A Pittsburgh woman was having a tough couple of weeks until an unexpected gesture by a complete stranger changed her outlook on life.
Christina Grady was reeling after her fiancé broke up with her and she had to find a new place to live.
Grady was going through the process of buying all new furniture, when her credit card was shut down due to suspicious activity.
She says the account was locked after she started to send furniture to a new address. But’s it’s the phone call she made to Capital One, that changed everything.
The 36-year-old called to the company to get answers, but she got much more than that from a customer service rep called “Tonya KYY905.”
Grady explained the breakup and moving situation to Tonya.
She was more than understanding.
“We really just started joking with each other, and she just said, ‘Girl! I’m going to give you 4,500 miles,’” Grady told BuzzFeed News.
While the miles don’t equate to actual miles and are worth just $45, Grady said she appreciated the kind gesture.
Grady said Tonya told her to go on vacation, take tons of pictures of her enjoying herself and post them all over Instagram.
During their conversation, Tonya delivered a sweet pick-me-up at a time when Grady needed it the most.
But that wouldn’t be the last time, she would hear from “Tonya KYY905.”
Five days later, Grady received a text from her ex-fiancé saying someone had sent her flowers to his house.
Christina Grady
Grady wondered, "Who would be so bold?"
When she came to pick up the flowers she couldn’t believe what she saw.
Tonya KYY905 sent her the flowers and a sealed card.
“When I saw they were from Tonya, I was just like, ‘Aaah, yes!’” Grady said.
Grady told BuzzFeed she immediately called Capital One and reconnected with the thoughtful customer service rep.
Tonya said she sent the flowers because she “felt a connection and wanted to do something nice” for her.
“I just started crying!” Grady said. “It’s nice when someone takes the time to be kind and bring out your strength,” she said. “And that’s what Tonya did for me.”
Newly inspired, Grady says she is using those miles and going on her pre-planned trip to Belize. The trip was originally the location for her wedding.
“Before, I was thinking I’d go on this depressing trip where everyone’s going to try and make me happy,” Grady said. “Now, the plan is, I’m going to use the miles, bring my wedding dress, put it on, take a bunch of pictures of me marrying pizza, and I asked Capital One if they would send Tonya.”
No word yet of if Capital One will make it happen.
Grady says she talking to Tonya has given her a “total turnaround” and now she would like to meet her and thank her in person.
“Tonya KYY905, you've changed my life. You got me in Cosmo! Without makeup on!” Grady wrote on Facebook.
A spokeswoman for Capital One told BuzzFeed News that the company encourages employees to “look for and act on opportunities to practice random acts of kindness for our customers.”
