Hey You! Thank your Service People!
// Listening to: Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever
I'm amazed by how some people can be so polite, and some so rude. Like I was caught unaware when one cyclist thanked me for standing aside at a narrow path in order to let them pass first. I felt guilty instantly because I didn't manage to reply a "welcome" or "don't mention". (Oh sod it, I always feel guilty for one thing or another anyway.) -_- But unlike some other guy who stepped on my slipper and bloody hell broke the strap and ran away before I can even say "Hey!" Ok, maybe it's not really considered rude lar, or maybe he did mumble some sort of "sorry" before running away, or maybe it's just me who's walking too slow. Damn! Do I really walk that slow? I swear I don't! And if I don't, why do I always get stupid people stepping on my shoes??? Or do I have a "please-step-on-my-shoes" label behind me??? My friend does that, and many other shoe-stepping people. =( Maybe next time I shall charge a nominal fee for shoe-stepping people. How about a "please-pay-10 bucks-before-stepping" label? Seriously, 10 bucks are not enough for buying new shoes. I shall charge higher. Heck, that's another story. I'm digressing again, and it's almost becoming my habit. -_-
Where was I? Oh, that shoe-stepping guy. He stepped on my slipper and ran off before I even realised that my poor slipper was left a step behind me. Broken. Anyway, that's not worth mentioning. I simply cursed and limped to the nearest Charles & Keith to get a new pair, which actually should be considered a happy thing to do as I get to buy new shoes!! But I was not. In fact, I was bloody pissed because while choosing, I realised I left my Charles & Keith voucher at home. !#$!$#!##@$#!@$
Actually, the above has no real implications on polite and rude people. I simply wrote it in order to have a smooth transition to the topic I really wanted to blog about : The Service People. Ah-ha! Not really a smooth transition after all.
You may ask, what's so special about service people? We have them everywhere. In fact, every freaking company have them. Exactly. We have them in the banks you maintain your accounts with, the restaurants you dine in, the planes you board, the places you shop, every freaking place, everywhere. But without these people, who gets your food all nice and piping hot to your table? Who gets you your shoe size in your favorite color? Who gets you drinks or blankets when you want to sleep on the plane? Who attends to your banking needs? Who service your air-con? In fact, I don't think any company would be able to function at all. However, it can be really irritating to know that some customers are simply unreasonable. Like there's one customer who waited for 10-15 minutes in the queue and was hopping mad when she was served. Yes, 10-15 minutes might be quite a long wait, but it was lunchtime and there were seriously alot of people that day. We apologised for the long wait, but she was bloody hell not appeased.
Stupid customer: "Why? I see your people carrying lunchboxes and newspapers going to lunch. You mean I, as YOUR CUSTOMER has to wait for you people to finish your lunch before serving me??? (complete with a ya-ya papaya look)
Me: "Sorry Ma'am. Of course we don't mean that way. Not all of us go for lunch at the same time. In fact, we all have staggered lunch hours starting as early as 11am and the latest is at 3pm." (was already thinking 11am is like breakfast brunch, and 3pm, hello? you can drink high tea already.)
Stupid customer: "What? Then your management should not let you people go for lunch at this time mah since they know it's the peak hour. They should let you all go at 10.30am or after peak at 4pm." (she was damn serious and not joking)
Me: (Smiling and trying to blabber about other reasons. WTF?!?!? 10.30am eat breakfast ah! 4pm eat high tea or want us to die with gastric pains?? Bloody idiot. You human lar can eat, then what are we?? robots??)
I was damn pissed with her inconsiderate remarks. But being a good service person (haha as if), I simply smiled and tried to attend to her needs as fast as possible.
Then, there's this common and irritating type of customers: The I-came-during-my-precious-lunchtime-and-need-to-go-in-5-minutes type. I mean, certain transactions need to take up a considerable amount of time. It's not like you walk into a supermarket and buy a packet of potato chips. It takes alot of explaining and paperwork blah blah blah. But anyway, while we are really trying to rush it out for you, you bombard us with questions ranging from north to south pole, then again from east to west. And while we are like mad people trying to type, look at the computer screen, then look at you, answer your questions, print, type, answer your bloody questions again, you reiterate you only have 5 minutes. WTH?!?!? Only have 5 minutes then don't ask so many questions lar. My hands and mouth never even stop you know. *sighs* I rest my case.
But on the brighter side, we still have some really appreciative customers. Like one whom I didn't really do very much (at least I thought so), showed his appreciations by giving some chocolates and a thank-you card. Or another, who gave a thank-you card and a business organizer which I didn't really think I would use, but it's the thought that counts. Seriously, these warmed my heart. At least, there is someone who appreciates! Ok, to be fair, it sort-of contra. So well.... But really, all these small acts are usually done by foreigners. I wonder why. Of course I'm not saying foreigners are better, in fact, some of them can be really bad customers. But actually, they are just being more assertive, which we asians are usually not very much so. Perhaps, it just needs a little getting used to. Sometimes, I actually prefer serving those ah-mahs. They can be really polite and thank you alot of times! You will be amazed!
All in all, I think we should stop stereotyping service people and thinking they are the "lower-level" people. After all, what can you do without them?? So I say, the next time you walk into a shop, thank your service person with warmth. You never know when you'll make someone's day!
