A
alexk
Guest
Kiron Jagdeo will turn 17 next Wednesday, but it seems he has already got all the gifts he may have wanted after displaying a random act of kindness on his job. At the time he did it, however, he had no idea his act would cause such an outpouring of love and appreciation for what he told the Sunday Guardian was just the human thing to do.
Jagdeo was made famous after paying helping a customer pay her bill at the Xtra Foods’ Grand Bazaar location, where he works as a bagger. Touched by the random act of kindness, the customer took to Facebook, where she is identified as “Shordey Boss”and posted the experience on July 26.
“To this unselfish young man...I just came out of Xtra Foods in Grand Bazaar trying to stay in my budget. I came up $16.00 over my bill, so I told the cashier take out something that is worth the amount and to my surprise this young man said “no ma’am, I’ll put it in,” so me all jolly an thing start smiling from ear to ear. Just ‘wanna’ say you made my day, you made me smile today, continue doing good deeds so we can overcome the bad,” her post read.
Since the post, which was shared 9,950 appeared, people have been visiting the supermarket bless Jagdeo with gifts and wish him well. Jagdeo was also awarded the establishment’s Exceptional Customer Service Award.
Xtra Foods marketing manager Daniel Austin also told the Sunday Guardian Jagdeo would certainly be considered for an apprenticeship as they continue to monitor him.
The young woman whom the Sunday Guardian was unable to reach for comment, insisted on paying Jagdeo back, even after he refused saying it was ‘small ting.’ She paid back the $16 and more, thanking him for his kindness.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Jagdeo said the excitement over his act had not hit him yet.
“I feel normal, nothing over hyper. My act was not to gain public attention because it was not the reason for which I did it. I just saw someone in need of help and assisted. But I’m happy it made a positive impact,” he said.
Jagdeo said he first learned about his ‘sudden popularity’ after colleagues on the job and people in his neighbourhood began telling him of the post and his pictures on Facebook, saying it went viral. He was visited by people he’d never seen in life coming to the store to congratulate him.
“People would just come and ask me “‘Aye’ you’re the guy from Facebook?” I would say yes and they’d shake my hand and tell me good job, keep it up, that is real customer service, while others would actually give me stuff,” Jagdeo related.
The Bamboo Trace resident, who just completed secondary school at Vishnu Boys’ High School, began working part-time at Xtra Foods in December of 2017.
Asked what prompted him to financially assist the customer, he said he noticed she did not purchase anything unnecessary.
“She didn’t buy like cake and stuff that she didn’t need or junk food. So when I heard her ask the cashier to take out something, I decided I won’t let her do that as she needed those items, so I offered to pay her balance,” Jagdeo explained.
Asked if this was a normal practice of his, he said he is usually very willing to assist anyone and has done it numerous times before at the job, but this was the first time it got such a public recognition.
Asked what his parents thought of his act and the response it received, Jagdeo, the eldest of three brothers, said they - Dabadeen and Sunita Jagdeo-, were very proud of him and told him a good deed does not go unnoticed. He said they also advised him that in the same way he did something good and it received public interest, bad news would also spread so continue to do good.
Asked what were his plans for the future, Jagdeo said before he was uncertain of what career path to take but now he sees himself growing at Xtra Foods. He said he plans on going back to school to take up A Levels as well.
Asked what he wanted to convey to young people, Jagdeo repeated his parents’ advice saying, “A good deed would never go unnoticed. And everyone must try to help another person if they see them struggling and try and be the best person you can be actually.”