Looking like you belong somewhere can sometimes be all it takes.

So, what would you do if another customer asked you for help finding a few items, and after you were done, they found the manager and insisted that you deserved a raise or a promotion? Would you be embarrassed? Or would the whole thing leave you feeling pretty good?

In the following story, one young man find shimself in this situation and enjoys helping. Here’s his story.

Lady demands the manager to give a me, a student some raise or promotion.

At the time, I was a 19-year-old college student in a university under the Hospitality course, majoring in Culinary Entrepreneurship.

Every week, we had to buy ingredients for our cooking/baking subject (Our category was Petit Four cakes). In our groups, each member was assigned to buy certain ingredients based on availability as we went to university or back home.

Our uniform (quite important) consists of a light cream short-sleeve polo, a green-and-blue striped necktie, a dark blue vest with our university course logo embroidered on the left chest, dark blue pants, black shoes, and an all-yellow ID lanyard and card.

While an employee is wearing a short-sleeved white polo shirt with the company logo, black pants, and black leather shoes, they also have dark blue ID laces and a white ID.

After class, he headed to the supermarket.

Anyway, the class has ended, and I decided to buy the ingredients at a supermarket near the train station. As I arrived at that station, I went straight to the mall and into the supermarket area.

At the supermarket, I removed my necktie and vest and put them in my bag, and placed it in the claim and deposit station because big bags are not allowed, and you might sneak in a few items.

The only ingredients that were assigned to me were heavy cream and powdered sugar, so I went to the dairy and creamery section first. As I picked up the cream and placed it in a basket, an old lady came up to me, and here is how the conversation went.

The lady needed help finding butter.

I am me, NL is a nice lady, and M is the manager.

NL: Excuse me, Sir

Me: Yes, Ma’am?

NL: Can you help me find a butter? The one I bought yesterday was a margarine. It gives a weird texture to my cookies.

Me: Sure, Ma’am.

Then, he helped her find another item.

As the creamery and dairy section were close to each other, I also suggested items for her.

Me: If you want the cheapest one, this brand is a good unsalted and salted butter for you. But if you want quality, I recommend this for you. I used this when I bake some myself.

NL: Thank you, young man. May I ask for your assistance in finding more baking need items? I might need your suggestion on this one.

I, being a good boy, helped her as I also got my 2nd and last item.

NL: Thank you so much, young man. I can take care of the rest now.

Suddenly, the lady and the store manager approached him.

Me: You’re welcome, Ma’am.

Because of her, I decided to buy a soda and snacks for my trips back home before check-out. As I finished shopping, I saw the same lady with the manager talking about a nice young man who helped her and demanded to give that person a raise.

When she saw me as I claimed my bag, she approached me, pointed in my direction, and said this to the manager.

NL: That’s him, that’s the young man I was talking about. I would like to ask for a raise for helping me.

M: Ma’am, I appreciate your good feedback, but I’m sorry, he doesn’t work here.

She was shocked to learn the truth.

NL: Wait, you didn’t work here?

Me: Sorry, Ma’am, but I am only a student. Here is my ID. I think you’ve mistaken me for an employee due to a similar uniform.

NL: Oh, how embarrassing for me to ask a complete stranger and waste a manager’s time.

M: It’s fine, Ma’am. If he were to actually work here, I would consider your comment to him.

He didn’t mind at all.

Me: It’s fine for me too, Ma’am. I am not that busy anyway, and I’m just helping when I can, even if I don’t work here.

NL: I’m sorry again, and thank you very much for helping me.

Me: You’re welcome again, and I’m happy to help.

And then we went on our way.

Aww! That was such a sweet thing that he did.

Let’s see if the people over at Reddit have ever had this happen to them.

This reader thinks he was raised right.

Here’s a nice thought.

For this reader, the lady’s demand was icing on the cake.

This person questions his uniform.

If only more people were like him! What an awesome thing to do.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.