I love being a positive person, on purpose.
I like making people laugh and realize that they matter.
I like creating moments that people will (hopefully with a smile) remember at the end of their day.
Sadly, not everyone shares this intention.
As we get closer to the holidays (ugh…okay, I realize the leaves are still on the trees), one thing I am reminded of each year is just how rude and impatient some people are.
Don’t think it’s a that big of a deal?
Go to YouTube and look up ‘Rude Customers’.
Yes, I do realize that you can also look up ‘Rude Customer Service’ and see the negativity come flying across the counter from that direction as well.
From my personal observations, there are more rude customers than employees.
Why is this?
Again, from my personal opinion: because customers know they can be rude and the employees are not allowed to be rude back to them.
It’s a bit of bullying…victim can’t fight back (without risk of being fired, in many cases).
Somewhere along the line, someone coined the phrase ‘the customer is always right’…which I believe is a power-shifting pile of crap.
This is one thing I love about being self-employed.
Have I been verbally abused by people at events over the years, as a DJ or a professional speaker?
Yes…on both.
What I finally began to do was ask: “Do you have any idea how rude you are?” to those who felt they could say anything they wished to me without reprecussion.
You should see their faces when that greets their ears…priceless.
Sorry, I don’t pay myself enough to put up with their crap.
The people I do my best to encourage are convenience store clerks.
They are stuck behind the counter with the lottery tickets and slow-rolling hot dogs, listening to some peoples’ rudeness all day, every day, as if they are at the center of everything that is wrong in their customers’ lives.
Does this approach work every time?
Nope.
Some people will look at you like you’re an idiot.
Some might actually be rude.
It happens.
So, we pick our battles…and do our best because it is the right thing to do.
We seek out those who look like they might benefit from a smile, those who appear beaten down, those who look like they could use a bit of encouragement.
It can be as simple as looking someone in the eye and saying “I hope your day gets better”.
Go ahead. Try it.
You might just discover that the day that improves most…is yours.
Articles from Steve Gamlin 