Take a Deep Breath
By Belinda
In the midst of all the media coverage of the recent Royal Wedding, a radio program focused on advice to the young couple.
A wise person said, "Take a deep breath before you speak--and then, don't speak!"
What excellent advice that was--and not just for Will and Kate. I wrote it down and have thought about it a lot. I've even tried to put it into practice since then--practice being the operative word, because it will take lots of practice for me to learn this skill.
Imagine if we all did that--what hurts might be prevented; what regrets might be avoided. All by simply holding our breath for the few seconds it takes for anger to subside; pride to be swallowed; cool heads to prevail.
I should have remembered this yesterday. I came up against a salesperson who said to me, "We can't that. It's the rule."
It was a rule that didn't make sense to me but it was also the fact that it was being applied with such determination that made me feel disrespected and devalued as a customer. I didn't want to leave with that feeling so I asked who her manager was.
"She's the one who was helping and told you it couldn't be done in the first place," she said.
"Well, who is her manager?" I asked.
She called over another busy looking woman who only confirmed that this was "right from corporate," and was in the interest of processing customers through the checkout line as quickly as possible and without keeping people in the line up waiting a few seconds longer.
I know that the expression on my face had hardened and that I was not making her day with my questioning of "the rule" and using up more precious seconds. But there was no arguing with it even though what it told me was that speed was valued more than the customer. Maybe they think that saving a few seconds is serving the customer!
As I drove away I thought about writing to "corporate" and telling them how their rule made me feel, but somewhere along the way I decided to mentally "drop it." I was beginning to obsess! So I let it go and had a happy evening.
And while I still consider the rule just silly, if I were to revisit the conversation I would hope I could take a deep breath sooner and in spite of the sales staff's lack of regret at enforcing a silly rule, not shoot the messengers with my attitude.
Yes, "Take a deep breath before you speak--and then don't speak;" It may not, of course, apply in all situations, but it may be profitable in many, at least that's my take on it.
In the midst of all the media coverage of the recent Royal Wedding, a radio program focused on advice to the young couple.
A wise person said, "Take a deep breath before you speak--and then, don't speak!"
What excellent advice that was--and not just for Will and Kate. I wrote it down and have thought about it a lot. I've even tried to put it into practice since then--practice being the operative word, because it will take lots of practice for me to learn this skill.
Imagine if we all did that--what hurts might be prevented; what regrets might be avoided. All by simply holding our breath for the few seconds it takes for anger to subside; pride to be swallowed; cool heads to prevail.
I should have remembered this yesterday. I came up against a salesperson who said to me, "We can't that. It's the rule."
It was a rule that didn't make sense to me but it was also the fact that it was being applied with such determination that made me feel disrespected and devalued as a customer. I didn't want to leave with that feeling so I asked who her manager was.
"She's the one who was helping and told you it couldn't be done in the first place," she said.
"Well, who is her manager?" I asked.
She called over another busy looking woman who only confirmed that this was "right from corporate," and was in the interest of processing customers through the checkout line as quickly as possible and without keeping people in the line up waiting a few seconds longer.
I know that the expression on my face had hardened and that I was not making her day with my questioning of "the rule" and using up more precious seconds. But there was no arguing with it even though what it told me was that speed was valued more than the customer. Maybe they think that saving a few seconds is serving the customer!
As I drove away I thought about writing to "corporate" and telling them how their rule made me feel, but somewhere along the way I decided to mentally "drop it." I was beginning to obsess! So I let it go and had a happy evening.
And while I still consider the rule just silly, if I were to revisit the conversation I would hope I could take a deep breath sooner and in spite of the sales staff's lack of regret at enforcing a silly rule, not shoot the messengers with my attitude.
Yes, "Take a deep breath before you speak--and then don't speak;" It may not, of course, apply in all situations, but it may be profitable in many, at least that's my take on it.
Comments
(Anyone curious about the whoopie cushion will have to read Dave's post for today to understand. :))