Paying it backward -- forward etc

Parent Cafe
1

<p>My son was driving home from college on Sunday and stopped at a convenience store by the highway. He paid with his credit card, and realized he had no money on his debit card, no cash in the car and a toll booth ahead.</p>

<p>(I can’t imagine there’s not a few quarters moldering away in the seat crevices … but he said no.)</p>

<p>He asked her to charge him a dollar more and give him a dollar in change and she refused. (It’s against the merchant agreement, I get that, most people don’t know that.) BUT she gave him a dollar out of her own purse.</p>

<p>So – what would you do? I want him to stop on his way back to school and give her a $5 bill as a thank you, but I am not sure he will. Of course I don’t have her <em>name</em> but I do know the name and address of the store (Google is my friend).</p>

<p>Would you mail some money, (a check?, cash?), addressed to the manager or to “the 12/15 afternoon cashier” and hope it gets to the right person? I would include a commending note to the manager that his cashier went beyond the call of duty. This is not a lot of money (although it’s way the heck more money for a convenience store cashier than it is for me), and I would actually send $10 or $20 as a thank you. </p>

<p>So – how do you thank someone whose name you don’t know, who is 150 miles from you?</p>

2

<p>I would not attempt to pay that person back for their selfless gift, but I would be more aware of those around me who could use the same assistance… from me! And I wouldn’t limit it to just $1.</p>

3

<p>I think it is lovely of you to appreciate and want the thank the person who did a nice favor for your son. </p>

<p>Once when my D was starting out in a new city she became miserably sick with the flu. By coincidence, her apartment building’s heat went out so she was cold and shivering for both reasons.</p>

<p>Fortunately, I knew from visiting that there was a hardware store across the street from her. I live over six hours away but was able to call the hardware store and ask if they could bring an electric portable heater to my D, billing the cost to my credit card. I told them I would like to put a tip on the credit card but was told it could not be done.</p>

<p>The heater was delivered to my D within the half hour and she was deeply appreciative.</p>

<p>So I sent a generous cash tip to the name of the clerk at the address of the store, along with a thank-you note. (I figured wrapping the cash in other paper would make it pretty safe. I was afraid a check would not be cashed.) I think I also did a nice write-up on the store on one of those online feedback sites.</p>

<p>I told my D to stop into the hardware store to thank them once she felt better – sure hope she did!</p>

<p>But I like giving positive reinforcement to people who do nice things for strangers. Today someone who had gotten in line just before me at the supermarket with a filled cart offered to let me, with many fewer items, go ahead. I declined with thanks, saying I was not in a rush, but she persisted so I accepted. But when I checked out, I gave her my coupons for the supermarket’s promotion, which this lady was collecting. Win-win, I figure.</p>

<p>So I support OP’s plan to send a note to the manager with some cash and hope it reaches the right person.</p>

<p>Oh, and at least twice I have left my purse in a cart in a supermarket parking lot and had it returned to me by staff of the store. In those cases I wrote letters to store management commending the employee who retrieved my purse, as well as leaving a note with a tip for the employee. </p>

<p>I have been blessed by kind people in my life, and it is a special pleasure to be able express my gratitude.</p>