DQ Manager's Kindness to Blind Man Goes Viral

A young Dairy Queen manager's heart of gold is making headlines. Nineteen-year-old Joey Prusak of Hopkins, Minnesota (otherwise known as The Nicest Guy Ever), confronted a customer who sneakily pocketed a $20 bill that a blind man had dropped.

When the customer refused to give the money back, Prusak kicked her out and gave the blind man $20 of his own money.

News of the sweet deed went viral after an email praising Prusak -- written by a customer who witnessed the incident -- wound up on Reddit. But what should a business do when there's no Prusak to save the day?

How to Handle Theft

In sticky situations like this, good customer service is key.

Train your employees to greet thieving customers and explain to them respectfully -- but firmly -- what transpired and what must be done. A neutral, non-accusatory tone is essential.

Though Prusak is still a teenager, he handled the situation perfectly.

The moral Minnesotan explained he'd seen everything. Unfortunately, the thief insisted on pretending it was her money and then proceeded to argue loudly and hurl insults at The Nicest Guy Ever, reports the New York Daily News.

But Prusak kept his cool and requested that she either return the money or leave the store. He even called her "Ma'am."

In situations like this, calling the police may not be the best idea.

Lost and Found Items

For situations where there's no thief, but a customer leaves an item behind, a solid lost and found policy can save the day.

When crafting your lost and found policy, keep these considerations in mind:

• Choose a secure location. Make sure employees know where it is and that it has a lock.
• Handle purses and wallets with special care. The owner or manager should immediately check the wallet for an ID or other contact information. Contact the item's owner immediately.
• Set up guidelines for loose money. For amounts over $5, have a policy for how long money should be held before it is given to the finder or put into petty cash as profit. Don't store it in the cash drawer (or your pocket).

For a job well done, Prusak should be treated to at least $20 worth of sundaes on the house -- with a cherry raise on top.

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Related Resources:

• Hopkins Dairy Queen Manager's Act Of Kindness Goes Viral (Minnesota's WCCO-TV)
• Keeping Charitable Gifts Local Really Hits Home (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
• Beware of 'Employee of the Month' Programs (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
• Dunkin' Donuts Rant: Receipt Guarantee at Issue (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)