...to say the 'I'

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July 17, 2004

People are nice

Sarah posted a sweet story that reminded me of something that happened to me.

Alex and I share a "family plan" for our cell phones, and his phone has international capabilities. So, while he's been away, I've had access to and have been taking care of the account. He can't use his phone in Iraq, but when he was in Kuwait for a few weeks, he was able to use it, to the tune of $1.49 a minute. From his first deployment, I was prepared for a hefty bill for that month--or so I thought. But that month, I opened the statement and saw a charge for $840. I also noticed that the bill was marked "Easy Pay," meaning that the amount would be deducted from his account automatically. I hadn't realized that he had set it up this way (he forgot to tell me) so I called up the company, explaining that I wanted to know when it was changed to Easy Pay. When they told me that Alex had changed it, I felt embarrassed and compelled to explain that the reason I didn't know that was that he was deployed overseas.

Anyway, I knew I could pay the charges, but it would make that month's budget a little tight, so I also asked if it would be possible to split the amount over two billing cycles, something I've heard can be done--I also knew that Alex had VIP status from his massive charges in the past. I explained that Alex was using his phone from Kuwait for that month, but I knew that after that he would not be able to use it, so the high balance was a one-time thing. Anyway, the very kind customer service representative wasn't sure, so he put me on hold while checking with his supervisor. After a moment, he returned to say that though he couldn't technically do what I had asked, he and his supervisor had figured out a loophole, where they could temporarily credit the account for $420. The credit would be cancelled the next month, and I would pay the rest then. He also made clear that this was the only time they would be able to do this. I was grateful and thanked him, and we got off the phone.

A few minutes later, my cell phone rang. It was Jonathan, the rep I had just been speaking to. I thought for sure that he was going to say there was a problem--but I was completely wrong.
"I'm just calling to let you know that I spoke to my supervisor, and we decided that we would make that credit a permanent one, so you don't have to pay it back. The only amount you'll be charged for is the $420."
"Oh my gosh, thank you!" I could barely speak, and asked in the politest (and steadiest) voice I could muster, "may I ask why?"
"Well, because Alexander is serving overseas, we just wanted to do this...and, I'll be deploying out there in a few weeks, myself."
I was in tears. "Which--would you--can I ask, which branch?"
"National Guard."
"Well--good luck!" I croaked. "And...thank you, again."
"You're very welcome, ma'am. Good night."

I'll never forget that--probably the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for me.

Posted by Carla at July 17, 2004 10:30 AM

Comments

That's awesome. Those are the stories I try to remember when I read about soldiers being called baby-killers at parades. I know there are more decent-hearted people out there than mean ones...but hearing stories like these helps remind me.

Posted by: Sarah at July 18, 2004 04:28 AM

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