Is it possible for you to ring up any slower?” Old man,” a frustrated customer asked one Saturday morning. On a Saturday morning, Walmart was always full, and an irate customer seemed rushed. Nick was no longer able to tolerate her frustrations towards their loyal employee, Lloyd.
Walmart’s floor manager, Nick Hayes, was responsible for making sure the store ran smoothly. It was usually busiest on Saturdays when families and busy moms came to stock up for the week. The store did receive some bad attitude from customers; however, Nick did not believe that the customer is always right. At times, he felt customers deliberately caused trouble in order to receive a freebie or a voucher.
Among the employees, there was one who was loved by all. Among the employees, Lloyd Bird was the oldest at 80 years of age. Nick was pleasantly surprised when he began working there. It was Lloyd who proved everyone wrong; his kindness and friendliness made him a great cashier. However, Nick disliked the idea that someone his age was still working.
Lloyd responded perfectly to Nick’s question about it. “Keeping active at this age will prevent you from meeting your end sooner. In addition, I enjoy working here and get paid for it.” Customers always queued up to get Lloyd’s checkout till because he was a character. Whether he was talking to children, teenagers, or someone of his own age, he always engaged in friendly banter.
However, there were some who were not as friendly. There were days when the staff had to deal with customers who were always making a scene for some reason. It didn’t matter whether someone was kind to him or not; Lloyd was kind to everyone. Lloyd just smiled as Nick observed people hurling snide remarks. This treatment, however, was not reciprocated. The rude teenagers who came into his shop to purchase something always warned him that he wasn’t going to live long.
After hearing how disrespectful the younger generation was towards the elderly, Nick became infuriated. The way they treated Lloyd made his blood boil. The attack on Lloyd was like an attack on Nick’s flesh and blood, as Lloyd was a father figure to him. The situation had gotten out of hand this time. They all watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded.
An irate woman was pushing her cart with all her force towards Lloyd’s till. The trouble began. “Are you still around, old man? It’s surprising they keep you around. I’m amazed at how slow you are. Please provide me with these items as soon as possible, trying your best, of course.” Lloyd smiled and started ringing up the woman’s purchases. Her loud voice naturally drew a crowd, and it was exactly what she wanted. It seemed like she had some kind of grudge against Lloyd or elderly people. She would not stop with her snide remarks towards him.
“When did it become okay for slow old people to take jobs away from young, energetic people who are struggling to find work in this day and age? Do you think that’s okay, old man?”
By now, a considerable number of people had come closer to listen to what was going on. Some people had their phones out recording the scene. The woman was making. Lloyd just went on ringing up the items one by one, while the woman continued spewing hateful comments. He was a nice guy, but everyone could see he was hurting. Nick watched the scene unfold from a distance, his blood boiling with anger, as the woman continued her verbal assault on Lloyd. Nick decided he couldn’t stand by any longer. He walked briskly towards the scene, determined to put an end to the woman’s cruel words.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Nick said firmly, stepping between the irate customer and Lloyd. “I understand you might be in a hurry, but there’s no need to speak to our employees in such a disrespectful manner.”
The woman was taken aback; she never expected someone to intervene. “Well, someone had to say it. This old man is holding up the line. I have places to be. Why don’t you hire younger people?”
Just as the situation seemed to be diffusing, the store manager, Mr. Johnson, arrived on the scene, alerted by the commotion. He had a reputation for being strict but fair. Mr. Johnson’s stern voice cut through the tension. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.
Everyone turned to see the manager standing there, looking at the scene before him. Nick quickly explained the situation, recounting the woman’s disrespectful behavior towards Lloyd. He emphasized that he had intervened to protect the employee and maintain a respectful atmosphere in the store.
After listening to both sides, Mr. Johnson turned to the irate customer and said, “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to either treat our employees with respect or leave the store.”
And then the real story was made public when the angry woman blurted out, “I want to know why my son didn’t get a job here, but you gave a job to this old man. My son is 22 years old; he deserves a chance.”
It was now clear that her anger had nothing to do with the speed of service or any other trivial matter. Mr. Johnson, maintaining his professionalism, responded calmly. “I understand your concern, but our hiring decisions are based on qualifications and experience. We don’t discriminate based on age. Lloyd has been a valuable asset to our team.”
The woman’s face turned redder, and she seemed to be at a loss for words. The customers who had been observing the entire spectacle were now shaking their heads in disapproval. Realizing that she was unlikely to get the reaction she wanted, the woman finally huffed, “Fine, but I’ll be writing a letter to corporate about this.”
With that, she hastily pushed her cart away and stormed out of the store. The tension that had gripped the scene began to dissipate, and customers returned to their shopping. The rest of the day passed without further incident, and Lloyd continued to ring up customers with his signature smile.
The customers who had witnessed the scene showed their support by choosing to go through his checkout line the next day. As Nick walked into the store, he noticed a letter addressed to him on his desk. It was from the woman who had caused the scene the day before. Curious, he opened it and began to read.
In the letter, she expressed regret for her behavior and acknowledged that she had let her frustration cloud her judgment. She also mentioned that she had a conversation with her son about patience and the importance of earning opportunities through hard work. She thanked Nick for his intervention and promised to treat employees with respect in the future.
Nick couldn’t help but smile as he finished reading the letter. It was a small victory, but it felt like a step in the right direction. Perhaps in the end, the irate customer had learned a valuable lesson about respect and empathy, and Lloyd could continue working with the dignity he deserved. He would even contact the woman back and put in a good word for her son. To him, it costs nothing to be kind.
