This week, I received two emails. Both were about our candles, but the tone of each couldn’t have been more different.
Email 1:
“WTF - Excuse my language but YOU OFFERED BUY TWO GET ONE FREE!!!! I did not see the discount upon checkout!! Please advise, a long-time customer.”
Email 2:
“Many thanks from Ukraine!!
I am a military person of the Ukrainian Airborne (82) Assault Forces. Recently I was given one of your candles, I guess it was the perfect one. Yes, I was lucky. The scent of the candle brought me a feeling of peace and home comfort, even though it was temporary, but still very pleasant and childishly joyful.
I am grateful to you for such pleasant moments that remind me about my family warmth which I had to leave behind almost 45 months ago.
There are few of us, but we are stubborn. Thank you all. I wish everyone were so kind like you!”
When I read these two emails, I had to stop and reflect.
The first email left me feeling both frustrated and a bit shocked, especially since the customer didn’t use the code we’ve been actively promoting for the past three weeks. We responded to emphasize that we strive to treat others the way we wish to be treated. However, their tone and choice of words were not acceptable. We deeply value our customers and are always happy to help make things right. We understand that people can forget things or that mistakes happen—that’s only human. But this is not the way to approach such situations. Respect and kindness go a long way, and we believe in fostering that in every interaction.
The second email left me in tears. Here is someone who has sacrificed so much, who is fighting for their country, and yet they took the time to thank us for a candle. A simple candle.The scent of that candle gave him a moment of peace, a reminder of home, and a fleeting sense of comfort in the midst of unimaginable circumstances.
This week, I was reminded of something so important: Gratitude often shines brightest in those who have the least. Meanwhile, those who have so much—things others could only dream of—can sometimes lose sight of how fortunate they truly are.
As we head into the week ahead, I hope we can all take a moment to reflect. Let’s choose our words carefully. Let’s be kind. Let’s be grateful.
Don’t be Email #1. Be Email #2.
💛Christiana
