GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- The Capital One employee who has become famous thanks to a kind gesture she made toward a customer who was going through a rough time said she knew she had to do something.
Tonya is known by her employee ID -- Tonya KYY-905. And that name is all over the Internet after her story went viral.
“Christina Grady, she gave me a call,” said Tonya outside the Capital One building Saturday.
Grady, 36, called Capital One from Pittsburgh for credit card help. She told Tonya her fiancé had recently broken up with her, and she had to find a new place to live.
Grady was buying new furniture when her credit card was shut down due to suspicious activity.
Tonya KYY-905
"And it was what she said and how she said it. I just knew she needed a hug in that moment,” said Tonya, who is 34.
She couldn't give her a hug. Instead, Tonya gave her 4,500 miles for a vacation and she decided to send her flowers.
"I wanted to do something extra special to help brighten her day,” she said.
Five days later, Grady got a text from her ex-fiancé saying someone had sent her flowers to his house.
Grady shared the story on Facebook with a picture of those flowers and the card Tonya sent.
Grady posted "Tonya KKY-905, you are a genius and a role model to women looking out for women.”
"I didn't know it was this huge thing,” said Tonya about the response online.
The post has gone viral and has been featured on countless websites, including Cosmopolitan and Buzzfeed.
Grady called Tonya back to thank her, saying she's changed her perspective on life.
"I feel like it meant more to me that it made her so happy and it just perked her up. You know? And it just changed her whole attitude,” Tonya said.
Tonya said she is the grateful one, and she's got a message for Christina:
"I'm so happy that you're happy, but truly you have made a mark on me that will never be erased."
Employees at Capital One said the company encourages its employees to go above and beyond and really connect with their customers.
