I have had quite the delay since my last blog entry. I apologize for the "randomness", if you will, of this one but I hope to make this a semi-regular occurrence from here on out(as long as I can get my hands on Amanda's Mac).
Today I write to you from a townhouse filled with the joys of puppy paws pattering around, in the quaint town of Winchester, VA. It's a town that's not to big and not to small, has a little bit of everything yet wilderness knocks not far from anywhere.
Without further ado, the topic of this blog is manners. Now I'm not perfect, in fact no one is, so don't take this as me sitting on my high horse. Sometimes I'm in a rush and don't have time for formalities, or sometimes I simply forget my manners and end up regretting it later. My point being, what encompasses this particular blog are small observations I've made and should be taken as such.
For the past ten years, yes TEN years I have worked in some form of customer service oriented job. Whether that be waiting tables, working in a clothing store, being a customer service rep taking phone calls, being a cashier at a grocery store, or, most recently, the manager for a retail business. Over those ten years I have had a plethora of good experiences, customer service isn't a bad business, but I've also had quite a few not-so-great experiences. Unfortunately, it's the bad experiences that stay with you. Not all of what I write here has happened during my time as a faithful employee but a majority of it has.
What amazes me this day in age is that other people are amazed when I say, yes ma'am or yes sir. Nine times out of ten I get the reply, "son your Momma raised you right". Why is that? Are we in such a hurry we forget it's the small things that matter most? Common courtesy and being polite are an ally, use them, people don't forget kindness.
We are all human and people make mistakes, I know I have. Sometimes I feel I am more susceptible to making a mistake than getting things right. Unfortunately, most people's knee-jerk reaction when I make a mistake is to blow things out of proportion, as if I intentionally messed up. Folks, trust me when I say I wouldn't mess up on purpose. Also, trust me when I say, you getting furious doesn't help the situation. I will work more diligently to resolve an issue for someone with an understanding, level head, than someone who has smoke blowing from their ears. Yelling and pulling hair doesn't make me work any faster, in fact, it mostly makes me want to tell you to skedaddle. Now if I have delayed and haven't worked toward resolving said issue, causing the problem to fester, then by all means, I most likely deserve to be scolded. Until then, help me to help you by acting like mature adults.
I've noticed more and more that if I open a door for someone going into or out of a restaurant, or any other place, people lack the ability to utter a simple, thank you. Why is this? Am I suppose to open the door for you with a bow and a smile, my king? And, as the person opening the door, if someone does say thank you for your kindness, please have the courtesy to respond with a, your welcome, it's common courtesy.
If you are driving and you suddenly realize that you're in the wrong lane, your turn is up ahead, frantically flip on your turn signal, and I allow you to cut in front of me...please acknowledge my gesture with a wave of some sort. It shows appreciation by your doing so.
If my company has a policy that doesn't bode well for your particular situation, such as we don't serve a breakfast food after 11a.m., or my company doesn't install a particular home good yet we sell it, know that I am simply an extension of said company. I didn't make the rules, but I do accept them and work with them. If you have a problem with any of our policies know that I am sorry for our inability to service your needs. If you have a formal complaint you'd like to file I can get you in touch with the proper authorities. Bashing the worker ant doesn't do much for anyone but give me a headache and make you look like a...mean person.
Being ignored isn't much fun, right? Here recently I've even had people lack the ability to acknowledge when I say hello to them, and it's not because I'm soft spoken. I project my voice, yet people will flat out ignore me. If I am making an effort to help you, and you don't need help, the least you can do is say hello in return and "I'm okay, just browsing." That's all it takes. Also, please know if your server at a restaurant is seemingly forgetting to refill your drink on a busy Saturday night, it's not because they've forgotten about you or are ignoring you, it's because they have 4 other tables and are stretched very thin, which isn't necessarily an excuse but it should be noted. Politely stop them by saying, excuse me, when you have a moment would you please refill my drink? Your words and the way you use them can go a long way. As a friend once said to me jokingly, "words are important". Leaving a bad tip and complaining to the manager hurts all parties involved. Your server doesn't want you to have a bad experience, trust me, they live off your tips. Believe me when I say that employee's remember the customers who are a pleasure to deal with and the customers who are a pain.
