'She's been singing your praises for a good five minutes': Good samaritan gets promoted while shopping at a local store he didn't work at

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Jun 8, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

You're walking down the aisle, stacking up bottles of shampoo, boxes of cereal, cartons of milk… you answer people's questions, whether they ask nicely or not, because you need a salary at the end of the month. Sometimes you work the cashier, other times work the logistics. You're really a one-man show, but don't get paid enough to do it. Welcome to working at a supermarket. Tough times, tough times…

One good samaritan was shopping at their local supermarket, eyeing the taco section. They'd been shopping there for the past six years and knew the place well. The store had lots of variety, but the taco section was something else. They were planning on making them, and picked out the Ghost Pepper Salsa, trying not to think about the bathroom trip that would be less than pleasant. Suddenly an old woman approached him, thinking he was an employee. She asked for some help, and normally someone would just say 'Sorry, don't work here' but this good dude did something entirely different.

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  • 01
    I got promoted while shopping at a store I don't work at. So yesterday I was at my favorite local supermarket. I've been shopping there pretty much once a week for the past 6 years. I know the place like the back of my hand. I know most of the employees by name (I live in a small town of -4000 people).
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 02
    As I'm standing in the taco aisle, trying to decide exactly how hard to punish my bathroom later (I picked Ghost Pepper salsa, so a lot), I am approached by a woman who must have been 75 if she was a day. SL will be sweet lady, and M will be Me. SL: "Son, can you help me locate the aluminium foil?" M: "Sure, it's right up this way." walks her to aisle 7b
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 03
    M: "It's pretty high up, let me grab it for you. Do you want the Reynolds, or the store brand?" SL: "The name brand please." hands her a 200 foot roll M: "Do you need help finding anything else? I'm a walking directory of this store." SL: Hands me her shopping list
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 04
    I spent about ten minutes filling her cart with heavy/hard to reach items, and then I got back to my shopping with a smile and a "have a great day". As I'm standing in the checkout, I see the SL arguing with the floor manager (Greg, he goes to my church, we're pretty familiar with each other) over by the express line.
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 05
    I pay for my groceries, and walk over to be nosy, and maybe help out. SL is telling Greg that "The big guy with the red beard" helped her, "I didn't get his name" and she wants to see him get a bonus, promotion, or employee of the month, something. Greg is insistent that no one with that description works there.
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 06
    I get to the counter, and before I can explain that I don't even work there, Greg pipes up. G (to SL): "Oh, you mean Mark? Yeah, he's one of our best employees." G (to me): "Mark, this lady has been over here singing your praises for the past 5 minutes. I didn't even know you were working today."
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 07
    Me (Lying through my teeth): "Well, Sharon (a cashier I know) called me and said we were slammed, so I came in on my day off." G: "Well that's some real initiative, how would you like to be Assistant to the Regional Manager (we're both huge Office fans)?" M: "Oh my God, thank you! Are you sure?" G: "Well, you've definitely earned it.'
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 08
    SL: "See, this is why I shop here instead of Walmart, even though you guys charge more. You care about your employees, and your employees care about your customers." So that is how I became assistant to the regional manager at a store I am not even employed by.
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 09
    amandaMidge Hopefully you get paid in Stanley nickels vs Shrute bucks! 8.8k Share ... blazeithere2. What's the exchange rate of Schrute bucks to Stanley nickels? 1.6k Share
    via u/amandaMidge, u/blazeithere2
  • 10
    864Mountaineer. taco aisle town of -4000 Where is this? Looks like I'm gonna be moving 5.6k Share ...
    via u/864Mountaineer
  • 11
    AFK_Tornado. I assume this is the "aisle with the tacos." Sounds way better than "vaguely foreign food aisle." 754 Share ...
    via u/AFK_Tornado
  • 12
    its710somewhere OP. Nah, we have a dedicated Mexican food aisle. It's popular here. We like tacos. 15 sauces, a dozen kinds of shells, beans, peppers, rice. It's a taco aisle. The Asian stuff is on the other side. 939 Share
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 13
    rrrradon Oh hi, Mark 2.3k Share ... thegreenllama777 I do not work here, it's not true, it's bɩhit, I do not work here, I do naaahhttt. 1.3k Share
    via u/rrrradon
  • 14
    RibMusic Off topic, but what is it about mexican food that gives some people problems with their stomach/bowles? I've never understood the jokes people make about mexican food giving people the s' 'ts.
    via u/RibMusic
  • 15
    its 710somewhere OP Beans give people gas. Mexican food generally has beans involved. I'm not trying to e, but combine some bubbly & gassy be cl os with some ghost peppers, and you feel bad for your toilet afterwards. I feel like an upside down volcano.
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 16
    shrapnade Cute story, very heart warming blah blah...tell me more about this entire aisle dedicated to tacos! 210 Share
    via u/shrapnade
  • 17
    CatAndTonic The manager guy should have given youa discount for your trouble. ↑ 3.7k ♡ Share
    via u/CatAndTonic
  • 18
    its710somewhere OP. IDK, I don't see being nice to someone as "trouble". She needed help, I had the time. I would hope the next person would do the same for me. If she had been rude with her request, maybe I wouldn't have helped, but I'm not gonna b¨ch about a nice old lady needing help. If someone saw my mom struggling in a store, I would want them to help her. So I help their mom. 9.1k Share
    via u/its710somewhere
  • 19
    PercyTheWeasel The most surprising part of this story is that a town with only 4,000 people has a supermarket big enough to dedicate an entire isle to tacos
    via u/PercyTheWeasel
  • 20
    avianaltercations Great, next time she comes in and no-one helps her out shes gonna send a letter complaining to the Assistant to the Regional Manager.
    via u/avianaltercations
  • 21
    Rosveen How did the sweet old lady not know you don't work there? Old ladies in my small town could recite everybody's family tree five generations back and tell you exactly where you went to school, with whom and what you've done with your life since graduation.
    via u/Rosveen
  • 22
    grndesl⚫ G: I'm sorry Mark we're going to have to let you go. M: But I don't actually work here G: I know. That's what makes this so hard.
    via u/grndesl
  • 23
    4point5billion45 · Are you from Britain (aluminium)? 27 Share its710somewhere OP. US born and bred. I just like that spelling better. 61 Share ...
    via u/4point5billion45

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supermarket promoted wholesome promotion random act of kindness boss i dont work here employee tacos shopping workplace stories reddit good samaritan old lady regional manager
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