When I worked in retail, I saw everything. Happy people, impatient people (very common), superrr angry people and all sorts of examples of foolishness I don’t even want to go into. A few weeks ago, there was a “news” article about a man who paid for a $200+ speeding ticket with pennies. Many applauded him for “sticking it to… (somebody)”. I understand his frustration, but was that really necessary?
Several years ago when I worked as a seasonal employee at Macy’s, someone bought a Philosophy shampoo from me. As I processed her purchase, she unloaded a ziplock bag of nickels and plopped it on the counter. She dumped out the bag and said, “count it.” The really horrible thing about delivering “excellent customer service” is that you can’t tell someone to “&^%$ off” in a situation like this one. It’s just not in alignment with the “values” of the establishment. Instead of telling her where she and her stash could go (up her own ***hole), I smiled and counted those nickels.
I felt really sad as I watched the other customers stare at me. I counted those nickels quick and celebrated the moment she finally left my counter. Perhaps she didn’t know better. In all fairness, I believe Coinstar wasn’t around back then. Whatever her deal was, it was a valuable lesson for me to be more cognizant of how I treat others in general. I’ve never felt the need to treat others badly for self-fulfillment, but I probably have been unnecessarily impatient at times. After that experience, I tried my best to check my damn self when I felt irritated and made sure I didn’t take out unrelated aggression on to someone else.
“Customer Service” isn’t a free pass to be a jackass. Perhaps the “disgruntled” cashier had just counted 362 nickels and was #DoneAF with humanity. Be kind. It’s very likely you’re not at work at the time of the interaction. If you have the capacity to be kind, please do it. Life is hard. People can be really vile. Be a light in the darkness whenever possible. We complain about the problems of the world on the daily, but it’s these subtle acts of kindness that have the potential to shift things. For every change.org petition you sign, be kind to at least five real life humans and 12 real life animals (because let’s face it, animals are far superior of humans). Have a Happy Wednesday!
