A Walmart Customer's Viral Video About Heartbreaking Experience With Cashier
Update Dec. 7 – 9:46 p.m. PST: Brenda Angerman, co-manager of the Southside Walmart in Pueblo, Colorado, emailed The Mighty to say that they have forwarded all information to the corporate office and at this time, although it is true that Yore shopped there, there is no other evidence that suggests anything else about her story is true. Walmart released the following statement:
“We’ve been tracking this story closely and appreciate the concern shown by our customers and associates. They are great examples of the kindness we see in our stores every day. Our associate’s mother is, in fact, in good health and the discussion that is portrayed with a customer never took place.”
Update Dec. 7 – 6:34 p.m. PST: According to KRDO News Channel 13, a Walmart representative says the story below is “not true,” and that the mother of cashier mentioned is still alive. Walmart has still not released an official statement.
Update Dec. 7 – 1:40 p.m. PST: The Mighty spoke with Brenda Angerman, co-manager of the Southside Walmart in Pueblo, Colorado, located at 4080 W Northern Ave. Angerman said that she is unable to give a comment at this time other than to state that Walmart has found the information in the video posted by Paige Yore to be inaccurate. Walmart will be releasing an official statement later today.
A Walmart customer’s shopping trip turned into a moving reminder that we have no idea what anyone else is going through.
Paige Yore, from Rangely, Colorado, was at Walmart waiting to check out when she witnessed a cashier having a difficult time with a customer. Yore did her best to help move the angry customer along, even bagging some of her groceries. When the woman persisted in badgering the young cashier about a declined credit card, Yore interjected and defended him, noting that he seemed to be having a bad day.
The cashier then burst into tears, according to Yore’s now viral Facebook post. He hugged her and told her that morning his mother had taken her own life. He hadn’t called out of work because he had bills to pay.
“No matter where we or, no matter what we’re doing, we are there for a reason,” Yore says in the video below. “That just showed me that no matter what, even if your customer service sucks, even if whatever happened, somebody is rude to you, don’t jump down their throat because they are fighting a battle that none of us knows about… We have to be thankful to be alive and treat other people like you want to be treated.”
Get more from the video below:
Yore posted the video to her Facebook page on Dec. 4, and it’s since received nearly 800,000 shares.
If you or someone you know needs help, please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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