My husband and I love to talk to the folks in the stores…this town has tons of little specialty shops…from popcorn to trinkets to t-shirts to chocolates. And many are staffed by the owners who, of course, want their businesses to succeed.

While walking along, commenting on the beautiful sunny day, I saw an adorable pair of red shoes in the window and thought maybe, if I was really lucky, they would have a pair in my size and they would fit. I started talking to the woman about them, then explained about my foot problems (bunions, neuromas, tarsal tunnel, the whole lot and large to boot!) and she said “oh sweetie, I don’t have have them in your size, why don’t you try on this other pair? I don’t think that pair will work well for you because of the bunion. And I know what I’m talking about since I have one too.” I tried on the shoe and it was cute, not quite like the pair I saw and still cute. She spent a great deal of time explaining why this would be a better shoe and that she would be happy to order it in the color I wanted and have it shipped to my home. I wasn’t really that thrilled about the shoe, even tho she was probably right. I decided to look at sandals and she suggested the one she was wearing. Not only did she suggest it, she offered to let me try on the pair she had ordered for herself so I could see if it fit. And it did! Which is a real rarity for me. She ended up selling me her shoes for 25% off! She said it would be easy enough for her to get another pair from the company and that way I didn’t need to pay shipping. The whole time, the 3 of of us (me, her and my husband) were joking and laughing and cutting up and having a great time.

As we continued walking and gawking, we found a place to get my hubby a ball cap…and when we commented on a balm they had there that was supposed to keep bugs off (mosquitos seem to love me…ouch), the woman behind the counter said “oh yes, it really works great. I used it while out picking raspberries and didn’t get a bit. I’m sure you’ll love it!”. Once again, we chatted with this kind woman, sharing moments and jokes and fun.

Then it was off to the popcorn shop. What a hoot! What chaos! What fun! People were crowded in everywhere, looking at and exclaiming over all the different types of popcorn, grabbing for bags, squishing around tight corners. And all the while the owner sounded like the most adorable carnie I’ve ever heard. “In my shop, you can sample anything, all you need do is ask. That’s it, that’s how I run my shop.” And he or one of the youngsters their (his sons) would start passing out samples of one flavor or another or sharing the latest batch out of the kettle. It was a riot, we were both laughing and giggling and the whole store had a carnival atmosphere. Customers were laughing and smiling at each other …total strangers sharing a light moment. It was so wonderful!

Then we stopped by the little chocolate shop we had discovered during our first trip. Now this is a slice of heaven for a chocoholic like my hubby. Now I like chocolate, and especially good chocolate like this and he practically swoons over it! The year before, this beautiful powerful joyful woman had shared how she loved to take trips to various locales to find the best chocolates…you could tell she positively loved what she got to do in this phase of her life! We picked a variety of different truffles and chocolates…lavender, chili, wine flavored. Oh heaven. She would describe each one and then she suddenly handed us one of her favorites as a gift. Wow!!!!!!!!! How kind…how generous…how amazing. She even described one that sounded so good…and she had set it back to take home since it was the last one. When we said it sounded so nummy, she immediately let us buy it instead of her getting to enjoy its yumminess after the shop closed.

What a wonderful trip and a great way to celebrate with each other and with the folks in Galena! (And no, we didn’t get the raspberry wine, darn it, they didn’t have any! And we bought some other super tasting bottles to try!)

Jerilynne “MamaRed” Knight
Chicago, IL USA

I was surprised. I was left without words, and stumbled to say no, it’s okay.

He asked how much was needed, and even an old man chipped in with a few cents, who was standing near. The worker said, “You should have a good dinner.” Both cashiers went ahead without really allowing me to protest, and then I said quietly, “God bless you.”

I spoke up a little louder, “I’ll pay you back.” It was a little more than a dollar, but I wanted to cry, especially because I’ve been trying to get donations online to pay off my school loan. I shook the man’s hand before walking out and thanked him while repeating that I would pay him back. When I got home, out of breath, I just wanted to hug someone.

I did and was looked at funny, but I know that all I want is that worker to know how much something so small is really big to someone. I’m going to draw him a thank you card.

wabbly from someone.punked.us
New York, NY USA

Now when I go into this HUGE grocery store, I hear that familiar voice hollering over the crowds, “Hey Queenie!”

Yep, it’s her. What a great way to start your shopping experience…with a warm smile and a wave!

Queen JJ
allthingsroyal.com
allthingsjawjaw.com

Enter Ben…an amazing young man with an energy that was totally contagious and engaging. He asked tons of questions to make sure he understood what was important to me. What a nice treat that was! I told him that frankly, I didn’t want to pay 150 bucks for a phone I could get online for free. He did some checking with his manager and was able to negotiate a deal where I got the phone for $40…the manager couldn’t go to 0 AND it was kewl.

He spent all the time I needed…helping me look at headsets, replacement options, and features…I never felt like he wanted to run away and take care of someone else.

I ended up with a new phone, extra memory to play music because he suggested additional storage, my numbers were transferred and I was ready to customize the phone to my needs.

I wish Ben an amazing journey…he wants to go into sports marketing and his big dream is to own a sports bar. I can see it Ben, I can see it. Go for it!!!!!!

