Although Chicago is often touted as a big city with a small-town feel, it’s nice to be able to brag about an experience that illustrates the truth of these words.
On a recent Friday, following a lunch meeting that I had attended, I stopped at three automatic teller machines attempting to withdraw some money to pay for a train trip back to my office in Evanston.
The last one I tried was one inside Marshall Field’s on State Street, and I learned there that the Cirrus system was down–not that my account was delinquent. I asked a saleswoman named Mary at the confectionery on the 7th floor where customer service was and if she knew whether I could use my Field’s card to get cash–that I needed just a bit to take the train.
Mary asked how much I really needed and I said, just a dollar, and she insisted that I take a dollar and then sent me to customer service on 9 saying that if I was able to get cash I could return her dollar; otherwise, that I should keep it.
Feeling rather embarrassed, I trekked to the 9th floor to find a warm, smiling woman named Grace (this was beginning to feel like spiritual allegory), who said that Fields no longer could give cash against their charge cards but that she could lend me some money.
Further embarrassed, and truly taken aback by this second showing of empathy, I told her that Mary on 7th had already lent me a dollar. With that, Grace said, “Well then, take this for your ride home,” and she handed me a small box of Frango Mints.
To my mind, these are no small gestures–at least not today, in the big city. After I sent Mary a thank you note, along with her dollar, I thought these women deserved public thanks. And Marshall Field’s/Dayton Hudson should be proud that in spite of modern day policies that make it difficult for salespeople to be as accommodating as they used to be, these women went out of their way to trust and to please a customer. Thanks to all.
