As most of you know, I'm a CSM at Wal-Mart. Part of my job entails helping customers shop. We do this mainly for the handicapped and elderly so that they don't have to fight the hoards of people in order to get their items. So...we push them in wheelchairs, push carts behind them while they're in the motor-carts, etc.
I was "randomly selected" to help this elderly woman. Little did I know I would remember her forever.
This happened yesterday, but I'm sure I will remember this forever. This woman, she said, was 72 years old and is allergic to any fragrance that touches her skin. We spent 30 minutes picking out a shampoo that had no fragrance. (It's really hard...don't laugh!)
After that, I had to ask her if she needed stuff as she tended to lose her train of thought often. I asked if she wanted some fresh veggies and she said yes. Well, there was a sale on the sweet potatoes. $0.50/lb. She had me pick out the smallest, most uniform potatoes out of 50 lbs. of potatoes. She wanted them because they...lol...kept in her oven longer. That's right. She keeps them in her oven....She keeps them this way for months apparently. She told me that each time she wants to use the oven, she has to take out all of the potatoes, bread, bagels...everything but milk products. She also says that she turns on the oven to 101*F every day to kill the bacteria. I just got a kick out of it and told her "yep! sounds like a good idea!" I asked her how long she'd done it that way and she told me for the past 50 years.
As we meandered to the front to check out for the second time...after she went back for more potatoes, she was telling me about her life and family. She told me she had wanted 6 children, but only had 5. Her husband passed away, so that was the end of children for her. Soon after, her first born and her fourth born passed away. I was heartbroken for her at this point and she was silent for a bit. Told me that she couldn't have had more children at that point ever again. She then told me that her three remaining children were killed in a house fire when she wasn't at home. She saw the house on fire and as she told me the story, I think I saw the flames in her eyes. Heartbreaking. She said that God was the only way she could get past it.
We were going outside and it was POURING out there. She wanted me to go get her car, but I am simply not allowed to. So, I held her umbrella over her head as I pushed her in the wheelchair. She wanted to talk more outside in the rain. She handed me some keys and told me she hadn't lost that set in 32 years. They were the same "door" keys to her Cadillac she'd gotten when the car was new! So, I opened the door for her and used the keys to open the trunk. I then put the keys in my pocket for safe-keeping while I moved her items into her trunk. Now, this Caddy is at LEAST 20 feet long. It was HUGE!!!! Sorry, I just had to reiterate how enormous this car was.
She wanted my information to try to get me into contact with her church....again, just doing it to pacify her and make her happy.
I went back inside so I could take my hour-late lunch. As I walked back to the back room, I felt in my pocket. I had her keys!!!!!
I ran back up the front of the building, but she had already gone. All I can do is hope she will call so I can give her keys back!
I don't know why this customer sticks out so much...I see alot every day, but this lady stuck out.
I was "randomly selected" to help this elderly woman. Little did I know I would remember her forever.
This happened yesterday, but I'm sure I will remember this forever. This woman, she said, was 72 years old and is allergic to any fragrance that touches her skin. We spent 30 minutes picking out a shampoo that had no fragrance. (It's really hard...don't laugh!)
After that, I had to ask her if she needed stuff as she tended to lose her train of thought often. I asked if she wanted some fresh veggies and she said yes. Well, there was a sale on the sweet potatoes. $0.50/lb. She had me pick out the smallest, most uniform potatoes out of 50 lbs. of potatoes. She wanted them because they...lol...kept in her oven longer. That's right. She keeps them in her oven....She keeps them this way for months apparently. She told me that each time she wants to use the oven, she has to take out all of the potatoes, bread, bagels...everything but milk products. She also says that she turns on the oven to 101*F every day to kill the bacteria. I just got a kick out of it and told her "yep! sounds like a good idea!" I asked her how long she'd done it that way and she told me for the past 50 years.
As we meandered to the front to check out for the second time...after she went back for more potatoes, she was telling me about her life and family. She told me she had wanted 6 children, but only had 5. Her husband passed away, so that was the end of children for her. Soon after, her first born and her fourth born passed away. I was heartbroken for her at this point and she was silent for a bit. Told me that she couldn't have had more children at that point ever again. She then told me that her three remaining children were killed in a house fire when she wasn't at home. She saw the house on fire and as she told me the story, I think I saw the flames in her eyes. Heartbreaking. She said that God was the only way she could get past it.
We were going outside and it was POURING out there. She wanted me to go get her car, but I am simply not allowed to. So, I held her umbrella over her head as I pushed her in the wheelchair. She wanted to talk more outside in the rain. She handed me some keys and told me she hadn't lost that set in 32 years. They were the same "door" keys to her Cadillac she'd gotten when the car was new! So, I opened the door for her and used the keys to open the trunk. I then put the keys in my pocket for safe-keeping while I moved her items into her trunk. Now, this Caddy is at LEAST 20 feet long. It was HUGE!!!! Sorry, I just had to reiterate how enormous this car was.
She wanted my information to try to get me into contact with her church....again, just doing it to pacify her and make her happy.
I went back inside so I could take my hour-late lunch. As I walked back to the back room, I felt in my pocket. I had her keys!!!!!
I ran back up the front of the building, but she had already gone. All I can do is hope she will call so I can give her keys back!
I don't know why this customer sticks out so much...I see alot every day, but this lady stuck out.
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