The kindness that is in all of us to give is astonishing when we take a moment to step back and think of the other person. To put ourselves in their shoes. To pause and think, is this how we would like to be treated.
What prompted this Friday Inspiration is something I witnessed while in a checkout line at a Staples store. There was an elderly lady in front of me. By the way…did you know Ontario police use the word ‘elderly’ to describe anyone over the age of 50…ouch! Another reason for doing away with labels. Now this thought is for another post.
This lady was a granny to the 50+ elderly group. While in the line-up, Granny kept digging through her purse and wallet. As her turn at the cashier came, I heard her say –
‘I do not have my debit card. Do you accept personal cheques?’
Wow…I am in the 50+ elderly group and even I was astonished by this.
What do you think was percolating in the twentysomething
(if that) young man’s mind at the check out?
At this point I was thinking, if the answer is no to the cheque, I will offer to pay for the purchase, which by the way were several printer ink cartridges.
Here is the surprise. The cashier responded, ‘yes, we do ma’am’. Then proceeded to process the transaction. It took almost 10 minutes and the help from the manager to finalise the transaction. During the entire time both Granny and the Staples Team apologised, several times, to me for the delay.
As I stood there waiting for my turn, happily, I thought there is hope for business empathy. It just needs someone to show how it is done.
Have you been warmed by an organisation’s display of business empathy or been a happy observer of one? Please inspire us by sharing it here…