Yesterday I had one of those days!

I drove downtown to pick up some of my favorite coffee beans at a local store. As I turned the corner to park in front, I hit the curb very hard and bounced off. (In my defense—that part of the curb jutted out and couldn’t be seen from the driver’s seat!) Immediately, my tire pressure warning light came on. I jumped out to look, but didn’t see anything wrong and proceeded to my next stop.

Soon it became evident that something was wrong—steering the car became difficult and then the click, clack, plunk of a flat tire. I was just 5 minutes from an AAA service facility so I slowly made my way there.

A customer service rep came out to check on my issue. I explained my membership had lapsed, but I had the renewal deal back home on my desk. She ushered me inside where it was cool, handed me a bottle of water and immediately assured me she would help me renew my membership at the discounted rate on my coupon. Since my tire was beyond repair, she also worked on an estimate (at my request) for two new tires.

As I waited for the estimate, I noticed that she seemed to genuinely enjoy helping people as they came in and out. Her colleagues joked around and the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxing.

After she had the estimates, she explained all the charges, gave me choices and was even willing to go pick up the tires from their storage facility if I wanted to try to have it done that day. I opted to make an appointment and return later.

In spite of a heavy schedule, they immediately put my spare tire on and I was on my way home. Although I was tired as I was driving home, I noticed I was not stressed. I realized it was because of the kindness, concern and help of the outstanding customer service agent.

In these difficult times, a little kindness can go a long way in brightening someone’s day and helping them cope with whatever problems they face.