A story that made me very happy -- I couldn't stop smiling.

Someone I know who lives in Geneva knows that I'm very interested in happiness, and she related the following story to me, because this incident made HER feel so happy.

I asked her if I could post it, because I found it such a gratifying incident.

"A couple of weeks ago I went into Harrods in London (huge department store I am sure you have heard of!) to buy some Minton China plates for a wedding anniversary which was to be a group gift from friends to other friends in Geneva. Having only 30 minutes between meetings, I whizzed there in a taxi from the office and battled through the milling people on the 2nd day of the sales on the ground floor up to the 5th to the china department. There was a non-descript chap standing there who was obviously a sales person who I rushed up to and asked if he had this particular china? in stock? would it take long to wrap? etc., He was amazing. He got the plates in seconds, wrapped them up, asked me if I wanted a store card to which I replied no, because I lived in Switzerland, to which he replied asking if, as I lived abroad would I like a tax rebate form, showed me what to do and produced a map of the store of where I should go for the formalities. Amazing, so I thanked him and said what wonderful service he had given me and did he give this to everyone? With that a tall man in a grey suit approached me offering his hand to shake mine saying, “Can I introduce myself, I am the Chief Executive of Harrods and what an interesting conversation I have just heard”…. He had been wandering through the store (as you should do as a hands-on CEO!) and had overheard me thanking this salesman - whose face, I can hardly describe, was – frozen in a mixture of delight awe and astonishment! Can you imagine the salesman going home to his family and friends recounting, “the day the CEO spoke to him after overhearing him being praised by a customer”……….

"This story makes everyone smile (and feel happy?!) when I tell it – so why is that I asked myself (now focussing on what and why is happiness since meeting you and your work)! The ‘underdog’ receiving recognition? the unexpected? the coincidence? …… all of that!"

For me, one of the most satisfying basic storylines is "Virtue rewarded." To have been an instrument to see virtue rewarded is thrilling to contemplate.

*
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Comments

[Graham Lawrence]

It's nice to know you know people in Geneva. I live there too and it's a great place to live. Your articles are a daily source of inspiration for me and I'm taking this opportunity to say "Thankyou!" ;-)

[Alex Fayle]

I'm amazed that the CEO was wandering around at the "real people" level. I guess that's what makes Harrods a classy place to shop.

Most management I have ever seen wandering about the shop floor are usually looking for something to pick at and show their employees just how In Charge management is. Nice to hear that's not always the case.

[Chris Kadey]

For me, the delight is that she was the recipient of the gift of true Customer SERVICE, a rarity these days (along with Medical CARE).

[Pete]

I think the best part of the story is the fact the sales person was not acting. He genuinely was providing customer service to the best of his ability because he wanted to. Not because someone was standing over his shoulder. He was shocked, because he never thought about a reward for his actions.

He was just being himself. I wish more people could be like him.

http://yinvsyang.com/

[Missy]

In my workplace there are a variety of recognition programs outside of one's basic compensation that are utilized to reward colleagues for their work. Although cash awards are nice, the loudest feedback that I've heard around these programs is that a simple public thank you goes the furthest in making people feel valued.

[Ella]

"Virtue rewarded" is the opposite of "unjust accusation," right? Perhaps that is why it is so satisfying.

[Tanya]

It is a nice story...HOWEVER...the skeptic in me comes out when I read it. Was this story first hand? Because it sounds a lot like those annoying "feel-good" type email that get passed around, those "trying to make spam nice" emails that annoy the hell out of me.

yes, I KNOW it is a nice story, I'm sure everyone involved was pleased as punch for the next 3 weeks after the occassion. Yes, it makes a nice point to be nice to people. But I don't want an inbox full of 354 stories like this.

Besides, I'm sure if the CEO was visiting the store all staff knew about it and were on their best bahaviour. Just saying...

[Shanel Yang]

Wherever we go in the world, there are people who are "a pleasure to have in class" and then there are the rest. Thanks, Gretchen, for sharing this delightful story! It lifted my spirits this morning to imagine the whole thing happening and all the happy faces! : )

[Shefaly]

@ Tanya:

If it was James McArthur, the newly appointed CEO, one could not say.

But Mohammed Al-Fayed, the owner and until-recently the CEO, does roam the store floors a lot. You are however right in wondering about staff reaction to the CEO's presence. It can vary. I have seem some stiffened by his presence, while others - more seasoned ones - continue to do what they do.

Whether anybody but a brave person will brook Harrods in sale time is a different question altogether and unrelated to customer service standards. :-)

[Davina]

Real or not, I enjoyed reading this. A virtue being rewarded magnifies the virtue itself. And, all the people involved in the sharing reap the benefits. This virtue is still having an impact isn't it. Thanks for sharing the story.

[DonnaS]

Virtue rewarded--how great! This is something that doesn't happen very often and when it does it can make your day. More people should take a sec and thank someone for something nice they have done.

[Gabrielle H]

What a nice story

[Laura L]

This is wonderful! Having both worked in retail for several years, my husband and I are always quick to seek out a manager to give a nice word for an employee who helped us. And we try to be patient with one having a bad day (we remember those all too well...) More people than you'd expect aren't even polite to retail/service workers.

[Andi]

What a lovely story. I recently stumbled upon a new blog called Run By Humans that highlights just these kind of stories! http://www.runbyhumans.com; it'll make you smile a LOT.

[Gretchen Rubin]

@Tanya -- I know what you mean about the spammy heartwarming stories. But I can vouch for the fact that this was a story told to me by a real live person about an actual experience that happened to her.

[Michael Melcher]

It is not unknown for CEOs to wander through the floors of stoors rather than hanging out all the time at headquarters.

Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko's, used to spend much or most of his time visiting the different Kinko's shops around the U.S. and overseas. In his autobiography, "Copy This," he says he did this (1) because that's where he got all his best ideas and (2) as a person with ADD and ADHD he couldn't stand being at headquarters anyway.

[melanie cormier, nashville, tn]

I think that everyone here is missing the point of the deed, in my opinion, regardless as to whether or not real or fiction. A good deed performed by one to another brings much more joy to the one performing the goodness than the receiver. That is how we receive happiness, by giving, not receiving.

[dawnl]

I once had the pleasure of being in a similar situation as this salesman. I was studying to become a family nurse practitioner. Part of this included many hours practicing as a nurse practitioner student under the preceptorship of a nurse practitioner or physician. One day I was practicing at a busy pediatric clinic. I had just completed yearly physical exams with two teenage twin girls. As the two girls, their mother and I were leaving the exam room, the mother was thanking me. She said she felt the girls had just had the most comprehensive physical exams ever, and they had learned so much from me. At that moment I almost bumped into the director of our nurse practitioner program who was scheduled to meet me at the clinic to see how things were going at my practice site. As I said goodbye to the family, the director of the nurse practitioner program asked me with a smile, 'did you stage that?'

I often remember that experience which was about 10 years ago. I was not trying to impress anyone at the time (although lucky I did), I was just trying to do a good job, to provide excellent service.