I went to the local Co-op on Wednesday after school, nothing unusual. We wanted basics, bread, a cold drink, something to go with dinner. Whilst we were in there we saw a small printed notice reminding customers that the “Goodness Gang” promotion ends soon and to get the teddies quick.
Jen looked at the shelf were the veggie teddies had been, they had just two left. A pair of carrot teddies was all that was left. Jen started to worry, and had a distressed look on his face. As our items were being scanned through I asked the young lady on the till a cheeky question. I said “my son really had his heart set on a veggie teddy, but we’ve only got half a book of stickers, could we perhaps buy it with half the stickers and a fiver?” (the teddies cost a tenner each without the stickers) but the lady said she had no way to do this. Fair enough, was worth a try.
Her colleague had overheard me expressing concern I’d miss the offer deadline and interrupted. “I’ve got some stickers in my handbag, wait here.” and after the second lady, called Sarah, had finished serving her current customer she disappeared to the staff room, Jen by this time was clutching the second to last carrot just incase! No one was going to get the carrot before he’d bought it.
When she came back she had enough of her own stickers to sort Jen out. Jen and I sat on the shop floor and stuck stickers in to the book. Then we joined the queue armed with a pound coin, a full book of stickers, a carrot toy, and a super happy son.
All the way home, a 15 minute walk as Jen was playful, he was singing “I’m so lucky, I got Mr Carrot, I’m so lucky, the shop lady was real nice. I got the last teddy!”
He took Mr Carrot everywhere, he sat with us for dinner, he got taken into the garden, and then to bed. He even wanted to take him to school, although we had to say no to that.
Jen surrounded Mr Carrot in real carrots so it wasn’t lonely.
The best bit because the staff were so helpful, but Sarah in particular, we had enough to fill our sticker book from home, so I popped back in yesterday afternoon, without Jen.
Sarah had mentioned something on Wednesday quietly, so as not to raise and dash Jen’s hopes that there might be a small top up of veggie teddies soon. The delivery had been, although there wasn’t that many of them. It was great having insider info on when to check back for more teddies.
I took in a bottle of Rose wine from home as a thank you to Sarah, and paid the pound and full sticker book for a second teddy, a broccoli this time. Sadly the lovely lady wasn’t working yesterday so I left this with her colleagues, but I’m hoping she’s going to have a big smile when she is back in.
What she did was not her job, it was pure kindness. And I think great people like this need to get noticed, praised and thanked. I’ve tweeted Co-op to tell them, and spoken to her colleagues. A lot of staff in shops just do what they “have to” but on Wednesday Sarah really was so kind, genuine and lovely.
Sarah if you read this my son now loves you. Sorry he’s shy, but I swear he is very impressed.
Thank you!
Ps, Mr Carrot and Mrs Broccoli say hi!
Added to the blow your own blog-horn linky.
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