Common courtesy. A simple concept, one that most people learn at some point in their lives, usually when they're younger. But these days, it seems that less and less people know what common courtesy is. Some things that people don't do as common courtesy I can let slide, others I can't. For instance, holding a door open for someone. Now, this may not seem like a big deal to you, but when people constantly do it, or better yet don't do it to you on a daily basis more than once a day, it starts to get to you.
Or here's a better example: I work in a retail store, a small, sometimes struggling, family owned one. Christmas season is our busiest season (as it is for most retail stores), but with only two people working there on most days, things can get pretty harried. So anyway, last Christmas, one of our "good" (it's in quotation marks because it's a matter of opinion) customers calls about a week before Christmas and tells us she needs nine gifts, all under $150.00, AND she wants it's delivered by 4PM. It was 1:30PM when she called. Oh, not to mention she wasn't coming in to pick them out herself, but we had to do it for her. (If you don't think that isn't so bad, let me just add that my boss' 89 year old father was there whom we practically have to babysit, other customers are coming in and out, not to mention a bunch of other things going on, and it's just my boss and me there.) Anyway, we did it, and delivered it a half hour early.
Now, how many of you would have wanted to kill her after? Yeah, well, you'd have to get in line. But that's not my point. My point is, where is the courtesy to call us ahead of time, and not hours before, but days before when she wanted the items? OK, so she may not have been able to come down herself, I can totally understand that. But she can't call us a couple days in advance and tell us what she wants, or even one day in advance? I mean, is it so much to ask for? Does she think we have nothing to do there but sit around and wait for her call? No, we have tons of things to do, and other customers to take of.
That's just one story I could tell. I have many others, but I thought it illustrated my point best. If someone could tell me why people can't hold open the door for others, say thank you when they do, or have the decency to call back to say they don't want a job anymore, I'll be more than happy to listen. Until then, I guess the best I can do is make sure that my children are not those kind of people.
8 comments:
Common courtesy is, unfortunately, not so very common these days.
I share your frustrations, too bad ppl can't have more courtesy. Thanks for letting the posts go under a diff. name :)
Enigma & Skimom- Yup, you're both right. Sometimes I want to yell at them, but that wouldn't be couteous now, would it? :P
Ski-You're welcome. :) Though I didn't do anything, or if I did, I don't know what. I switched over to the new beta blog, and I guess that was a kink they recently worked out. Either way, I'm glad to see you're posting under your 'regular' name. :)
Of course you can't yell--isn't the first rule in retail that "the customer is always right"? So you have to put up with all of their garbage, even when they're unspeakably rude and inconsiderate, because they're the customers.
i dont really have much to say to this, other than i share your annoyance.
it hasnt been letting me see your blog very easily, but seems to be getting better. not sure what's up with that. i'll post myself, when i get done putting out forest fires between friends (and racoons!) life is crazy right now.
Jill,
I totally know how you feel. I did not think that people could find ways to be so rude in a clothing store, but they can. I gues you just have to let it go in one ear and out the other. I try to stay calm while somebody is acting rude and then after that I just say "Uch! That was so rude, but maybe they having a bad day." Anyways, good luck with work.
Enigma-That's the saying, but it's SO not true. However, most of the time you have to act like they're right. My boss and I have this kind of ongoing disagreement where if there is really an appalling customer, I later ask him why he didn't tell him/her off, then kick him/her out. He says he can't. I say BS (not to his face), he can if he really wanted to. But anyway, like I said, if a customer is really appalling, I'd kick 'em out in a heartbeat. Oh well. I'm just the assistant...
Beans-Sorry about that. I'm in the new blogger beta version, so i guess they're still working things out. Anyway, I read and commented on your blog. :D
Lansi-I totally know what you mean. I too have a much greater appreciation for people in customer service. Though when you think about it, everyone is really in customer service. I just wish everyone shared our same appreciation. Anyway, you need to get a pic for your blog. :P
Abby-Yeah, sometimes you have to just have to shrug it off, but sometimes you can't. And even if they did have a bad day, it's still no excuse for treating others badly.
first of all the last thing you said is one of the truest the best way you can change things is by 1 starting with you own kids but even more importantly start with yourslef try to be the example you wouldent believe how just a smile and a goodmorning can brighten somebodys day so that they will do the same to the next person they see. but i totally understand were your comeing from i try to see the world a lot like abby though that maybe they had a bad day i mean who am i to judge but its deffinatly one of those annoying things we all have to put up with on a daily basis i think its just from the fact that everybodys so caught up in there own little world that they kind of forget that there not the only one liveing in it but you deff have the right aditude when you say that your going to teach your childern not to act like that. just remember to smile and at least you can have the satisfaction of being the bigger person
passover
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