An easy way to bless a stranger

For those of you who are not from Hawaii, we have a local grocery store called “Foodland” that’s been around for ages.

I grew up living a 7-minute walk away from a Foodland and some of the same friendly cashiers are still there today! What I love about this place is they will usually offer carry out service before you even ask! Recently, I had to go to the store for the first time after giving birth with all 5 keiki, get some groceries and refill some 5 gallon water jugs. Comfort had already been a few months so I got the ok to lift heavy objects. This didn't make the experience something I anticipated. I was dreading it for reasons I do not have to explain to postpartum moms with several older children. So, being that I had to get some groceries with 5 keiki in tow and lug several 5 gallon water jugs to my van, I knew I would need help. I made my purchase before actually filling up the water. The cashier looked at me holding my baby in a sling. She was very kind and told me congratulations while making small talk about babies and motherhood. I didn’t even have to ask for help. She called for carry out service and another clerk came to assist me. She insisted on filling the water jugs for me, then pushed my cart to the car, loaded up my car with water jugs and groceries then took the cart back to the store. The whole time she had a “glad to be of service” attitude and inquired about my day and how she enjoys helping moms. In short… she was a blessing! What could have been such a difficult shopping experience had literally made my day! When my husband came home later that day, he unloaded the van of the large water jugs. I told him of my delightful shopping experience and reminded myself that I should write a positive review and email it to their business office. Her supervisor answered back very promptly. Here is a short part of the note. I’ve left the space blank with the woman’s name who helped me so as to keep her identity confidential.

"It was terrific to hear that ______ took such good care of you! Your feedback was shared with the store director, district manager, and customer service department so that they may recognize _______ for her wonderful efforts on your behalf. We really appreciate hearing from customers like yourself and we are truly honored by your patronage. Thank you for sharing your experience and kind words with us"

Isn’t that awesome? It felt nice to repay this kind young lady with gratitude and help her be recognized amongst her colleagues.

I had a similar experience with Oceanic. When they sent me 2 bills instead of just 1, I called them to fix it. Not only did they fix it but they let me in on a cheaper package that got us internet and a land line for less than what we had been paying! I asked to speak to his supervisor to compliment him. I waited for almost 20 minutes then finally got to his supervisor who answered a little abruptly. I’m sure it’s no fun taking complaints all day long. I gave a compliment of this employee’s service and there was a 3 second pause. When he spoke, he sounded shocked! He said “Sorry people usually make time to complain and don’t make time to put in compliments” He was thankful and said that the sales rep I spoke to will be recognized at their next meeting. Not only do the workers get blessed, but their supervisors who take on the brunt of complaints all day long will also enjoy “taking in a breath of fresh air” and really appreciate people saying something nice!

Isn’t it good to know that even as SAHM’s we can reach out to others in the workplace and be a blessing outside of our homes in a small way? Try it! The more Aloha, the better!