I posted last about a news store that upset me. Now I am, in turn, going to try and do something different. I said some negative things about an article (and I still feel right and justified) but I believe that I need to change gears. I want to ask you, dear reader, a question.

When was the last time you talked about, or heard someone else talk about a positive customer service experience?

I can find ALL kinds of stories about horror stories of “XYZ” company that absolutely hates me the paying customer personally and does everything to make the customers life miserable. I can go on and on about the employee’s side of a store, about bad corporate decisions, or a dozen other things.

But.

When is the last time you had a great customer service experience?

Have you even thought about it?

Do you remember what happened?

If I asked you to remember the last time a retail or online store or service did you wrong, do twelve stories come right to mind? All of them ready to let me know not to use a company for ANY reason?

I know mine.

I was shopping for Christmas about to go into a 12 hour retail shift and not really looking forward to it. I go into a Kohls and am picking up some pillows for my wife. I go to the (long) check out line and patiently wait my turn. I listen to all the people complain about the crowds and how long it is taking (all the while thinking to myself “IT IS CHRISTMAS PEOPLE!!”). I step up to the counter with my goods, ready to pay and I greet the cashier. She responds with a hello and asked if I found everything. I said I had and the items I had were all I needed.

I then commented on how I saw on the way in, Kohls was going to be open 24 hours a day for the week before Christmas. I said I felt that was horrible and as a retail employee myself, I felt so sorry for them. The woman gave me a tired smile and said it wasn’t so bad but it was going to be rough the closer to Christmas it got. She asked were I worked and we made a bit of small talk as she bagged my items. I was about to pay when she told me to wait a sec, punched some things on her computer and then told me to swipe the card. I worked the pinpad, confused at why I had to wait but finished, Thanked her and told her to try and have a decent rest of the day and left. When I got in the car, I noticed that I had received the employee discount on my items!

Saving money like a boss!

Seriously though, she did not have to do that. She could have rung me up and been on her way. Instead she saw a retail family member, going through one of the worse holidays in retail I have worked (or anyone that I talked to about it had worked) and she took the time and helped me out. I was beyond touched. It is something I will remember always.

Thank you dear for that.

Hug a pony my friends.