Have to agree - I worked in retail stores as manager and also in an dept store office for several years. Sometimes people who were nasty would come back to apologize next day because they got home and realized how bad they had been. There were also days when it was difficult to accommodate every single person who expected personal service of one kind or another because we were usually short staffed. Found that a smile would go a long way in soothing feathers too.
Originally Posted by MeMeX8
Usually I will skim over the posts (of this wonderful site, thanks to all who oversee) and comment on only a few. However, this one has caught my attention and have read every post today. I work in a utility office and constantly wait on customers. Some of them I look forward to every month and some I grit my teeth when I see them come in the door. One customer in particular was what I considered rude month in and month out. I always smile and greet each customer with a Hello and try to make small talk, be friendly...etc... This lady just would never respond and always had a frown. One day she came in and I commented on the weather to her. She continued to frown and made the comment that her fibro-myalsia (spelling?) was just killing her that day. Let me tell you, that day changed the way I look at my customers. Had another instance that the husband came to pay their bill and the very next sunday, I found out that they had just been told (the very day he came in to pay) that his wife had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I try to look at my customers now with a lot more understanding and patience. I find that also when I am out, if someone is rude or impatient with me, I try to think that something in THEIR life my not be going so well and that it probably is not me at all. The Golden Rule usually works very well if we will just implement it in our lives.