I've never had to work in sales or in any type of customer service industry. I was a lifeguard in high school as well as my first summer in college, I was a camp counselor at a ritzy camp up in the mountains (I had Peter Cetera's daughter and Kevin Costner's daughter), I was an R.A. in my dorm, I was a 5th grade teacher, and now a mom. Actually now that I write it that way, I have always had a job where I get to tell people what to do and enforce rules. Jesus, no wonder I'm so bossy. Anyway, even though I've never had to deal with someone snarking at me from behind a counter, I can just imagine how that would feel. I think I've always been exceptionally kind to customer service people knowing that on a fairly regular basis they probably encounter rude people. Rude people like the asshole who was in front of me at the Kaiser pharmacy a few days ago. He went on and on about a copay, their computer system messing up, his medication should have been mailed to him but it wasn't so he had to get dressed (gasp!) and go pick it up himself. His words were inappropriate, his tone was hateful, and his volume was much too loud. It grabbed everyone's attention in the pharmacy. I am glad I didn't have my kids with me but on the other hand, I kind of wish I had. It would have provided me with the courage to step up to him and ask him to watch his language. People who yell and are mean lose ALL credibility in situations like that. And more importantly, they walk away while the rest of the people in the room have one collective thought - "What an asshole."
As I tell William often, think before you speak. Use your head. And always mind your manners. Good lessons for a 3 year old. And for old men at the Kaiser pharmacy, apparently.
It's easy to yell at the 20 year old underweight guy handing you a burger and fries. It's hard yelling at your boss or the IRS guy at your audit. I teach my kids the way you treat people who can do nothing to you speaks volumes about your character.
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