, [Manager], how about we get this lovely lady checked out and you can tell me off later, yeah? Hey, boys, want a treat?”

(Between us, we get everything packed up in record time. Her kids calm down, and their mom visibly de-stresses and feels a lot better. As she turns to go:)

Customer: “Thank you so much! Hope you don’t get into trouble!”

(When I arrived for my next shift, I got called into the manager’s office where I found a letter addressed to me. Turned out the lady’s husband was the CEO of one of my company’s suppliers, and the letter was to make sure I wouldn’t get in trouble for what I did. Instead, I was complimented on my level of service, and I was also offered a small gift, which I chose to donate to the local food bank. I never saw the lady again, but her husband comes in for his lunch occasionally and always makes sure to ask after me, and when he found out I was trying to change career, he offered me a new job!)