Even though we don’t exactly live in a small town, I’m still impressed with the kindness and considerate service we receive at our favorite local grocery. Whenever we go there, everyone is thoughtful and friendly, helpful beyond what is normally experienced in today’s anonymous laden shopping experience. Today however, they were helpful beyond measure. If you can shop at a Fareway, do it!
I got all our groceries for a couple of weeks, carefully choosing what is most nutritious while at the same time keeping an eye on the bottom line. After 45 minutes or so, I was more than ready to check out. The cashier rang up all my groceries, and then…
my debit card was declined. Then declined again. And again. I was starting to feel quite nervous and embarrassed, especially as I had no alternative form of payment with me. No cash, no checkbook, not even a back up credit card. I was sure that it was somehow my fault, as I hadn’t checked our bank balance before I left. The cashier was kind and gentle, the man who was patiently waiting to carry out my “purchases” was not even rolling his eyes or shifting his weight from side to side, and the cashier at the adjoining register even came over to see if she could help. I said, “That’s ok, I’m just going to come back later and shop again.” They wouldn’t hear of it. Finally, after standing there for an eternity, they paged the manager over my protestations.
He tried the card again, it was declined again. I was feeling smaller and poorer by the second. They wrote me out a charge slip, and all I had to do was sign.
On the basis of my good name, they trusted that I would come back at a later time and pay for the groceries. I was dumbfounded, and ever so thankful.