am i so weird? re: manners

[Damien]

Whilst doing Christmas shopping, I noticed that so many people were being so rude. My mum and I always wished who served us a happy Christmas and made sure we thanked those who helped us... does make us weird???

One example....

I saw a poor CSR getting chewed out by a middle aged couple,.. I could see she was in tears, so could my mum. Anyway, the CSR went outside for a little while after speaking to her supervisor (who seemed very caring)... so mum, being mum hatched a plan....

we went to the supervisor and told her that we saw the incident and would like to help cheer up the young lady - the supervisor looked like she was going to faint!

Anyway, mum bought a small flower and I bought a magazine (that the boss said the CSR liked).

We went outside and handed these to the CSR who had definite tear streaks down her face. Simply said "Merry Christmas" and walked away...

I stole a look back, and she was smiling but stunned, looking at us - I waved as we went around the corner to catch the bus...

A kind word, a kind gesture really does not take much but means so much. Where have teh manners gone?

[customersruinmylife]

You are a saint! Unfortunately this sort of stuff happens rarely as many customers see employees as mindless drones with no feelings.

I had a couple of customers buy me drinks after a SC yelled at me for refusing to serve his kids alcohol. They thought I looked really upset by it all when in fact I was just stunned by this guys lack of parenting. They bought me drinks that I could have when I finished work and said "Don't ever let anyone like that get to you, you are so much better than people like that"

But like I said, events like that are rare, but you should be so proud for what you did

[Damien]

Thank you for your kind words.

Hopefully not sounding pretentious, and apologies if I do, but mum, dad, my brother (who recently saved 2 kids from a burning house!) and I do this all the time... it is 'normal' behaviour for us.

I see CSR's as people who do a demanding job and always desrving of politeness and help where possible.

I can give a few more examples if you wish? my mum is particularly nice to CSR's (and everyone for that matter) - some of things she does is astounding - but she does it without thought of reward etc, because as she and dad taught my brother, my sister (before she passed away) and myself - there is no substitute for politeness

[Becks]

You and your family are wonderful.

[Monica]

I can give a few more examples if you wish? my mum is particularly nice to CSR's (and everyone for that matter) - some of things she does is astounding - but she does it without thought of reward etc, because as she and dad taught my brother, my sister (before she passed away) and myself - there is no substitute for politeness

I would like to hear a few more examples if you don't mind.

I wish more people were just as kind as you and your family.

[marasbaras]

I cannot imagine chewing out a CSR.

IF that kind of action is necessary, and sometimes a company's actions and response sucks so very, very badly that it is, one should chew out a manager.

I've only done something like that once ... there was 18" of snow, which in Seattle was a lot. A nice girl who worked for the local convenience store couldn't go out to get food and she wasn't going to eat the junk they had (sane people didn't eat the "food" served there). So, I went home and made her some cashew chicken.

[Damien]

I cannot imagine chewing out a CSR.

IF that kind of action is necessary, and sometimes a company's actions and response sucks so very, very badly that it is, one should chew out a manager.

I've only done something like that once ... there was 18" of snow, which in Seattle was a lot. A nice girl who worked for the local convenience store couldn't go out to get food and she wasn't going to eat the junk they had (sane people didn't eat the "food" served there). So, I went home and made her some cashew chicken.

What a lovely thing to do, mate!!!


Another example is when I saw a CSR and elderly lady being yelled at by a middle aged mule... it turnedout she was one of those people whinging and refusing to pay for a 20c price change...

The elderly lady looked shaken and so did the CSR...

So, I handed 20c over and said "here you are princess, hope your hurting of other people gives you some relief from the inferior life you lead"

She was

I was not proud of those statements, but the elderly lady and teh CSR looked shaken.

Thankfully the mule left...

The elderly lady was $2 short in her purchase, so noticing this, I quietly put the magazine I was going to buy back on the shelf, handed the $2 over and walked away (I was not a rich person and it was a case of buying the magazine or helping a shaken elderly lady, so I made my choice.)

