Are you a member?

--"No." you might say.
--"Well if you were, you could be saving 10% on your purchases today! Membership to the store is a one time fee of $25 dollars and is good for life. (pause, smile) Nearly every purchase you make at this store, our other location or online, you can save 10% and benefit from our monthly promotions." (smile and wait for customer to sign up, or make mental math to see whether their purchases will buy back the card--sometimes it does, two times over!)

That's what I say every day, to every customer... unless they whip out their card like lightning, or they blow me off, or they are foreign and say "no english" and smile real big.

There is such a variety of customers in the store, both young and old. Some purchases are for those still in the womb, and others are so elderly.
The other day, I asked my usual question "are you a member of the store" and the elderly man said in a very proud and cheery voice: "yep! since nineteen forty eight!" Wow. Sometimes customers don't know or don't remember, so I look them up in the system. One older man said, "oh, I don't think so; it was years ago." Plus, he wasn't American and hadn't been back in quite a while. Well, sure enough, there he was. I wish I could put into words the delight and awe he experienced at that moment. In fact, it was closer to disbelief and pure joy. He laughed and told his buddies. I laughed with him. It was a happy day.

More recently, an elderly man came into the store. I could tell he had dentures because he teeth were too perfect for his age. He wanted advice for something "real nice" for his wife. My manager Larry took over because he's fantastic with customers. Really, it's a gift. So, since I was curious, I hung around to find out where the conversation would lead. The customer notices a book we have on the counter that's about the history of football at the university. He starts flipping through it while chatting (a very nice man), when suddenly he see himself and his three sons in the book! Can you believe it?!? Then the conversation shifts to his involvement with football. One of his sons made the NY Giants team.

One couple was back in town celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They got married in the chapel and were looking for a willow tree. They said they thought they might have found it, but it looked really old. They said they didn't feel that old. I shared that Matt and I had just celebrated two years, and the woman told me to keep a diary. She said she wished she could remember better all of their experiences.

Maybe some of you remember the Bangladesh customer who couldn't make up his mind. He came back to the store one week later, and I noticed him stalling, wandering around. When I walked past him to hurry to the register (a line had formed and my co-worker needed help), he caught my eye and said a too enthusiastic HELLO! as if we were best friends, or boyfriend/girlfriend. No one greets retail employees with that kind of attention, so it thew me off guard... A little red flag came up in my head, so I tried to help him, without being too nice. A moment later, he comes up to the register to check out and he introduces me to his DAD. He says to his dad (because he doesn't know my name, naturally) "this is the girl who's been helping me out" (smile). I nod politetly and think to myself "oh no, what have I done?"