I work for a family-owned chain of liquor stores in Texas. It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and we’ll be closed the next day due to Texas liquor laws. I’m the wine department lead; one of my coworkers comes up to me to ask me to help a customer that’s looking for wine.

Me: “Hello, sir, what can I help you find today?”

Customer: “Yeah, I need a case of this [Sweet, Cheap Sparkling Wine]. You’re supposed to have a case set aside at all times for [Customer], but you never have it!”

I’ve never seen this man in my life, and we’ve never had a standing order for this wine since I’ve been working at this location.

Me: “Let me check our inventory for you, sir.”

We only have three bottles at my location, but another of our locations less than ten minutes away shows that they have two full cases.

Me: “I’m so sorry, sir, but you’ve got the only three bottles we have in the store. [Other Location] has two cases, though, so they should be able to help you. Do you want me to call them and ask them to set nine more bottles aside? We can give you the case price at both locations.”

The customer has been rude up until this point, but he starts yelling in our packed store.

Customer: “I need those bottles, now! Here, not at [Other Location]! Call them and tell them to bring it to me!”

According to Texas liquor laws, we can’t transfer across the county line, and our other location isn’t in the same county as us — never mind the fact that our transfer trucks aren’t running during the third busiest day of the year for us.

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but [Other Location] is in [County], so we can’t do a transfer. Even if we could, though, we wouldn’t be able to get it until next week.”

Customer: “You’ve just ruined my Thanksgiving! I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY!”

He stormed off and complained about me to my store manager, who ended up checking him out. He got even angrier when my manager pointed out, cheerfully, that the other location was just a straight shot ahead, with only one turn.

It is a week before Christmas and my mom is visiting from out of state. My roommate, my mom, and I decide to keep with tradition and go to one of the better Christmas light displays. We are really excited! Money is tight, but I happen to know that this show is the cheapest one in town. We load ourselves into the car and, singing merrily, head out to see the lights.

To our horror, when we get to the venue, the price is more than double what we expected! We are crushed; it’s more than any of us can afford.

At just that moment, a man leaving the venue, kid in his arms and another running along playfully in front of him, flags us down. He explains that he has an extra ticket; he bought the family pack but not everyone could go, and he asks if we would like it. My mom, surprised by his generosity, gratefully accepts the ticket. As the man walks away with his cute kids, my mom looks at the ticket in her hands. Paging through the paper ticket, we belatedly realize that the man has given us, not one, but three whole tickets! It’s enough for all of us to get into the light show!

We were never able to catch up to the man to thank him enough for his gift, but he brought such love and happiness to our little group. Thank you, kind sir, and I hope that whenever you are now, you know you were our Christmas Miracle!

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for December 2020!

Read the next Feel Good roundup for December 2020 story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for December 2020!

I just boarded the airplane with my significant other traveling on vacation. The flight attendant is attempting to explain to an Asian couple that doesn’t speak English that they can’t sit in the exit row.

Attendant: “You can’t sit here if you don’t understand English. I have to move you to another row.”

There is no response from the couple.

Attendant: *Louder* “You can’t sit here. I need to move you.”

There’s still no response.

Attendant: *Louder and slower* “I need to move you.”

Significant Other: *To me* “You speak Spanish. Maybe you can help.”

Me: “They’re… Chinese…”

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I work as a glorified cashier in a store specializing in bundt cakes. We happen to sell mini ones the size of cupcakes, which come in dozens and are very popular. A customer calls me in late October with a complaint.

Me: “Hello, and thank you for calling [Franchise]. This is [My Name]; how may I help you?”

Customer: “Oh… Hi, I was just calling to place a complaint?”

Me: “Yes, of course. Mind telling me what’s wrong? Maybe we can work it out.”

Customer: “Um, my mom ordered a dozen bundtinis but there were no pumpkin. I was really disappointed.”

Me: “Did your mother specifically order the pumpkin spice?”

Customer: “I don’t know. It’s my mom. But there weren’t any and I was so disappointed.”

Me: “Well, the regular assortment only comes with [our four most popular flavors]. Pumpkin spice is seasonal, so it’s not one of them. You have to order a custom assortment to—”

Customer: “Can I just get a refund?”

Me: “I’ll have to see your receipt for that to make sure you specially ordered the pumpkin.”

Customer: “What? I don’t have that anymore! We bought those bundtinis last October!”

Me: “…”

Customer: “I’m calling corporate. Goodbye.”

She hung up, and I told my manager and coworkers. It’s one of our favorite stories to tell now.

I work in a popular retail chain that caters to the teen market, but adults tend to shop here, too. I’m used to rude behavior from teenagers, but when it comes from adults it’s somehow worse because you expect better.

Two women and their daughters come in five minutes prior to closing time. The associates are cleaning up the store and, as I’m the closing manager of that night, I kindly welcome the customers and tell them we will be closing in five minutes.

Woman: “You don’t think I know you close in five minutes? I got a watch. You think I don’t know how to tell time? If you’re unhappy working here, you need to get yo ‘edumacation’ so that you can get a better job.”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m currently in school getting my education and working here while I do so, thank you very much.”

This customer and her friend start purposely messing up the clothing racks and one of them calls me a b**** loudly enough that I can hear it.

Me: “Ma’am, I approached you in a respectful manner and your behavior is unnecessary. You have no right to tell me to get an education when I can keep my composure and speak to you in full sentences while you have to resort to cuss words.”

Their daughters look embarrassed and one of them even tells her mom:

Daughter: “Mom, all she said was that the store is closing in five minutes. Let’s go.”

The woman smacked her lips at me, called me a b**** one more time, and messed up one more rack as they exited the store. All I could do was laugh. You know it’s bad when your daughters are embarrassed to be seen out in public with you.