You know those moments when a small interaction stays with you way longer than it should? I had two of those in Paris, and I can’t stop thinking about the difference between them.
Day one: Found this tiny sandwich shop. The owner was passionate, explained everything about his baguettes with such pride. Amazing food, clearly loved what he did. But when we said we didn’t want the meal deal – just the sandwich – he charged us for it anyway. We were tourists, didn’t catch it until later. It wasn’t about the money, really. It was about that choice he made. Here’s someone who takes such care with his craft, but then… that little moment of taking advantage. It just sat wrong with me all day.
Day two: Different cafe. Same pride in their work, same quality. We asked for extra milk in our coffee – they didn’t charge. Then brought us a free cake we never ordered. Just because. When the bill came, of course I tipped them well. More than that – I left them a glowing Google review. I became their brand ambassador without even thinking about it.
Walking away from that second cafe, it hit me: both owners need to make revenue. Both clearly care about their work. But one made a choice to take a little extra, and the other made a choice to give a little extra.
Guess which one I’m still talking about? Guess which one got the Google review, the recommendation to friends, the customer for life?
I keep coming back to this – where does it pay to be kind? Where does integrity actually matter? Maybe it’s not about the immediate transaction. Maybe it’s about something bigger. That second cafe owner probably has no idea that his small act of generosity created a ripple effect that’s still going.
The universe has a funny way of paying back kindness. In business, in life – those small choices we make when we think no one’s watching? They matter more than we think.
Sometimes being nice isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do.