The elderly lady and CSR were all smiles - which made it doubly worth it

About 5 minutes later, the CSR came out and handed me the magazine I wanted to buy - the managerwho was standing behind me (stealth manager!) said I could have it!

I was awesome!!

But it doesn't end there....

My mum and dad were with me the next time, I had told mum and dad what had happened - dad had baked an iced fruitcake and we handed it to the CSR and manager (who were both on duty) to say thank you for giving me the magazine.

It was their turn to be

But 's all round

[Soulstealer]

Of course you're weird, then again the world needs more weirdness in it.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Something like that would really turn my day back around for the better. Hell, it would make my month!

[Damien]

there are a lot of usormal polite folk around, marasbaras {who posted above) is another

[Bella_Vixen]

Damien, I think I you.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

Yeah, what's so hard about saying 'hi' and 'have a nice day' instead of grunting at the bus driver?

It doesn't even slow me down to wave 'hi' to James in the copy center as I walk by (I stopped in to ask a question yesterday & found out his name after >year of walking waves). Sometimes he sees me, sometimes he doesn't. When he does see me, he always waves back.

If you're looking at something in the store, is it really so difficult to move when you're blocking someone else?

When you go shopping, how hard is it to grab a cart from a parking space & either move it to a corral or back to the shop? (note: if you have physical difficulties that's an obvious reason why not; though my grandmother liked to grab one to help her walk to the store as well as while she was shopping).

I'm sorry, this is not rocket science. It's not even major stuff. It's just piddly crap that eases everyone's day, by an itty bitty increment.

[ShinyGreenApple]

I remember being in WalMart 'round Christmastime, and there was a couple standing directly in front of the video game case and almost blocking up the entire game isle, chatting merrily away to each other about their wonderful purchases and making lengthy cell phone calls about the same subject. Just completely oblivious to the hoards of people trying to get around them or near the things they were blocking. I finally had to just push past them like they weren't there, and they didn't even notice. Geez >< I hate doing that, or even saying excuse me, but I waited around a good five minutes for them to move. All I wanted was a stupid $20 game for my nephew!

[Damien]

Damien, I think I you.

awwwwwww

I'm sorry, this is not rocket science. It's not even major stuff. It's just piddly crap that eases everyone's day, by an itty bitty increment.

so very true

[marasbaras]

Geez >< I hate doing that, or even saying excuse me, but I waited around a good five minutes for them to move. All I wanted was a stupid $20 game for my nephew!

Actually, part of me enjoys pushing past these louts.

If someone is this oblivious, I will move shopping carts ... as long as they don't have children in them. If your purse is in it ... you should be paying attention you stupid ox. If your valuable tools are it it, again, pay attention.

We all have to live with each other. And, by all of us being a little considerate, we can do that pretty easily.

I remember ages ago ... I was in Washington, DC on business. I decided on Sunday to go for a walk down the Capital Mall. Little did I know there was a women's rights protest and the requisite counter-protest. Neither side appeared particularly lucid. So, I just kept walking on my way seeing a city I've never seen before.

Of course, the three cans of Coke I'd had for breakfast caught up with me. So, I find a bathroom. There's a BIG line of men and a couple women out front. So, I just comment to one of the guys ... "man, never seen a line THIS long for a guy's bathroom before".

"Oh, there are women using it, they're not letting us in."

Oh man, that didn't go over so well with me. So, I quietly walked up to the front of the line and entered the bathroom. The women outside were yelling at me "you can't go in there, there are women in there!"

I stopped, looked one of the guards straight in the eye and said "I have to go badly, I'm going in" ... and start walking in.

She yells in "man coming in!" You'd think I'd thrown in a grenade.

Now, let's be real ... the women were using the stalls (these were the days when stalls still had lockable doors), us guys can use the urinals. And, once I broke the logjam, that's what happened.

When I walked out, I all the men clapped for me. Not the first time, not the last, but, geez, it rules every time.