It’s easy to get upset at bad customer service. This is especially so when getting angry, yelling at people, threatening, and stomping your feet gets a reward. As someone who tends not to do these things, I find it somewhat annoying when I see people get rewarded for this behavior.

This week I went to Lowe’s to pick up a new screen door. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago and they called me to tell me it had arrived. So I went to the customer service counter to ask for my door. They sent someone right off to get it for me. I stood off to the side to wait. After about ten minutes I asked (calmly and respectfully) about progress. Someone else scurried off to check.

Ten minutes later they triumphantly emerged from the bowels of the warehouse with . . . a range hood. I (calmly and respectfully) pointed out to them that the range hood was not in fact a screen door. They retreated once more to the storage area to search for my door. I checked in again (calmly and respectfully) after 10 minutes. Another associate left to join the search.

When I had been standing there for 45 minutes all of the associates emerged to inform me that my screen door was nowhere to be found. I was calm. Then they told me they would deliver it to my home at no charge. Okay. I left.

Here’s where I want to give kudos to Lowe’s. I had been calm. I didn’t make a scene. I didn’t berate any of their employees. They could have left the situation alone, but they went another step. They rewarded mellow. The next day I received a voicemail apologizing for the error and informing me that they were going to refund my credit card 10% of the purchase.

It’s easy to recognize and reward the squeaky wheel. It takes greater compassion and discipline to reward the person who stands calmly and respectfully off to the side. My Lowe’s did that, and with that gesture, won me back as a customer.