Well there IS that whole “Do Unto Others” thing.
Customer Service is almost a non-existent practice these days. Service folk seem to be ornery and none-too-happy to be there. Which is amazing to me, since they have a job in an economy where jobs are getting more scarce. It’s easy to blame those awful employees full of attitude for being so damn surly.
But I’m not going to do that. While I do acknowledge they need a serious lesson in how to deal with the public, it’s The Public I want to address. (That’d be you and me.)
Have you ever stopped to think how you come across to people? Stepped out of the bubble and looked at yourself from the other side of the counter? I think we tend to get Conceited and Self-Absorbed slightly wrapped up in our own lives and forget how we’re treating the people around us. Nobody likes dealing with a pain in the ass. To do it repeatedly, all day long…? YIKES.
So the waitress forgot your ketchup and you had to flag her down. So what? In the overall scheme of life, is a condiment all that important? Maybe she’s been standing on her feet for 8 hours making less than minimum wage. Maybe her toddler was up sick half the night and the dog threw up as she was leaving for work. If you were in her shoes, how peppy do you suppose you’d be? And yet, for forgetting the ketchup, would you leave her with a crappy tip?
I can hear it now: “But it’s her JOB!” True. It is her job. And she should do it to the best of her ability, with a smile. My question is, do YOU? Every day, at work –and WAHM’s, every day you are at work too– every day at work, do you smile? Do you always keep your happy demeanor? Are you fast, efficient and on top of every detail?
Are you really?
It’s something to think about, the way we treat each other. I know I’m guilty of being grumbly out in public and I’ll bet I’m not the only one. I’m trying to be better about that.
The next time your cashier is slow or the guy at the service counter takes forever to do whatever it is you need him to do, cut him some slack. Think about being in his shoes hour after hour, day after day. Maybe what he really needs is a kind word and a smile.
A little empathy can go a long, long way.
This article is an original post from www.UglyAssOpinion.com© Kelly L. Trainor 2008 All Rights Reserved
April 30, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I find myself slowing down and being more patient at his point in my life than I’ve ever been. I talk to complete stranger at the gas pumps and check out lines. I talk to my cashiers. And waitresses and bar tenders get special consideration from me. It’s amazing what we realize as we mature.
May 1, 2008 at 8:54 am
I have to agree. In most cases, what we tend to perceive as bad service actually comes back to our own attitude. Although I do slip occasionally, I’m reaching a point of respecting those who serve more and more. I’ve been in their shoes and know it is darn tough.
May 1, 2008 at 11:05 am
After working in retail for so many years I always try to put myself in their shoes. Although I am a firm believer in not tipping if it is really bad service.