Random Acts of Kindness

When the economy began to sour, I vowed to become more diligent about using coupons. I’ve been mostly successful, but with demands on my time escalating over the last few weeks, coupon clipping has taken a back seat. Still, I have been the recipient of some random acts of kindness at retail.

The first was during a recent trip to Men’s Wearhouse with my son to rent a tuxedo for the senior prom. I had a price in my head (under $100) and I knew I’d be able to steer his choice; he was more focused on after-prom activities and would have worn cargo shorts if possible.

It quickly became clear to me that “my” price was going to be a tough mark to hit. We settled on a $139.99 rental and I took some comfort in the fact that everything from the pocket square to the shoes was bundled in the price. Nonetheless, when the associate began ringing it up the total with fees came to $146.04; I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach.

“Wait a second,” the associate said. “The system is showing that your husband is a member of our Perfect Fit rewards program and has an outstanding $50 coupon. It expired a while back, but I can apply it to this purchase.”

I’m pretty sure I began thanking her before she got the words out of her mouth; in fact, I expressed my gratitude with such frequency and effusiveness that my son characterized it as “pathetic.” The final cost was $96.04 – under $100! I was already a Men’s Wearhouse fan; now I’m a bona fide groupie.

Later that week I was at the butcher purchasing meat for a family barbeque. Every now and then this shop publishes a coupon in the local Clipper Magazine – spend $50, get $10 off. I had comfortably exceeded the $50 mark, but I didn’t have the coupon. When I got to the register, the woman who is always there (and knows me well) keyed in the amount, hesitated for just a second and then deducted the $10 without ever asking for the coupon. Again, I thanked her profusely. She commented that she doesn’t break the rules very often – just when she senses that loyal customers could use a little help. Boy, was she right!

Retailers don’t get enough credit for their random acts of kindness: I hear quite a few stories that suggest merchants are sensitive to consumers’ economic struggles. One friend received an unexpected price adjustment from a catalog retailer; another recounted a story about a pharmacist who went above and beyond to secure a discount on an experimental — i.e. outlandishly priced — drug.

The sputtering economy has thrown a wrench in retailers’ growth plans but many continue to find ways to reward loyal shoppers and offer a little something extra when possible. I’ll bet that “little something” pays big dividends in long-term loyalty.