My state is in its fourth lockdown. I have been out of work since the start of the health crisis. I get a call about a job that I applied for a couple of months ago that I didn’t get but was next in line for. Great — they want me to start tomorrow. One problem: I don’t have all the clothes and shoes I need as I am very short on money and have been applying in several fields. So, I place a click and collect order for a superstore. The website says if placed by 12:00 pm, the order will be ready by 4:00 pm on the same day. I place my order at 11:30 and wait for a message to say it’s ready, but by 5:00 pm I’m still waiting. I ring the customer care, who puts me through to the store.

Call #1:

Worker: “I’m sorry, sometimes we have problems finding the items. Let me find out what’s going on and call you back.”

Call #2, half an hour later:

Worker: “I’m sorry for the delay, but we’re having problems finding all of your items on the shop floor. I have three team members looking out the back at the deliveries. I’m going to go and help look, as well. I just wanted to let you know what’s going on, and I haven’t forgotten you.”

Me: “Thank you. I really need these to start a new job tomorrow. Even if I need to substitute things, I don’t mind paying the difference.”

Worker: “No problem. We’ll work it out. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

Call #3, nearly an hour later:

Worker: “I’m sorry, but we were unable to find [pants #1] and [shoes]. We do have [pants #2]; they are the same colour and style. The only difference is [pants #2] are made of organic material and are slightly more expensive. Are those okay?”

Me: “That’s fine. How do I pay the difference?”

Worker: “Oh, no. Don’t worry about that. It’s our fault; we’ll cover it. Now with the shoes, we were unable to get them in women’s shoes. I do have several similar styles in men’s.”

Me: “Great. I don’t mind taking the men’s if they fit.”

Worker: “All right, it looks like you ordered size seven in women’s. What I’ll do is pull out a couple of pairs in men’s in sizes I think will work. When you come to collect your order, I’ll have a seat ready so you can try them on and see what works.”

Me: “Thank you so much. You have been amazing.”

Worker: “My pleasure. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get it sorted out.”

Me: “No problem. You’ve really gone above and beyond to make sure I got what I need.”

Worker: “You’re welcome. See you soon.”

When I arrive, true to her word, everything is ready, including a sanitized stool for me to sit down a safe distance from everyone to try the shoes on. I find a great pair that is more expensive than the ones I ordered, but when I go to pay:

Worker: “Oh, no. It’s our mistake. Don’t worry about it. Good luck with the new job.”

Me: “Thank you so much. You really went out of your way to help. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to start tomorrow, and I’ve been unemployed since the start of the health crisis. This really means a lot.”

Worker: “I’m glad we could help. My manager said to do whatever I need to make you, the customer, happy and I’m so glad we could. Good luck with the new job.”

I thanked her again and asked for her manager’s name so I could contact corporate to let them know how amazing they were. Not only did she go out of her way to make sure I had my items, but they also covered over $50 in the difference and went above and beyond. I started the new job, and many months and two additional lockdowns later, I am still working and have just been offered full-time permanent employment.

To the worker, if you’re reading this, thank you so much. If it wasn’t for you going above and beyond and making sure I had what I needed, I would still be struggling to survive. You will never understand what a difference what you did made to me and my family.

This story is part of our end-of-year Feel Good roundup for 2021!

Read the next Feel Good 2021 story!

Read the Feel Good 2021 roundup!

My girlfriend badly needs a new couch and I have recommended she just lurk on used websites until she sees something she likes. On the other hand, it is right in the middle of the first lockdown, and her mother has decided she would rather pay for a brand new couch than risk her daughter getting a [health crisis] couch.

We end up at a local store that is a big name in the community, looking at couches that cost more than we make in two months. And my girlfriend is really excited that she can get her couch in whatever colour she wants, as she is a very stylish woman who loves big, bold colours. She also loves that this store has the option to “build your own” couch, being able to take any design model and customize it to any shape.

She does keep in mind that there is going to be a bill that her mom will need to pay, so she gravitates toward the less expensive models. At one point, she locks eyes on a very heavily discounted couch and starts to get excited. It is not in any way, shape, or form, anything even approaching what she wanted, but for that price, she figures she can deal with it. I check the tag.

Me: “Umm, this price is for this couch.”

Girlfriend: “Yes! It’s not a terrible couch. It’ll work!”

Me: “No, I mean this exact couch.”

Girlfriend:  “Yeah, I don’t really like its shape that much, either, but it would save my mom a lot of money.”

Me: “No, I mean, this specific couch, in this colour.”

Girlfriend: *Recoiling* “Oh.”

It was a grey floor model — not even an interesting textured grey, just plain flat solid grey. Fortunately, her mother completely understood, agreed that a grey couch simply would not suit her, and was not upset to pay more for a better couch she actually liked.

My girlfriend currently has a cobalt blue velvet sectional. I’m slightly disappointed that she didn’t go for crimson like her last one, but I’m just glad I was able to talk her out of bright purple.