If I don't know what an ingredient is in a food, or what the aroma's and taste's of a certain wine are out of the 200 my restaurant carries in house, it's not because I'm inept, so don't treat me as such. I will find out for you if given the opportunity. If I don't know how something works, know that I have a vast knowledge of 10,000 other items but every day I learn something knew. Getting bent out of shape because I don't know something isn't the right way to react. Please treat it as a learning opportunity for both of us, because if you had the information already you wouldn't be asking for my help, and I am here to help so please allow me to do my job. I will learn from the experience and will never forget it.
Lastly, know that if you are eating at a restaurant and you, your kids, or your family leave a massive mess on the table, someone has to clean that up. Or if you are in a retail store and open something and leave the package askew and it's contents ajar, someone has to clean that up. If you are in a clothing store and unfold 15 tee-shirts, someone has to fold those shirts up and put them back in their proper place. If you are drinking or eating something while shopping don't leave the empty cup on a shelf for me to find later, ask me where the nearest trash can is, chances are I'll even throw it away for you. If you are shopping and pick up an item then 15 minutes later realize you don't need said item, tell someone working at the store, "I decided I didn't need this", and hand it to them instead of hiding it on some random aisle, it shows a touch of character. I'm not telling you to not unfold those 15 tee-shirts, I'm simply asking you to make a half ditch effort to put them back in the relative location you got them from and semi-neatly...it makes a world of difference to an hourly-waged employee who most likely isn't making a career out of the job. As my father says, "put things back where you got them from".
The list could go on but I'll stop there. Remember, a simple thank you, yes ma'am, yes sir, your welcome, acting with patience and kindness, and showing courtesy for others will make your life much richer and fulfilling, it may even make someone's day. I find it hard to be nice all the time, but I will never lose a customer or miss an opportunity due to a bad attitude. Maybe I'm sick, have had a horrible day, or am in an extreme rush, but there's never an excuse for being unappreciative. It's people who make the world go round, act with kindness and if you don't receive kindness in turn, know that you are doing what's right. Lead by example, do it sometime. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and feel free to leave comments. I appreciate all of them.
With my older posts I had started sharing a poem at the end of the blog. I shall continue this tradition. It's self explanatory. Enjoy!
"Color Me Blind"
Two boys are born on the same day
They’ll lead two different lives even though they have
similar ways
One grows up with loving parents and guiding hands
The other has no daddy and a mother on welfare doing all she
can
Henry will grow to be considered "the man" only to look at other's down
his nose
While Tim will be taught to hate and ride the coat tail of
Uncle Sam for his woes
Color me blind, oh, Color me blind
Now Henry is friendly
And Tim knows him
They grow up together but are worlds apart
But life can be sweet as well as tart
Henry is number one in his class
And Tim is smart but hopes sports will help him pass
One boy is warned to stay away from kids like that
The other is being recruited by gang’s because he’s strong
and won’t rat
They are friends and quite close
But that isn’t the case for most
Color me blind, oh, Color me blind
Henry goes on to get his college education
Tim doesn’t get his scholarship and seeks alternate
validation
One boy starts his own business and paves his own way
While the other lives in numbers by what the streets say
White and blue are the varying hues of their collar
Green is the color of the man who measures by the dollar
A red Ferrari drives one to the top of the planet
It’s a dull and dirty ride on the public transit
Henry is looking for a hard worker to fill a job
But Tim doesn’t have the education and decides to rob
The two boys lead two different lives
They diverged at birth by their cultures jive
They were one in the same with an equal start
But they were divided by society at the heart
Now this story doesn’t always hold true
But it can be argued that life depends on hue
Color me blind, oh, color me blind.
