update II

I liked how the article I mentioned in update I's post also emphasized the importance of being a good customer, because really, manners is a two-way street and as much as I might get annoyed with rude cashiers, theirs is a job I wouldn't want for myself on any terms. Being on my feet as well for most of my shifts I can tell you how tiring it is, and the term "retail feet" certainly got coined for good reason. I'm lucky too in that I still get to walk around a fair bit in my job, and am fairly sure that if I were stuck behind some cash machine with rude or condescending customers who don't care if they're loading 25 items onto an express lane or not, then I might not be all that polite either. So I make it a point of trying to be fairly pleasant if I can.

And to be honest I think that is something that the residents of the group home where I work on weekends reinforced for me as well. I was serving a meal one day when one of them asked me if anyone had ever told me how friendly I was, and I replied (indignantly almost because I DO have a reputation as an introverted curmudgeon to protect after all, snort) "No!" (which actually was the truth no matter how fairly nice a person I may consider myself to be), but it made me realize more fully how my interaction style can have a direct impact. From that day on I made a point to try to be cheerful and polite (without being friendly in that forced false kind of way) even when I have to reprimand them for something. And I think it's made a difference. Although even if it hadn't, everyone still deserves respect regardless of the situation.

But what I really meant to tell you before I started rambling on is that being friendly and polite can also pay off. A few weeks ago I was surprised to see that my Internet bill had gone up by two dollars. I couldn't really figure out why as I was on a contract that hadn't yet expired so I decided to find out what had happened. I called the company (who is also my telephone service provider) and politely explained why I was calling. It was a late Friday afternoon and at one point I said to the service rep that she must be looking forward to the weekend coming up and that somehow got us talking about our shifts and jobs in general. In the meantime she had spotted the problem and rectified the situation saying I'd get a credit for the difference and that my monthly Internet bill would continue at the same rate. I thanked her, wished her a good weekend, and went back to what I was doing. Well guess what? I got my MasterCard bill the other day and it looks like I got credit for the whole month instead of just the difference! All for doing what we should do anyway -- be polite and courteous to each other. So there you go. Being nice even pays cash sometimes. ;)

Comments

[krissa]

Excellent post! I too can relate to both sides of the coin, having been a server for many years and also working the front desk at a very busy gym in Manhattan. That was actually harder because I was not allowed to sit and was on my feet in one spot for the whole shift minus the time for lunch (3o min.). My feet and back were screaming by the time I left every day. It was definitely hard to be cheerful sometimes, but as long as people were nice, I was nice too. :)

I know I've said it before, but I am really glad that you got that job. The residents are lucky to have you and if I were one of them, or if I were related to one of them, I'd be so glad that you are there. And you've gotten so much out of it, too. Luckily you are not afraid of hard work because I think the residents need you.

Glad you got your internet bill straightened out. I know what a pain that can be. And yes, being nice really does pay sometimes! :)

Great post! Something for us all to think about as we go about our business every day.

[Southshoregirl]

You are absolutely right. Even in my line of work, where dealing with everyone's many moods is part of the job-----it makes it so much easier when clients come at me nicely vs. trying to blame the problems of their world that were there long before me, on me, which is quite common. Social work also tends to be quite a thankless field. It's so rare that I get a comment about the good that I am doing, but when I do, it certainl makes up for all the negativity that comes along with the job, and reminds me of why I went into this kind of work to begin with.

I also am getting some unexpected $$$$ back. Last year, when we were renters, I paid for apartment insurance. We bought our house and moved in the spring and I totally forgot to cancel the policy. Well, I had the renewal forwarded to me in the mail last week, and called the company up to cancel. The sales rep checked my accound and said I am eligible for close to $100.00 refund because of the timing of our move. She didn't even ask for any kind of proof or anything!!! (although that would be easy enough to prove!!). So I am looking forward to getting this unexpected check in the mail in the next week or so. It's going straight into savings too!

[think outside the piggy bank]

Krissa, being on your feet in the same spot for a whole shift IS a killer! I remember facing the same problem when I worked in a drycleaning store many moons ago, and even though I'm still on my feet for most of the time now, just being able to walk around makes a difference. Thankfully you don't have to do that kind of work anymore!

Southshoregirl, yay! Unexpected checks and refunds are even more fun. And yes, social work/social service are really thankless fields where staff are usually underpaid and overworked with impossible caseloads and deadlines to handle, so kudos to you for staying on in this field and a personal pat on the back from me to you! :)