deal!

i had this customer busting my chops one morning. i was alone, if i remember correctly, and he's going on and on about how i am giving him lousy service (because i won't put milk and sugar in his coffee, i'm thinking bite me, but manage not to say it).

so he says to me,

next time i see you here, i'm going to make a U-turn.

deal!

i reply.

first of all, i can't get over how people piss and moan about coffee. it's coffee for godsake. and yes, you're paying a bundle for it, but we aren't there to be badgered.

my boss told me today,

i've been meaning to talk to you about that.

because the guy came in. apparently he's a really good customer.

he was so sweet this time, and he apologized for his behaviour the last time. he kept telling my mgr how he had apologized, he seemed proud of that fact, even puppydogish today, rather than bulldogish the last time we faced off.

i told him,

i made another flavor of coffee just for you last weekend, but you didn't come.

and he said,

did you do it today.

nope.

(because it figures, he wouldn't come on a day when i am not prepared to serve him like he wanted those few weekends ago).

my boss said,

don't let the customers see your frustration.

but sometimes, i can't stuff it anymore. and if you're going to bust my chops about what coffee i've got brewed, then bust my chops for not milk and sugaring it for you, you better damn well believe i'm not going to be doing cartwheels the next time i see you.

i try to be good with customers. i really do. but sometimes, they vex me. and astound me.

we're supposed to give life changing service (that's not what it's called, but that is what it boils down to), and by god i try. but there are times, i would rather strangle the demanding than serve them. i guess that is how it always is. i guess that is when it matters most, if i can keep my shit together long enough to meet whatever rediculous demand is made, with a smile.

but then, today, he came in, and apologized and we hit it off pretty well. i told him,

we get all kinds. it didn't bother me.

i swear the requests some people make blow my mind.

but i need to not be so honest, that is what i'm told. (i try to bend my mind around that and it just won't go). so i do the best i can and curb my honesty.

some people we meet are genuinely kind and considerate.

i guess, what i'm saying is, if you don't give kindness to a serviceperson, it's really tough to get it back. and i know the dali lama would be kind to you even if you were a shit, but i'm not the dali lama. i'm just a screwed up girl looking for her own peace of mind (five points if you can name the movie that line is from).

peace. out.