Ya know what ruffles my feathers? Poor customer service. Ooooo boise do I get upset quickly.
I think this originated from a family that has collectively spent a large number of years in the restaurant industry. If your steak isn't right, you say something. If the server is snotty, you tell the manager. Oh you don't? Well I do.
See I am of the impression that companies really do care about their customers. They want them to be served and to be happy and to come back again and again. Because that coming back again and again means $$ and more $$.
A few weeks ago I was getting my hair cut and they had a sign up. A quote by Ghandi:
"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider to our business. He is part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him.
He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so."
This week at work is Customer Service week. And sure enough this morning one of the VPs sent out that same quote as a reminder to us of how we ought to view our customers. As a client server it was very challenging. In a good way.
Which brings us to tonight, my friends. Tonight I went to World Market. I am late everywhere I go, so I arrived at 8:50. They close at 9:00, but I knew what I wanted so I knew I'd have time. Here's where the story goes sour. I walk up and there is an employee standing at the door. It's one of those automatic doors that at the end of the night they pull together to close it manually.
Well she was standing in the door, half way-closed already, and as I got closer she just glared at me and said "two minutes."
Being the definant person that I am, I said "It's 8:50, don't you close at 9:00?"
"Yes, we close at 9:00... you have two minutes."
"But my clock shows 8:50."
Are you ready for this?
"We don't go by your time, we go by World Market time."
I would like to tell you that I graciously said "okay, thanks" but what I actually said was "why don't we compare watches when I'm finished shopping, mkay?" Not my proudest moment, but that's what I said.
I was partially really peeved cause another associate at that store had closed early two weeks before and when I went to the door they just stood on the other side of the door with their arms closed waiting for me to walk away. Butt-heads. Well I stomped around the store for three minutes, just to spite the woman, thinking about what Ghandi said.
Here's the lesson folks. Or lessons.
1) Be nice
2) Don't be late everywhere you go.
3) Write an email to grouchy lady's boss.
and last, but most important
In the context of serving one another, Jesus said:
"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
Matthew 25:40
And that is way more convicting than what Ghandi said.
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