In Need Of A Helping Hand
When I was working the evening shift (I work as a cashier) there was couple who immediately apologised when it was their turn to place their items on the conveyor belt. The man said, “sorry, but you’re going to have to work a bit extra because we’re going to pay some with a debit card and some with cash”. Of course, this was no problem and I began scanning their items. I noticed that both the man and the women both paid extra attention to the display to know what the current total was. Because there was no line behind them and because we had more lines open, I decided to close my line for other customers so they did not have to feel the stress of having people waiting behind.
When all items had been registered, the man started by paying with his debit card. The rest (about $25) was going to be paid for with the cash they had brought with them. The debit card payment went fine, but I then saw how anxious the man became when he realized he had only $15 in cash. They immediately became shameful and started to go through the items to decide what they could leave behind. They were having a hard time deciding what to put back and I remembered I had $25 in the pocket of my pants which is unusual as I usually don’t carry cash on me.
I explained to the man and his wife that I was more than happy to help them pay for the remaining items. They looked at me and each other many times and I reassured them that I would be happy to help out. Finally, they agreed to allow me to chip in the missing amount.
I fed the machine the cash I had and let the man keep the $15 so they could spend it on something else another day. The man’s jaw almost hit the floor and he could not hold back the tears. He gave me a big, warm hug and said that I was a miracle from above. He lacked words to describe his feelings, but I could see and reassured him that I was more than willing to help them out and that he did not owe me a thing.
Even today, when we see each other in the store where I work, he gives me a big smile!
An action means more than a thousand words and someday it could be me in the need of a helping hand. – Sandra ❤