How well do you see the people who serve you? There’s often not time to get to know people personally when moving through a drive-through or picking up a grocery order. Maybe you’re troubleshooting a billing issue with a utility company or following up with a mechanic who serviced your vehicle. Sometimes we need to be firm, standing up for ourselves so we’re not taken advantage of, but we can still see the person in front of us (or on the phone) as a person.
Consider how you treat people who serve you when you travel. You worked hard for a trip, and “it’s their job” to keep you happy, especially when things go wrong or aren’t up to your expectations. But is that true? Is the goal your happiness? Sure, you want to get the value of what you planned and spent. But you can value others in the process.
As I travelled last fall, I came in contact with so many helpful people. In some situations, the service was amazing. In others, we focused on solving some disruptive challenges. But not one of them was an individual’s fault. The people in front of me were part of the solution. More importantly, the people in front of me were…people. Each one had a story, family, struggles, exhaustion, questions, health issues. All of it. How I interacted them wasn’t a means to the end of getting what I wanted. We were in the same place at the same time, working on the same problem. Or perhaps it was a moment I thoroughly enjoyed, and while the person serving seemed pleasant, they might have been going through the motions. Work is hard. Service is hard. They might have been preoccupied with exhaustion, family issues, financial strain, or health scares. I didn’t need to pry. They didn’t have time for long conversations. But I could be kind enough by simply remembering their job isn’t their identity. I could see them and consider them. I could be patient and care.
Today you will cross paths with several people who have service-oriented jobs. See each one as a person, not just a means to make your day easier. Your inconvenience isn’t everyone else’s emergency. How you respond reveals your character. What will your actions and words say about you today?
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