Hey Walmart, Take a Lesson From Your Cart Guy

"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."
Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart

On my way home on this strangely balmy January night, I wished I'd taken his picture and asked permission to write about him. He was tall, maybe 18 years old, with naturally curly chestnut hair. I didn't even get his name. My encounter with him was brief and genuine but as rare as a Yeti sighting in the Himalayas; certainly deserving of 'blogumentation.'

Me, unloading groceries into my Hyundai Santa Fe, Ruby. (You name your car too, right?) I see him on the parking row gathering carts but go about my business. Quietly (not creepily) he moves to my left and pauses. I have two more plastic bags o' stuff and a 20 pound bag of bird seed underneath the cart.

Me: Are you waiting on me?

Cart Guy: Yes I am but take your time.

Me: Oh...ok. (befuddled while bending to get the bird seed)

Cart Guy: Hey, I'll get that for you. (said with a real smile)

Me: Wow, thank you. (he takes my cart) Don't work too hard.

Cart Guy: You're welcome, have a nice night and thanks for shopping with us!

Me: Jaw silently ajar. (getting in the car, driving away with a light heart and a grin; the normally elusive customer service just happened to me in a Walmart parking lot!)

Maybe it was his first day and he hasn't been polluted by the box store mentality yet. A sweet kid with old-fashioned manners seems so out of style. I find myself wondering about his parents and how proud he must make them. Wouldn't it be grand if he worked his way up from cart guy to CEO, reinventing all the Walmarts in the world; requiring service like that from every human wearing that blue vest? I'm a dreamer, I know.

Thank you sweet Walmart cart guy, keep up the good work!

Love,
Rose Marie