After hobbling from the appliance section, to customer service, back to the appliances at Lowes in my heavy boot I stood there talking to Jamal. He just told me that I would need the serial number to the refrigerator. I looked at him and started crying. He had no clue how fragile I was. My emotions just took over – a wave of grief mixed with frustration and anger. I made sure to let him know that I knew he was just doing his job and it was not his fault. I apologized for my tears and shared that both my mom and my husband’s mom had passed away, I was in a boot, and we hadn’t had a fridge since November. I had been talking to many people on the phone from Frigidaire to the warranty company, to customer service at Lowes. He called a manager and in the meantime offered me chocolate.

We eventually got everything figured out when recognizing I had bought it online instead of in the store (who knew that made a difference). I was relieved and now composed and thrilled to find out our refrigerator would be in by April 20th.

I write this, not because of the story and not because of the tears, but because of how wonderful Jamal was – I know he probably was saying a few choice words in his head and wondering what crazy woman he was serving yet it never came off that way. He apologized that I had been sent back and forth. He was patient and calm. He had phenomenal customer service and I am so thankful that he was there to help me while I was so emotional. He could have sent me off to someone else or had me call someone – yet instead he stood there and helped work through it.

Jamal doesn’t know this, but his apology for what all we had been through in regards of the refrigerator meant the world to me and will to my husband when I tell him. You see, just a couple of weeks ago the warranty company that was fixing our refrigerator was supposed to show up and didn’t. He then was rude when he called and never apologized – instead just wanted to reschedule. As he spoke to me I felt as though he would have handled it differently if my husband had been the one talking to him. I was furious when I hung up the phone with my last words being, “I hope this conversation today doesn’t affect our service tomorrow.” He came the next day and… spark… the refrigerator was beyond repairable. Hence, me standing and talking to Jamal to get our replacement.

Thank you Jamal for your customer service and for the offer of chocolate again before I left. Your kindness and patience was so appreciated.