Sometimes You Can’t “Let It Go”

Adorable Children, At The Checkout, Inspirational, Kind Intervention, Money, Retail, USA | Right | October 6, 2023

I am working at a large store that sells everything from groceries to affordable clothes. We’re allowed a little leeway to make things right for the customer; otherwise, our managers would be doing nothing else except answering the demands of entitled customers.

A mother is at the counter buying what looks like essentials. Her young daughter has found a dress designed to resemble Elsa’s from the movie “Frozen”. She looks absolutely ecstatic as the dress approaches me on the belt for me to scan.

I scan it and it comes up as $19.99.

Customer: “Oh, I thought that was $9.99.”

I double-check the label and the scan.

Me: “It says $19.99 on this label, ma’am.”

The customer recognizes her mistake, and I see her close her eyes and count silently. I know that look; she is about to try to explain to her daughter that they can’t afford the dress. Looking at the items she is purchasing (all cheapest-brand essential items), I can tell that this woman doesn’t have a lot of disposable income.

Customer: *Turns to her daughter* “Hey, hon, I’m sorry, but Mommy can’t—”

I interrupt loudly, pulling words out of my a**

Me: “But there is a special deal today! This dress is $9.99 if you purchase it with… uh… a certain amount of other items, which you qualify for!”

The customer is staring at me, knowing exactly what I am doing. She is an exhausted mother, but she’s still very sharp.

Customer: “I can’t let you do that. You’ll get into trouble, and my daughter has learned that she can’t always get what she wants.”

Me: “Yes, but does today need to be one of those days for her to learn it?”

The customer looks at me, looks down at her adorable daughter, and looks at me again.

Customer: “Only if you’re sure, and only if you don’t get into trouble.”

Me: “Oh, absolutely sure!”

Customer: “Thank you! You have no idea…”

I finished scanning everything, and I typed in the code that said the barcode for the dress wouldn’t scan and manually typed it in as $9.99. I also threw in my staff discount for good measure. The customer noticed this, too, and was about to protest, but then I winked and just shouted out her total a little louder than I should have.

The little girl was so excited to run out with the dress, and things felt right in my soul for the rest of the day!

This story is part of the Best-Feel-Good-Stories Of-2023 roundup!