A hardworking woman transforms into a harsh and impatient manager after receiving a recent promotion at the store. Her behavior goes unchecked until she crosses a line by insulting and firing an elderly janitor.
“THAT’S IT! You’re done! I don’t think you’re cut out for this job anymore. Get out, NOW!” Nia’s voice was almost triumphant as she dismissed the elderly man on his last day.
Victor stood frozen, unable to process the sudden outburst. He had never been the target of such hostility and harsh words before. His face drained of color, and he almost pleaded for his job.
But Nia remained unyielding, leaving no room for argument. With a heavy heart, Victor quietly exited the store, his coworkers watching in stunned silence, their eyes filled with sorrow.
Although that marked the end of Victor’s time as the store’s janitor, an unexpected and life-altering event was waiting for him the next day.
The following day, Mr. Gordon, the owner of the successful multi-million-dollar store chain, paid an unexpected visit. He wanted to meet Nia to address the sharp decline in sales and figure out what had gone wrong.
Mr. Gordon had a partial understanding of the situation and called Nia into his office.
“Miss Ferguson, I see the revenue has significantly dropped. What’s been happening? I thought you had everything under control. Do you need assistance?” Mr. Gordon inquired.
Nia offered vague excuses and shifted the blame to the staff. “Mr. Gordon, I’ve been trying, but they are so lazy. I have to supervise each of them closely to make sure things get done. They’ve become accustomed to working at a slower pace, and when asked to pick up the speed, they struggled.”
“I see,” Mr. Gordon replied. “But didn’t we have the same ‘lazy’ staff last month? Yet, everything was running smoothly. We haven’t hired anyone new, so I don’t understand why their performance is suddenly poor.”
Nia pressed her lips together and nodded when Mr. Gordon gave her a month to fix the situation and turn things around.
“One month, Miss Ferguson!” he said sternly, and as he prepared to leave, he asked about Victor, the old custodian.
“Where’s Victor? He used to be the first to greet me whenever I visited. I didn’t see him today. Where is he? Can you call him? I’d like him to join me for a cup of tea.”
Nia was taken aback by the closeness between Victor and Mr. Gordon and hesitantly explained that she had fired him.
“Mr. Gordon, I had no choice. Victor was constantly late for work, violating our policies. And he’s too old to keep working.”
“WHAT DID YOU DO? WHO TOLD YOU TO FIRE HIM? Do you have any idea what a massive mistake you’ve made by firing the co-owner of this store?” Mr. Gordon’s voice rose in anger.
“Now I understand why this business is failing,” he said, seething.
Nia was completely stunned. “What? Co-owner? But he’s just a janitor,” she said, her voice filled with disbelief.
“Who told you that?” Mr. Gordon asked sharply.
“When I was a child, my father owned just this store. It was his first business. And I remember Victor well. He was a middle-aged man who worked with incredible dedication. I’ve never met anyone so kind and genuine.”
Mr. Gordon’s eyes welled up as he continued. “I don’t fully recall the events of that day… but my father once told me that I ran after an ice cream truck and nearly got hit by a car. Victor, while taking out the trash, saw me and rushed to save me. He pushed me out of the way but was struck by the car and ended up in the hospital.”
“He never had a family. He lost his wife and child during childbirth, and he considered the staff here his family. Victor donated all his earnings to help homeless and orphaned children.”
“Every morning before work, he would visit shelters to provide food for homeless children. Sometimes, he was late due to traffic, but he was always hardworking and fair. It’s incredibly disappointing and heartbreaking that you couldn’t get along with someone so kind-hearted.”
Mr. Gordon hurried off, but before leaving, he paused and said something Nia wasn’t ready for. “You need to apologize to Victor. He will be taking over this branch tomorrow. I’ll come back, and it will be up to Victor to decide whether you stay or go.”
Nia was shaken as Mr. Gordon left, her future with the company now in Victor’s hands. She quickly drove to his modest home, feeling certain that he would fire her the next day.
Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts as she parked outside his humble house. With a nervous breath, she walked up and knocked on his door.
“Nia?! Mr. Gordon just called to let me know you’d be stopping by. I made an apple pie… I hope you’re a fan of pies! Please come in,” Victor greeted her warmly. His demeanor was kind, and he bore no ill will toward her despite everything that had happened between them.
Victor served a slice of pie to Nia and observed her carefully. He could tell she was on edge and quickly guessed that Mr. Gordon had likely given her a lecture about the consequences of her rash actions.
“When Mr. Gordon’s father was still around, everyone was fascinated by the secret behind his success,” he broke the silence, speaking thoughtfully.
“Unlike most businesspeople who prioritize profit over everything—customers and employees are an afterthought—he took a different approach.”
Nia nodded, beginning to understand where she had gone wrong. “But how does that approach help the business grow? If employees get all these benefits, won’t they get distracted? Won’t they take it for granted?”
“It’s quite simple, my dear! When employees love their work, they deliver exceptional service. And when they do that, customers are happy. When customers are happy, they keep coming back. The business grows, and profits increase! A wise boss doesn’t fire an employee; they figure out how to make them truly dedicated to their job.”
Nia smiled, and just as she was about to leave, Victor stopped her. “Don’t worry, Nia. I’m not going to fire you. But we’ll make a decision later, together with the employees and Mr. Gordon, by a vote, okay?”
Reassured she still had a chance, Nia returned to the store and gathered all the employees in her office. They were nervous about what new rules she might impose. But what they didn’t expect was the change that was about to unfold.
“Good day, everyone!” Nia said with a smile. The employees were shocked—she had never greeted them this way since her promotion.
From that day on, Nia took Victor’s advice to heart and adopted Mr. Gordon’s father’s principles. She treated her employees with respect and refrained from acting superior.
Five years later, Nia was promoted to CEO of all the branches. As for Victor, he continued working as a janitor, content with his job because he genuinely loved it.
What lessons can we take from this story?
- Humility is key to long-term success: If you let success go to your head, it can be your downfall. Nia, who once relished in her newfound power, was humbled when firing the janitor had unexpected consequences.
- Don’t underestimate others: Never judge someone based on assumptions. Nia dismissed Victor as just a lazy janitor, only to discover he was far more significant in the store’s history than she could have imagined.
What do you think? Share this story with your friends—it may just inspire them and bring some light to their day!
