Kelvin Tolston lives every day like it could be his last because one day it almost was.
He was hit by a drunk driver 10 years ago, and the wreck almost cost him his life. He was put in a medically induced coma and lost sight in his right eye.
For Kelvin, every moment matters — and the Geek Squad manager brings that philosophy to how he treats customers, too.
“I’ve been through times I needed people to do stuff for me I couldn’t do for myself,” he said. “It’s important to show empathy.”
That’s exactly what he did recently for a 98-year-old woman whose only visual connection to the world, a Facebook Portal tablet, stopped working. The World War II veteran, who was part of U.S. Navy’s historic WAVES group of women reservists, is isolated her from friends and family because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Kelvin came in to one of our Omaha, Nebraska, stores on his day off to fix the device. The woman’s son was so impressed that he wrote to our executive team, saying: “This ‘superstar’ Geek Squad Agent receives my 10+ star rating, with 5 stars being the highest.”
For Kelvin, it was just business as usual. That’s in part due to something a co-worker once said to him.
“He told me to treat the clients like they’re a guest in your home,” Kelvin said. “I think about that quote every day.”
Kelvin understands the importance of social media even though he doesn’t personally use it.
“One of the main benefits is for people who can’t see the world or visit family and loved ones,” he said. “They get the opportunity on a daily basis now.”
And that’s even more important for seniors, like the WWII vet he helped, who are isolated during the pandemic.
“It’s imperative to keep her spirits up and be able to communicate with family and loved ones, see her grandkids and great-grandkids,” he said. “That’s one of the best parts of social media — the ability to touch people in ways we never could before.”
And getting to help people do that as a Geek Squad Agent?
“It’s my favorite part,” Kelvin said. “There aren’t too many jobs where you have a chance to impact somebody’s daily life, especially in your own community.”
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