Her Name Was Velma

We never knew her by name, but we saw her every Sunday. She was our last point of contact as we left Sam’s after our weekly shopping trip.

She recognized us too, knowing that we would always have at least one rotisserie chicken in our cart, possibly some paper products, dog treats and maybe a couple of other items.

She must have thought we really like chicken; how could she know that our senior dog benefitted the most from this purchase?

Taking our receipt, she would carefully count the items in our cart and compare it to the receipt. If I had to write her job description, it would be “Part security detail, part customer service, part exit greeter”.

“Exit Greeter” – seems like an oxymoron, yet since her smile and words were our last point of contact with Sam’s during each trip, she could literally make or break our shopping experience.

She was friendly with those who followed the rules, even exchanging pleasantries. But woe to the person who tried to sneak an “extra” item out of the store! This was her station, her job, and she would not let you pass by.

Last Sunday was different.  Our “Exit Greeter” was not at her usual station.   Instead, there was a bouquet of flowers, with her photo and a brief obituary.

Hubby and I found ourselves all at once shocked and saddened to learn that someone we didn’t really know at all had passed away.

Other customers in line felt the same, all asking where she was, then realizing what happened when they saw the bouquet and announcement.  We all asked questions, such as “What happened?” “Was she sick?” “She was so young!”

Her name was Velma.  And she made more of an impact on customers than she probably ever knew.

We – the public; the media; society in general – tend to turn up our noses at jobs that we perceive to be low-level, those that we deem “beneath us” or “without much value”.  Such as the “Exit Greeter” at Sam’s Club.  There are jokes about greeters at Walmart.

We brush off these perceived low-level jobs, giving little thought to what we might do without those workers.

Yet without these jobs – and the people who take pride in them – our customer experience, and our lives, may not be as rich.

As we shoot for the moon in our careers, sometimes we forget that all jobs have value and are important. We are hesitant to accept a title that’s not as impressive as we want, or pay that may be lower than we are accustomed to, especially if we are re-entering the work force after a layoff.

Some of us refuse to consider companies that don’t meet our rigid requirements.  Some of us will risk financial hardship rather than take a job that may appear entry-level.

We have forgotten that all jobs have value; a job is what we make of it and we are missing opportunities to impact the lives of others, as well as to better ourselves.

All of us – experienced workers and recent college grads – remember: no matter what your position is within the company, do it with pride. You never know what kind of impact you might have on people. 

And if you desire to move up the corporate ladder, this may be your first step on your way to success.

As for Hubby and I, we will continue to shop at Sam’s and I’m sure there will be another Exit Greeter to see us out the door.

But it won’t be the same without Velma.