A few kind words can go a long way, especially on a hard day.

So, what would you do if you could tell a cashier was overwhelmed and used to being treated poorly, and kept apologizing to you for something that didn’t even bother you? Would you simply tell them it’s okay and move on? Or would you offer them some much-needed kindness?

In the following story, one customer shares a simple interaction that had an unexpected impact. Here’s what she had to say.

I made the cashier cry

I pulled into the Hardee’s drive-through behind another car.

They placed their order, pulled up to the window, and I waited. No one came over the speaker for me.

No big deal, I’m still trying to figure out how to change my car clock for daylight saving time, so I mess around with that while.

The woman’s voice finally came over the speaker.

After several minutes, a panicked voice came over the speaker, “I’m so so so sorry! How long have you been waiting?”

I said, “It’s totally fine,” placed my order, and she apologized again for the wait.

When I got to the window, she apologized profusely again.

To make the cashier feel better, she gave her some kind words.

I told her, “On behalf of all the people who have been crappy to you today, I promise I’m not one of them, and I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

I saw her wipe a couple of tears away as she ran my card. When we were done, and she gave me the standard, “Thank you and have a nice day,” I responded with, “I hope you have a wonderful day full of people being nice to you.”

Kindness costs nothing.

Wow! That was a really sweet thing to do.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a barista whose keen eye uncovered a customer scheme for free coffee.

Let’s check out how the folks over at Reddit feel about what she did.

This person never treats others rudely.

That is very nice of them!

So true!

Yes, it does.

Patience is a virtue, and it’s good to know people still have it!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a customer complaint that led to them losing their VIP status.