Trader Joe’s Cashiers Go Above and Beyond for Parent Whose Toddler Is Mid-Tantrum

Toddlers have a knack for meltdowns in the middle of grocery stores. There’s just something about produce that really grinds a three-year-old’s gears. Try as you might to tame a tantrum, sometimes the best thing you can do is ride it out. And hope you’re surrounded by people who can empathize with you. Lucky for one mom shopping at Trader Joe’s, Tori Alexander’s shift happened to fall right in the middle of her son’s temper tantrum.

The child, Julian, started crying as he rolled into checkout. That’s when Alexander, an employee of Trader Joe’s in Winter Park, Florida., began singing and dancing alongside her coworkers to get the baby to stop mid-tantrum.

Alexander shared the adorable video on Facebook, where thousands of people have fallen in love with the sweet gesture. “I’m extremely thankful for my coworkers. They jumped in and helped me entertain him, which also made the experience even more extraordinary. Customer service is [a] top priority. I love my job," says Alexander on Facebook.

Alexander and her coworkers’ actions are part of what makes Trader Joe’s so special to its loyal customers. During an episode for the podcast Inside Trader Joe’s, titled “Why Is Everyone So Nice?”, the grocery store says hiring nice crew members is the most important part of their interview process. “I think that’s one of the first things that we focus on when we’re looking to hire people. Start with people that are outwardly nice,” Trader Joe’s president Bryan Palbaum says during the episode.

“We can teach anybody how to put a can of corn on the shelf," Colleen Kelleher, Trader Joe’s director of recruitment and development, adds. "But how to connect with somebody…and do that in a way that’s being engaging and inspiring, is different.”

Meaning, if your kid is going to have a tantrum, with any luck, it’ll at least be at Trader Joe’s. Small parenting wins.