This has nothing to do with communications.
Then again, it has everything to do with communications.
Let me set the stage. My wife and I invited our two sons, daughter-in-law and grandkids over for a BBQ last Saturday thinking spring had arrived (not quite). After shopping for burgers, buns, condiments, etc., we decided to make a pit stop at Trader Joe’s for those killer chocolate chip cookies.
I pick up a pail of cookies and walk to the fast checkout line.
This is where I watched kindness in action.
Caring About Others
The Trader Joe crew member manning the till banters, scans and bags. The line is moving along nicely.
I’m now next in line with an older gentleman ahead of me purchasing a few items. The Crew member scans him up and guides the older gentleman to put his credit card — which at this point he’s taken from his wallet — in the credit card reader.
Unfortunately, the gentleman seems to have forgotten how this pay-by-credit-card works.
The Crew member never loses patience. He never gets frustrated. He gently tries different ways of explaining to the gentleman how to put his credit card in the reader.
Nothing works.
The Crew member moves to Plan B —
He comes around from behind the check-out counter, puts his hand on the gentleman’s shoulder and says something to the effect that it’s OK (can’t remember the exact words). The Crew member then pulls out his wallet and inserts his own credit card into the reader to pay for the gentleman’s goods. The hero image above shows the Crew member bagging the goods for the gentleman.
Kindness matters.
One Final Comment
This is how the Trader Joe’s website describes its Crew:
The Crew is Trader Joe’s heart and soul. As a member of the Crew, you do a little of everything — and handle a lot. So does everyone along with you. Working the cash registers, receiving and unloading deliveries, stocking shelves, building displays, cleaning the floor, answering questions about Trader Joe’s products, and just generally making sure that every customer has a fun, friendly and informative shopping experience — that’s a little of everything. That’s a lot.
I’d say that first sentence nails it.