Don’t you find it appalling when people who make a living in service-oriented jobs act as if you are presuming upon them by expecting to receive the services they were hired to render? You walk up to a clerk at a fast food restaurant and she looks at you with that “Come-on-buddy-you’re-keeping-me-waiting-here” look. Or you go up to a floorwalker in one of those huge discount stores and he looks at you as if to say, “If you think I’m here to help you, you’ve got another thing coming.” Or how about the car repair man who goes, “You want it when?” and laughs at you?
We lived in New England for most of the 1980s, and when we first moved into our new house, we immediately had septic tank problems due to the inactivity of the water system between occupants. I called a plumber and he checked it out but couldn’t determine the problem. When I asked him what I should do, he scratched his head and said, “Hard to say.” I asked him if the problem might take care of itself in time, he said, “Hard to say.” And when I asked if there might be someone else who would know what to do, he scratched his head and said (you guessed it), “Hard to say.” My dad, who was helping me move in at the time, started calling him the hard-to-say guy. All the while I’m thinking, aren’t you supposed to be the person who knows about these things? Aren’t I paying you to solve my problem?
Having said this, I have to say I love my pharmacist. She is the most “can-do” person I know. She is always in cheery spirits and when she says, “May I help you?” that means she is ready to put all her resources to work for you at that moment. And if it involves a problem to solve, that’s even better. “No problem,” is one of her favorite statements. And she says it with such confidence! I wish you could see her face. I’m picturing it right now and she has a little smirk that says, “Relax, John. I’ve got it covered.”
Would that we all could have such an attitude towards each other. The Bible tells us we are more than husbands and wives and sons and daughters and neighbors and friends, we are servants, and as such, we should have a continual, “May I help you?” attitude towards each other. And when we face an obstacle in serving someone, we either get an answer or find someone who can.
Maybe you have a “can-do” person in your life like my pharmacist. Think about that person and what you can learn from her or him. We need to get used to thinking of ourselves as servants, because that is what we are.
John Fischer The Catch 
Of course, there may be another reason some of them are acting like that. I work as a cashier, and often I get people who think I’m there for them to abuse and kick around. I come home exhausted and wounded in spirit. That’s why we must be kind to those who are in service industries. They may be having a bad day with abusive customers. It goes both ways.
Thanks for giving us the other side of the register.
If you want to see this “hard to say” New England attitude – and that is exactly what it is – in spades, watch the movie, Mr. Blandings Builds HIs Dream House, with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. It is hilarious.
You’re right, John. When people look at us, they should see someone they can walk up to and receive the help they need, not someone that they would be imposing upon. Oh, if only we could be those kinds of people!
Great post!
You’ve hit on what USED to be one of my pet peeves, and I would allow someone else’s attitude to affect mine, so the NEXT person I encountered paid the price for something they had nothing to do with. When I realized that I was just spreading negative vibes (like a virus), I decided to do something different – so now I set up a challenge for myself and make it a kind of a secret game – when I encounter apathetic (or downright rude) sales people, I try to engage them in some way – I make a funny remark or comment on something (“What an interesting tattoo – is there a special meaning behind it to you?” or, “Wow, your nails are stunning! Where did you have them done?) to see if I can change THEIR mood/attitude. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – but at least they aren’t getting on MY last nerve anymore and making ME grumpy. Here is something REALLY cool – a friend’s daughter just celebrated her 22nd birthday by performing 22 acts of random kindness – she contributed $25 toward someone’s grocery bill in line at the market, took dozens of donuts to the local firehouse, sent her mom flowers, paid for a stranger’s lunch, etc. If I want to do something similar for MY next birthday that will be 60 acts of kindness – Gosh! I better get STARTED NOW!
Loved your post my other good Catch buddy, Carole and great idea too – thx 4 it… and the chuckles the ended gave me. For a few good reason’s i can very easily see u doing 60 acts of kindness pretty fast! Because of the nice, kind, friendly & helpful woman you are! 🙂
You are TOO kind, Mark! How’s your computer doing? You are missing some cute emails…
Hi ya Carole, my PC still isn’t running correctly… Oh well, i do fully believe & trust the Lord will send me some more customers soon, so i can then buy a new PC and a car to get around too…
Great idea!
Often when I meet “sales clerks”or sales associates that are having a bad day and give me attitude, I ask them if they have ever faked being happy and outgoing to make the customer feel appreciated. Most of them say yes and others say that the experienced sales people say fake it and soon it will feel real and you will actually feel happy and helpful.
I have tried it myself when I feel a bit grumpy. I begin to act friendly and upbeat and before you know it I am upbeat. Guess what it is a choice. How cool is that!.
Peter L.: i’ll add an Amen to this: ” Guess what it is a choice. How cool is that!.” I too think it’s very cool and all we control is our attitude…