Employee’s Act Makes The Customer Ask To See Manager

An Illinois ice cream shop employee made a huge impact on a grieving widow, and the story quickly went viral.

Whitey’s Ice Cream shop manager Rhonda VanDyke has worked at the store for years, and has seen her fair share of regulars come through. She and her co-workers are known for doing nice things for their regulars — something new employee Brenden McGee picked up on in a big way.

“Well, a lady came through the drive-thru,” McGee told KWQC. “She was pretty upset. She was crying.”

The woman could hardly speak because she was so upset, according to McGee, but he was able to understand that she wanted a milkshake. 

“And then I made it for her and I handed it to her and I’m like, ‘Your shake is on me tonight, you have a good night,’” he said.

The woman smiled and drove away. A few days later, she returned and asked to speak with VanDyke. 

“I was really shocked actually,” McGee said. “I didn’t expect her to come back.”

VanDyke said she wasn’t sure if the conversation was going to be good or bad, but she soon learned the whole story.

“She told me that, you know, she had just lost her husband a few weeks ago, and it was really tough, and I understood where she was coming from because I’ve had the same experience and so I felt really bad for her, but it was really cool that Brenden could cheer her up,” VanDyke said. The woman asked her if she could give McGee some sort of recognition for his good deed. 

“I said, ‘No, we don’t have any employee of the month kind of thing, but we do let our office know,’” she said. The office put up a note applauding the 16-year-old’s actions. 

“It definitely is better to be kind and polite, I mean, we automatically have to be polite to people, but it’s always nice to go that extra mile,” McGee said. 

The story quickly went viral, with many readers applauding McGee’s selfless act.

“What a beautiful story, what a beautiful human being at it’s best. Lot to learn from this story. Thank you for sharing. So glad that now he’s cancer free. I Wish him well for the future,” one Newsiosity reader commented on the site’s Facebook page after learning McGee later had a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

“A great story but more then that I am amazed that the young men had the foresight to calm her with kindness a special kind of person,” another added. 

Sources: Newsiosity/Facebook, KWQC / Photo credit: Newsiosity