Brighten Your Day

Dollar General Employee's Act Of Kindness Leads To Viral TikTok Video

December 29, 2021

A Dollar General employee has been recognized for her kindness after a video posted to social media by a customer went viral.

Emily Duncan / TheSouthern.com

Emily Duncan, 25, works at the Dollar General in Vienna, Illinois. She had only been working there for a few months when an elderly customer got a little chatty in the checkout line.

Professional bass angler Gerald Swindle happened to be in the store that day. And he was in a hurry.

"I'm getting ready to hunt, I'm kind of in a hurry," Swindle said. "I get up to the cashier and there was an older lady checking out... she's talking to the young cashier, the young lady, and she's telling her all about herself."

Swindle admitted he was agitated at first, but then stopped himself and saw the life lesson. He shared the heartwarming story on social media.

"You were super patient with this lady. You did nothing but engage with her conversation. You welcomed her conversation. You listened to every word she said, and you never rushed her," Swindle said. "You showed me what people are to be. You should always embrace that and not want to rush people out of a conversation. Sometimes it might be the only person they talk to this week. You inspired me and sometimes I need that, so I appreciate it."

Last week, members of Dollar General Corporation's leadership team visited the Vienna store where they complimented Duncan on her customer service and honored her with a plaque, flowers and a $1,000 donation to Vienna Grade School in her name.

"This is all kind of surreal. I never expected this to all come about because to me, it was just a regular day. I just went to work and was doing my job," Duncan told The Southern Illinoisan.

"What I’ve learned is so amazing – the impact you can have on people just by being yourself, working at the Dollar General. This is awesome," she added.