Was I racially profiled? Or were they just overwhelmingly helpful? My family forgot to buy our traditional shot glasses since we are from out of town. On our way to the airport, we stopped into this little store that we had visited a couple nights before with a fellow hockey tournament parent. Today, I entered the store and asked if they had shot glasses and a kind looking lady cheerfully pointed them out. Once I decided on a shot glass, my family looked for other items we could give as gifts for our family members. Wandering around, I found a cute candle and then asked if they had hot sauces. The lady who helped us when we came in always seemed to be right there next to me to ask about what they had in stock. I was again cheerfully pointed toward the direction to go. I began to notice that the nice lady who pointed out the direction of the shot glasses was constantly next to me all throughout the store, seemingly always restocking or reorganizing the same magnets that were in her hand and glancing over at my family's location despite many other people being in this store. I had a candle and a shot glass in my hands and was asked if I wanted the items to be held at the counter while I shopped until I was ready to purchase. I smiled politely and let her know I was doing fine. I mean, I only had two small items. That was very manageable. At first, I felt very touched and pleased by this attentiveness and level of customer service. This is when I noticed that many people in the store had many things in their hands and were not being asked if they wanted their items to be held at the counter. As I began to pay closer attention to the store employee's behavior in the store, another very nice older lady came from my right and asked me if I wanted her to hold my TWO small items at the counter mere moments after the other lady had just asked me. This is when I no longer felt pleased by the attentiveness but rather felt something was really amiss. Again, I smiled politely and let this lady know that I was fine. I turned around and noticed the other lady yet again arranging the same magnets next to me. I glanced around and again saw other customers with more than two items in their hands not being asked if they wanted the items to be held up at the counter. At this point I was still unsure if I was imagining this. Were they just being polite and attentive? Why weren't they asking anyone else to hold their items? I walked around a bit more to give them a chance to ask others the same, hoping I wasn't being singled out. I eventually went to the counter, was very polite, and purchased what ended being FOUR small items. Yes, they followed me to the counter. I took another glance around and clearly saw other customers with multiple items in their hands still not being asked if they wanted these items held at the counter for them. As much as I want to believe these ladies were just being very customer service oriented, as I left the store and observed their behavior toward other customers behind me, I was convinced that these women treated me as if I were a potential shoplifter because of the way my family and I looked. I took off one star because they need a larger assortment of shot glasses and even exotic hot sauces. I took off another because while they were polite, I would have felt a whole lot better if I had seen them ask other customers even one time if they wanted their items to be held at the counter. I took off a final star because if they really were just being attentive then all the customers in the store deserved that level of service, consideration, and attention- not just my family and me. At first I regretted giving them my business. Now that some time has passed, I feel differently. I will forever be sharing my souvenirs purchased here with my loved ones along with my story of how I was treated with the hopes that they learn to not judge and treat others in this ugly manner disguised as helpful politeness. read more