Love and light, hugs and blessings
Mama Red

I decided to call Panasonic to see if it’s common for a 6-year-old microwave to just stop working. The customer service rep said that it was not common, and asked if he could have someone get back to me. Someone did, and the company offered to repair it free of charge, if I would take it to a service
center.

I did and the service center (about 25 minutes away by car) repaired it in one day. Everyone was
pleasant, efficient and prompt. So, I would recommend to anyone considering purchasing an appliance to consider a Panasonic first, since they stand behind their product, and are very prompt in
responding and handling issues as well.

Jackie, Chicagoland, United States

I “knew” I had 30 days to make good on my promise to learn HTML and I didn’t do it. I simply couldn’t bring myself to open the books, at all. So I decided to take them back on the 29th day. It was simply irresponsible to spend $80 on books that reminded me I *should* be doing the learning and I didn’t *want* to do the learning.

When I took them back, the manager said “oh goodness, Barnes and Noble has changed their policy and it is now 14 days instead of 30″. I didn’t even look at the receipt…I assumed (dangerous, I know).

He looked at the receipt, looked at me, and asked for my card. Generously returning the book against the standard policy and giving me a great kindness, a budget booster, AND a reduced guiltload all with one swipe of the card!

When I told him I was going to share this story on my website, he gave me the story about the woman who was honest enough to admit she hadn’t been charged the right amount for her purchase.

Talk about ripples of kindness…I spent the day finding ways to share kindness with others. And it was sooooooooo fun!

Love and light, hugs and blessings
Jerilynne

He told me a customer had been in buying a lot of books the other day and called the store asking for the manager. He took the call and was surprised to hear the woman say “You undercharged me by $172.00 and I’ll be bringing the materials back so you can redo the sale.”

He was stunned, as a lot of us would be.

When he had a chance to talk to the customer in person, she explained that she had a lot of second, third and fourth thoughts about calling…after all, she could find lots of ways to spend the “found” $172!.

However, her innate honesty and kindness was bolstered by the way the manager had treated her earlier in the day. Apparently there was some confusion about what some things should cost. The manager consistently priced the items in favor of the customer…and that was what she remembered when she discovered the error.

His story was so perfect for this site and gave me goosebumps…and reminded me of how our actions have an effect even when we don’t know about it at the time.

So what ripple effect do you want to create today?

Love and light, hugs and blessings
Jerilynne

I bought a couple of jars and tucked them into my bag to enjoy when we got home.

I was disappointed to find a problem with the jars when I returned home…however, I didn’t need to worry. I sent an email to the link on the website (www.galenacanning.com) asking about the problem…and, almost immediately, got a telephone call from Chef Ivo, the owner of the company.

He was a charming man who has been in business for 16 years and has done so by maintaining an amazing relationship with his customers. He promptly offered me replacements…how kewl is that!

If you’re looking for amazing hot sauces, yummy pumpkin butter, jams, and all sorts of other goodies to spice up your life, check out his website!

Thanks, Chef Ivo, for keeping up an amazing tradition of good old fashioned Midwest hospitality!

Love and light, hugs and blessings
Jerilynne

As I got out of the car I realized I was really, really hungry all of a sudden and hoped there was no one in line before me.

As I walk in the door a very cheerful voice says “welcome to Boston Market…we’re glad you’re here!”. Wow, what a way to be greated. This very energetic young man took the time to stop his clean up duties and great me with a great smile and a kind voice. I respond “thanks” and realize “crud, there is someone in line first”. A very hungry looking man stood there staring at the menu as I was figuring out what I wanted to order.

Then, the man did a very simple thing: he turned and said “you go ahead, I’m still deciding.” He must have heard the grumbling of my stomach!

I ordered my meal, found a seat and began to consume both my food and the great novel I’ve been reading. I was so engrossed in a great part of the novel I didn’t realize the same cheerful young man was standing by my table and had said something I didn’t hear. When I looked up and asked him to repeat what he said, he said “I wanted to see if you were done …I’d be happy to take your tray for you”.

I was so touched by his kindnesss and cheerful attitude…a wonderful change from the indifference that often greets me …so I told him “thanks for greeting each guest so cheerfully and helping them to feel so welcome. It is a nice treat!”

Would I have said it anyway? Possibly…I do consciously practice an “attitude of gratitude” AND I’m absolutely certain the act of kindness I received raised my awareness even higher!

Anonymous

I’ve got a bunch of different classes I’ve signed up for and one of them (which, I’ll admit, took me 2 months to get to), was Miguel Alvarez’s Social Marketing course. Once I got started, it took me step by step through how to get started in that particular part of the internet world. During the course, I noticed a link for a web hosting service (http://ThirdSphere.com/) and decided to check it out. I felt like I was reading a science fiction novel about a brave new world I had never heard of. There were tons of options, capabilities, comparisons … all great stuff and I hadn’t a clue what I was reading or how it compared to other providers out there.

I sent an email message to “Support” to ask a couple of questions and, to my amazement, got an email back from Miguel Alvarez himself! He was patient, gracious, generous, kind, and although my questions may have been ill-formed and downright rudimentary, I never felt like he was laughing behind my back. He steadfastly answered my questions…quickly and in language I could understand.

I’m truly grateful for his support and know he has given me a great gift…the gift of caring enough to make sure his prospective customers are well cared for!

Love and light, hugs and blessings
Jerilynne