Hougang Mall FairPrice Staff Helps Pay For Toothpaste After Customer Runs Out Of Money

Hougang Mall FairPrice Staff Helps Pay For Customer Who’s Short Of Money

One way or another, we’ve all likely been in that awkward situation where we discover we don’t have nearly enough to pay for our goods upon checkout.

While most of us will put the items back or simply leave the store red-faced, one shopper became the exception when a staff member helped them pay for their purchase instead.

A customer at the FairPrice outlet in Hougang Mall recently shared a story of how a worker there helped them pay for their toothpaste after they ran out of money.

Although the customer refused at first, the employee apparently insisted on paying. Perhaps touched by the gesture, the customer decided to share about it to express their gratitude.

Customer’s card declined due to insufficient balance

On Monday (13 Mar), the customer detailed the heartwarming story via the @sgfollowsall Instagram page.

Starting off, they wanted to express their appreciation to one FairPrice employee, a certain Madam Sng, who works at the Hougang Mall outlet.

Earlier that day, the customer said that they were visiting the outlet to grab some cans of coffee and a tube of toothpaste.

Upon proceeding to the self-checkout kiosks, they realised that their card had insufficient balance to pay for the items when it was declined.

To complicate matters, the customer had only S$7 in cash.

They then decided to buy the coffees and forego the toothpaste.

Subsequently, the customer requested assistance from Madam Sng to cancel the toothpaste transaction, informing her that they did not have enough money.

Hougang FairPrice staff helps customer pay after noticing their panic

The OP said that they must have appeared “perplexed” at the time, seeing as they were caught off guard by the card’s low balance and in a hurry to catch the bus to work.

Looking back, the OP surmised that Madam Sng might have felt compelled to help when she saw the state of panic they were in.

Having noticed that and receiving the customer’s request to cancel their purchase, Madam Sng reassuringly said,

“Never mind. I will (help you pay) for this toothpaste.”

Although the customer initially refused, Madam Sng gently insisted, allowing the customer to leave with all the items they had wanted to buy.

Ending the post, the OP stated how touched they were by the gesture and thanked the FairPrice employee for her kindness.

Singaporeans share similar stories of kind gestures by store workers

The moving encounter led to a wholesome comment section, in which various users shared similar stories of kind gestures by store workers.

One commenter revealed that a worker at an unnamed FairPrice outlet had paid for food to satisfy their late-night craving when they forgot to bring cash.

Another shared that a cashier at a Cheers convenience store had helped cover for them when they came up 10 or 20 cents short.

Meanwhile, one Instagram user called Madam Sng a “kind soul” and said the world needs more people like her.

On a separate note, a netizen encouraged the OP to repay Madam Sng, reasoning that people in this line of work “are not well paid”.

Hope FairPrice customer can repay staff or pay it forward

While it may seem like a small gesture to some, we’re sure that the FairPrice employee’s gesture meant the world to the customer.

After all, it isn’t every day a complete stranger steps up to get you out of a bind, especially without expecting anything in return.

Here’s hoping that the OP can find a way to repay Madam Sng or pay it forward to the next person in need.

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Featured image adapted from @sgfollowsall on Instagram and Google Maps.