What Happened When This Woman Tried to Return a Coat Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

A woman’s Facebook post about her interaction with an online retailer has gone viral, but not for the reason you might think. On Jan. 4, Kelly Kinkel posted that she had “one of the best customer service experiences of my life” after calling Zulily to ask how to return a coat she bought and realized it wasn’t what she needed. She said they issued her a refund and told her instead of returning the coat, it would make them very happy if she donated it to someone in need.

“I honestly thought he was kidding. It took me a moment to realize he was completely serious, and then came the tears,” she wrote. “I just don’t know other companies that do this, do you? I thought Zulily was pretty incredible before, but after today, I’m a customer for LIFE.”

Social media has evolved into the go-to place for people to talk about companies and their customer service. These posts are overwhelmingly negative, probably because people are more compelled to complain about problems than praise a company when it meets or exceeds their expectations. Despite the picture consumers tend to paint on social media, customer service isn’t always a terrible experience. Occasionally, it’s heartwarming.

A week and a half after she shared it, Kinkel’s post continue to gain traction. Some people commented and described similar experiences with other retailers, further supporting the notion that customer service isn’t as bad as some people think it is.

While it’s great to see a heartwarming story like Kinkel’s get passed around, it’s important to remember to be careful about what you share on social media. You should refrain, for instance, from posting pictures of your credit card or debit card and sales slips that list other sensitive payment or personal information. And, if you ever have any reason to believe this information was compromised, you should keep an eye on your statements and your credit file. (You can do the latter so by pulling your credit reports for free each year on AnnualCreditReport.com and viewing your credit scores for free each month on Credit.com.)