It’s time to shed some light on one very prestigious award Broddrick “Tray” Ruffin, a seasonal merchant, received from 78-year-old Miss Alice McKinney.
She was searching for a specific outdoor shed for over six months. The Lifetime 15’ x 8’ Dual-Entry Outdoor Storage Shed. She originally saw it at her club in Texas and made several inquiries, but couldn’t track one down until her request made it to Tray’s desk in Bentonville.
"Mr. Ruffin listened to my whole story and respected my position," Miss Alice said of the trek to find exactly what she was looking for. "In fact, I could see the smile on his face, the enthusiasm in his heart and the movement in his feet to put a plan to help me in motion."
Tray is extremely dedicated to his work, so he was able to provide some extraordinary service to Miss Alice.
“I felt like I had to help her and figure out a way to get the shed,” Tray said. “I reached out to the supplier to locate the shed. There ended up being no units left at Sam’s Club, so I had to work with the supplier to track one down. From there, I requested it to be shipped to Miss Alice’s club in Stafford. I worked with the club to ensure they knew everything that was going on, provided Miss Alice with weekly updates on the phone and coordinated with the supplier to get a team out to build it for her once it arrived.”
It was a long process that came with hurdles, but Miss Alice finally got her she shed in August 2021.
Why take shortcuts or the easy road. The member pays to shop with us, and we need to show them why they should continue to shop with us. I will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure the member experience is legendary.
Miss Alice said she is thankful for everything Tray did for her. So much so, she sent Tray and Sam’s Club CEO Kath McLay a certificate of appreciation for the work that was done.
When good things are done for you, my mother always said let the person know how grateful you are for their help. I sent the award, because if we all stopped and put a little effort into making everyone else happy, we will all be a little happier ourselves.
It’s those types of interactions with members and being able to help a club out that make doing extraordinary things an ordinary occurrence for Tray. See, Tray used to be a club manager and knows first-hand how special these moments can be.
"I’m so shocked and humbled," Tray said. "I just try to be the best version of myself every day without recognition or accolades. For her to do this, it’s unbelievable. I hope my kids can learn from this, too. Don’t do the right thing because somebody is watching but rather because it’s just the right thing to do."
As for the she shed she’d been searching for, Miss Alice reports it’s standing nice and tall in her backyard.
“It is already almost half full of items that I needed to move out of my attic,” Miss Alice said. “You can say that this was the most sought-after shed because there were none left.”
