In his first year at Meijer, Terry Hartlich is already developing a reputation for going above and beyond for our customers. One mother recently shared the story of how Terry goes out of his way to provide a memorable experience for her 3-year old daughter every time they shop our Manitowoc, Wisc. Store.
“We often use the self-checkout lane, and my daughter likes to check all the coin returns for any coins left behind,” she wrote. “She rarely finds any, and Terry, who works the self-checkout lanes often, will put his own quarters in the coin returns so my daughter can 'find' them.”
“He's done this probably three different times now and said to me today that he keeps quarters in his pocket just in case she comes into the store. This just makes my daughter's day! Terry chooses to do this, and it is just so kind and thoughtful. We need more people in the world like Terry!”
Terry said he likes to leave the coins for children to find because he’s often rewarded with a smile from the delighted child.
When our team received the customer’s note, our Vice President of Stores personally recognized Terry for going above and beyond to create a “wow moment” for our customers.
Terry said he appreciates being able to work at Meijer. After a stroke three years ago at age 41 left him with limited use of his right arm, finding work was difficult.
“My right arm does not function well. It limits me in what I can lift and what I can do for a job, but I live with it and have adapted,” he said.
At Meijer, Terry floats between cashier, bagger and working behind the deli counter.
“I work all over the place,” said Terry, who only thought of applying to Meijer because he accompanied his mom on a shopping trip and saw a sign that Meijer was hiring. “I filled the application online in the parking lot. Within eight minutes or so I got a call and they hired me on the spot.”
He’s amazed at how much he enjoys working at Meijer and was surprised to be honored for making a customer’s experience special. He displays the framed certificate in his kitchen where he can see it every day.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Terry. “I never won anything like this. It was a really good feeling.”
We’re proud of the role our team members play in our customers’ daily lives and love to see team members like Terry serve them so well.