Sixteen-year-old Lucy Conrad has given her first visit to our Milton Keynes store since the lockdown a big thumbs-up – and her dad Chris says the warm welcome our customer services colleague Lorraine Davey gave her made Lucy "feel like a princess".
When Lorraine heard how excited Lucy was about her visit she made her day by giving Lucy a shout-out on the tannoy before presenting her with a T-shirt and name badge.
Lucy had such a great time that Chris and his wife Debbie wrote a letter thanking Lorraine and her colleagues.
Chris said: "She was a real superstar. Lucy is a very social girl and she likes going to shops and things. She loves the Milton Keynes store as its so big and airy and really suits her."
Lucy, who has a genetic mutation which manifests through learning and development and epilepsy, has been shielding at home during the lockdown.
Chris said: "This was our first foray out of the local environment since lockdown and that's the one place where she wanted to go. This trip meant so much to her.
"We made her a name badge and she wore green as she knows Asda is green and green is her favourite colour because she loves frogs.
"When we got into the shop we saw Lorraine on customer services and the two really clicked!
"Lorraine was amazing and took her time with Lucy and treated her with dignity and respect. She went out of her way to not only put out a tannoy for Lucy as she loves tannoys, but also arranged for Lucy to have her own T-shirt and name badge. And Lucy hasn't taken off that name badge since!
"What Lorraine did meant so much to Lucy. Those little things are priceless and Lucy floated on cloud nine. Lorraine was a superstar and made my daughter feel like a princess. She made it into a really memorable day for Lucy. It was very touching and we can't thank her enough."
Lorraine, who's worked at the store for five years, said: "Lucy and her dad were in the queue and her dad came up to me and asked if I wouldn't mind putting out a tannoy for Lucy to go to one of the aisles and I said 'of course I would'.
"She was all dressed in green and had her own homemade name badge and it just came to me to make her day special. So I got her her own T-shirt and an Asda name badge and she loved it. I even called her an Asda "sister" because she looked like me."
Chris and Debbie were so touched by Lorraine's kindness that they wrote to the store to say thank you.
Lorraine said: "When I saw the letter that Lucy's mum and dad sent it I actually stood there crying. It was so touching and lovely that they felt I'd made their daughter feel special."
Rob Cutts, the store's deputy manager, says the gesture is typical of Lorraine.
He said: "Lorraine is just that sort of person. She gets on with everyone – customers and colleagues alike.
"It was lovely to hear that Lucy had had such a special time. Such small things like that can mean so much."