I work at a well-known Canadian automotive and hardware chain store. Some of the larger locations can have over a hundred aisles. Our particular location, however, is quite small: only thirty-two aisles. Consequently, while I am hired to work in Hardware, this basically encompasses most departments: Hardware, Housewares, Sports, Seasonal, and Garden — essentially everything EXCEPT Automotive.

I’m working in the plumbing aisle when a woman comes up and asks for help with Automotive. I start to tell her she needs to go ask for help at the Automotive desk, but a quick glance shows me that there are already six or seven people lined up there, waiting for help.

Me: “Well, it’s not really my department, but I can see if I might be able to help you. What were you looking for?

Customer: “I need new wiper blades for my car.”

Me: “Great! I’m not very familiar, but I know there’s a book there that lists which wiper blades work with which vehicles. Let’s go have a look.”

We walk over to the windshield wiper blades, and I open the book. It all looks pretty straightforward, and I think I’ll be able to help her out, no problem. I turn to the customer.

Me: “All right, so, what kind of car do you have?”

Customer: “It’s a blue one.”

Me: *Blinks slowly several times* “Yeah… I think you’ll need to go line up at the Automotive desk and get someone from there to help you.”

I’m working the register at a second-hand store when an older man walks in carrying a leather jacket with one of our store’s tags on it. We haven’t been letting customers try things on in the store for health reasons; however, we are more than happy to refund or exchange things if they get them home and they don’t fit, as long as the customer has the receipt and keeps our price tag on.

Me: “Hi, how can I help you?”

Customer: “I bought this yesterday, but it doesn’t fit. I want a refund.”

Me: “Sure thing. Do you have your receipt?”

Customer: *Slightly irate* “No.”

Me: “All right, did you have a loyalty card with us?”

Customer: *Getting angry* “No. Why can’t you just refund it?”

Me: “I just need a receipt in order to process the refund.”

Customer: *Almost yelling* “Just give me the money. I only bought it yesterday.”

Me: “If you only bought it yesterday, I can probably find the receipt in the system. Do you remember what time you were in?”

Customer: *Snapping* “You know what? Forget it!”

He throws the jacket at me and storms out. At this point, my manager arrives, having seen the last part of this conversation. I tell him what happened.

Manager: “You know, he fits the description [Coworker] gave of a man who walked out wearing a leather jacket while she was busy. I just assumed we wouldn’t see that jacket again. If he comes back, could you call me?”

He didn’t come back that day, but he did come back the following day while I wasn’t there. Apparently, he started verbally abusing [Coworker] about our prices, so the manager banned him from the store.

Related:
Refunder Blunder, Part 55
Refunder Blunder, Part 54
Refunder Blunder, Part 53
Refunder Blunder, Part 52
Refunder Blunder, Part 51

For no apparent reason whatsoever, it is inexplicably the busiest day ever. There are crowds of people all throughout the store and long wait times to reach the checkouts. As usual, I’m looking after the self-serve machines. The line for the self-serves is by far the longest I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been there a long time. I’m doing my best to keep things moving, but it’s pretty hectic.

A customer approaches me through the self-serve exit. She talks in a pleasant, conversational tone for this entire exchange, even the bits that aren’t pleasant nor conversational.

We currently have a promotion going on where spending money earns you special points which you can trade in for a glass container.

Customer: “Excuse me. I think I’ve earned enough points for one of your glass containers.”

Me: “May I see your receipt?”

She shows me her receipt, which indicates that she does indeed have enough points for a container.

Me: “The containers are just at the end of aisle one over there. If you want to grab one and line up, I can show you how to put it through. You just need the container and your rewards card.”

Even though they are free, the containers still need to be scanned through a register and then paid for with points, which are saved on customers’ rewards cards.

Customer: “Would you be able to go and get one and do it for me? I don’t want to have to line up in that line.”

Me: “Ah, not really sorry. It’s really busy here, as you can see. And I’m not really allowed to leave my post unattended. You can always come back next time and get it. It might be a bit quieter then. As long as you have your rewards card, you can get it any time.”

Customer: “I’m just worried you’ll have run out.”

Me: “I shouldn’t think that will happen. They’ve kept the containers pretty well stocked. I don’t think they’ve allowed them to run out since the promotion began.”

Customer: “Okay. What’s your name by the way?”

I point to my name tag.

Me: “[My Name].”

Customer: “Thank you, [My Name]. I’m going to report you for refusing to help a customer. This is bad customer service.”

Me: “If you feel you have to, go ahead. As I said, I unfortunately can’t leave the self-serve. You can try talking to them at the service desk. Maybe they can spare someone up there to go and help you.”

Customer: “No, it’s okay. I’ll just report you. Bye.”

Me: “Okay, have a good day.”

While I feel her threats were pretty empty, I almost hope she does complain about me. “A member of staff refused to abandon their post and their customers on a very busy day to do my shopping for me, and then they wouldn’t let me cut in line past all the other customers who’d been waiting for ages to get a register.” I’m sure that complaint would be taken very seriously.