He had a very strong body odor, and it was making her sick. His clothes were dirty, and his hands were covered in dirt.
Some guests even left the establishment when they smelt him. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she said to the man. Little did she know how much she would regret this.
Hot Climate
Andy Grenner worked at a coffee shop in Arizona, a state known for its hot weather. Fortunately, he worked in a place with air conditioning.
People would often stop by to seek shelter from the heat, and sometimes he would get a tip while they were there. So when one older man entered the room, Andy prepared to take his order. But what the stranger did would shock him to the core.
Strong Body Odor
The man looked tired and upset. He had a certain vibe about him that caused discomfort. To make matters even worse, he was giving off a foul odor that made some customers leave the coffee shop.
But it wasn't just the guests that seemed uncomfortable around this guy. Some of his coworkers were annoyed at him, too.
The Manager
Andy's manager was a 17-year-old girl that didn't look ready to deal with the smelly stranger. She rolled her eyes at him and let out a long, audible breath.
The man approached the cash register and said: “Three iced mochas and one mango juice, please.”
Rude Behavior
Andy's manager threw his order into a bag and pushed it across the counter. She was being obvious that she didn't want him at her store.
“We’re really busy today and don’t have free seats. You’ll have to take these and go,” she said bluntly.
"It's Fine"
Andy was in complete shock. He didn't expect this from his manager. He smiled at the man and said: “It’s fine. There are lots of seats. You’re more than welcome to stay, sir.”
The man ignored the rude manager and said: “Thanks, kid. I’ll be on my way. See you around.” Andy tried insisting, but the man just smiled at him and left in a hurry. But what Andy and the manager didn't know was that he would be back very soon.
He Returned
The next day, the man returned to the coffee shop with a few of his friends. He looked like a completely different person.
When Andy's manager saw him, her jaw nearly dropped. The man was wearing his police uniform.
"Thanks for your help"
He smiled at Andy and said: “Thanks for your help yesterday."
“We were dying doing renovations in that heat.” It turned out that the man and his friends were helping one of his coworkers with some home repairs and yard work.
Hard Work
They had been working in the hot Arizona sun for almost 6 hours and had started sweating buckets within minutes of stepping outside.
But Andy didn't care about that.
Basic Respect
For Andy, it didn't matter if the guys wore a police uniform or old dirty clothes. Every person deserves equal treatment.
The man thanked Andy for his order and handed him cash. Andy looked at the money and noticed that he had given him far too much money for his order. What was going on?
$100 Tip
Andy tried to give it back, but the officer insisted he keeps it. “Keep it, kid.”
The man gave Andy a $100 tip! The manager's eyes turned wide when she saw the money. She then tried to explain to the officer that all tips were shared.
Not For You
The man answered, “Nope, this is just for him for being so kind. Why would I tip you when you kicked me out yesterday?”
The girl's face turned red. She was so embarrassed.
Regular Stop
“The drinks were great, so my buddies and I decided to make this a regular stop," the officer continued.
Andy held back a laugh as he looked at his manager. She sure won't treat another customer this way ever again.
Grateful
"Thank you so much for the tip, officer," said Andy. He shook his hand and put the large tip in his pocket with a smile.
He and the police officer have been friends ever since that day. He often stops by the shop, and they have long chats about life.
What Do You Think?
Andy believes all customers should be treated equally, regardless of their social status, race, sex, and appearance. He was upset when he saw how his manager treated the man.
What would you do if you saw one of your coworkers treating someone poorly?