Originally Posted by ctmhjenn
i just hand shoulder surgery today...and i want u 2 know Bethy, i 4 one love u for your heart and dedication.. i can't tell u how wonderful it was 2 b treated with kindness by everyone starting w/ the Dr. u can bet there will be a letter out as soon as i can write. yes,we all have 2 b kind even if it kills us, thats what it means to have compassion. I have been literally the face of the company and i know how tough it is...my motto..is; it never is about YOU..it is about them. u never know what they have gone through and that is the hardest to remember. sorry bethy, i got on my soapbox...and WHERE did that saying come from lol!
Hope you will be up to par soon. And what you are saying is so true. I'm a retired teacher. So many times parents come angry and lash out at YOU when it is their frustration with the situation and not knowing what to do about the problem at hand. Experience taught me that by remembering to turn it all to them and letting them know you want to make it better, too, they will calm down and work with you to get to the bottom of the problem. By turning it to them, I don't mean by blaming or pointing fingers, but by saying that you understand how they must be feeling bad because they're having a hard time and want to see it made better. Once they know that you are "on their side," they are much more willing to look at the situation and work WITH you to help make it better. This can be true in any field. Our students and their parents were our "customers," our "clients." It was often difficult to wear the smile and be compassionate, but it DID work better than meeting them with a brick wall. It took me a long time to learn to just let them talk and blow off steam, then when they were done to calmly assess the situation at hand and begin to work on the real problem.
I remember once I was in a little fabric shop that sold machines. The owner received a call from an irate customer who yelled on and on at her. She held the phone away from her ear and let the poor woman have at it. When the woman stopped for a breath, she calmly told the woman that she was so sorry she was having so much trouble. She then asked, "Mamm, I know you mustn't be feeling well. Do you have a headache?" The woman said that she certainly did. The shop owner then said, "Please stop and take an aspirin and rest. Then call me tomorrow when you're feeling better. I know we can work to solve your problem." I thought this was great.
Bottom line is, when we are working with the public, or anyone really, we can "hand the fly honey instead of vinegar."