"Last week, a customer came in asking for a return on a purchase that is typically nonrefundable. However, it was expensive, and the customer explained that, due to an unexpected medical expense, they were no longer able to afford the item. I sympathized with the customer and asked them to wait while I explained the situation to my manager. Ordinarily, I am a stickler for company policy, but this situation called for bending the rules a little. My manager agreed, and together, we figured out a workaround that would give the customer a full refund. The customer was extremely grateful and thanked me for caring enough to help her."

"Last month, my manager called a meeting with all the store openers, including me. She said the closing staff didn't have enough time to finish the cleaning after their other closing duties. The closing staff was mostly new employees, mixed with a few veterans. The opening staff, however, was mostly veteran employees, and we had more than enough time to complete our opening duties. My manager asked if any of us would be willing to complete whatever cleaning the closing crew didn't get the night before when we came in to open. I quickly volunteered, and I've been doing it every time I open for the past month. I know what it's like to be the new guy, and I couldn't imagine how hard it is to close with a staff of mostly newbies. I knew that doing the extra cleaning for a while wouldn't be hard for me, but it would help the closing staff so much to not have to worry about it. I always try to make life easier for my coworkers when I can."