some prophet of doom
To wipe every smile away.
OK, not ALL show tunes are unmitigated, drek from the Third Circle of Dante's Inferno. Some, actually make fine points. Yeah, I'm stretching it here, aren't I?
I was thinking about the whole customer/provider of goods relationship.
This relationship exits on eleventy zillion levels -- it's everywhere. It's the grocery clerk ringing up your order on a Saturday morning, the 3rd grade teacher with an 8 year old student, the big city, big cheese neurologist and his patient, (the annoying, pushy, middle aged deaf broad). It's that code writing geek who spends 20 hours a day in a dark room, in front of a glowing PC with his be-suited management type boss -- eh, you get where I’m going with this.
Unless you live in a vacuum tube in Antarctica, we are all service providers AND customers at some time or another. And those customers? They aren’t the enemy. They keep us in business -- they keep the martinis flowing (Sapphire, extra, extra dry with olives. thank you) and Coco's Whisker Lickins shakin’ outta the bag.
We spend 8+ hours a day at work, why not enjoy the time or at least not act to make it more miserable? The folks on the other end of the phone, on the other side of the computer screen are people just like you and me. They have family, cats, dreams (yes, yes. it's supremely unlikely that the Sox will win another Series in my lifetime but I can dream DAMMIT!) hopes and farts (brain and that other kind**cough**) just like us!
No, we don’t have to be and SHOULDN’T be all gratingly, cloyingly, obsequious and OW-you’re-making-my-teeth-hurt-with-that-patter! BUT, you just knew there was a 'but', we can treat others as we want to be treated. Remember that this customer of yours is looking for assistance, looking to get what they’re paying for AND, more often than otherwise, are NOT looking for someone to kiss their ass and be their slave. (most of the time, that is) You don't have to be all Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm to have a positive human exchange.
We all have customer-from-hell stories as well as worst-customer-service-EVAH tales. I try to deal by turning everything into a game -- that is, how can I meet this grumpy, angry customer’s needs AND lighten the mood/make a positive connection at the same time? Or, how can I get this service provider to, ya know, provide service only much better than they’re pretending to do now. It’s a challenge for me. A gauntlet thrown down. A hurdle to clear, Mountain to climb....OK, OK, I'm stopping with the cliches already!
Now, New Englanders aren’t known for their outgoing, friendly, giving nature. Yeah, I know -- you're shocked. You'd totally never heard this execrable rumor. When I announced to my fellow carnies, eons ago, that I’d be heading to Boston and not coming back South, I heard nothing but horror stories. New Englanders, Bostonian’s in particular, were all mean, nasty, vile, ornery, smelly, RUDE dragons -- I’d be desperately unhappy and then eaten alive. Slowly...with much pain inflicted. And the rude dragon would laugh while chewing. A lot.
30 years later, I’m still breathing -- alive even. I now tell similar horror stories about the customer service in Krakow and Prague (honestly, it's mostly tongue in cheek-ish though) but really not about here.
As with everything else in life, we often as not get back what we put out.
Ah Christ, now I have show tunes stuck in my head. Someone's gonna pay for this, I tell you!
No use permitting
some prophet of doom
To wipe every smile away.
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret!
Start by admitting
From cradle to tomb
Isn't that long a stay.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Only a Cabaret, old chum,
And I love a Cabaret!
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