COLUMN: Columnist craving common courtesy

They make coffee, sell popcorn, serve food, answer phone calls, cook French fries and the list goes on and on. The people who perform these jobs are all considered customer service workers, and are an absolute necessity when it comes to the economic system of the United States. Though society may label these types of jobs as lowly and painstaking, most businesses would fall apart without them.

However, bad customer service can be just as damaging as the lack thereof. Through many years of personal experience, I have found that nothing succeeds in ruining a day faster than being treated rudely by a member of customer service.

In all honesty, some customer service jobs are indeed worse than others. I worked in the fast food industry for a year, and even though I am thankful for the experience, that line of work was not for me.

Although there were many points when I was extremely frustrated and stressed while on the job, never once did I take these feelings out on the customers.

Don’t get me wrong, there were many times during my career with fast food when I felt like telling some customers what I really thought, but I refrained. I realized that treating a customer poorly is not going to solve the problem. Treating them with disrespect will make them disrespect you back, which creates negative feelings on both sides.

No one enjoys being treated rudely, especially when you are personally acting in kindness. When it comes to customer service, this frustration goes both ways.

First, imagine working in an extremely busy coffee shop during rush hour. There are orders coming in from every direction, styrofoam cups are flying, milk is steaming, people are complaining, drinks are spilling. This is obviously stressful, and just one customer does not say “please” or “thank you” could set anyone on edge and make you feel under appreciated. I have been in this type of situation before, and it is extremely distressing.

Now, imagine being the customer at this coffee shop. You smile and use the words “please” and “thank you” when addressing the employee, but are still met with a scowl, annoyance or my personal favorite, the eye roll. The employee can make one feel like a nuisance and a waste of time, which is just as displeasing as the first scenario.

Both of these points of view are frustrating and can put a major cloud over anyone’s mood.

Conversely, when one is greeted with a smile by a customer service employee, or an employee is greeted with a smile from a customer, the kindness is contagious and the negativity is nowhere to be found.

The solution is simple. If you’re a customer, respect whoever is serving you, whether it be a receptionist on the phone, a secretary in a bank or a waitress at a restaurant. Use the words “please” and “thank you” (yes, they do still exist), and always remember to smile.

Regardless of how they treat you back, presist with your unrelenting kindness. The same exact solution applies to customer service workers, no matter how frustrating the customers are. If you work in this type of job and you ever feel like being rude, just remember that the customers you serve are making your paycheck, so treating them well is in your best interest.

It is possible for customers and employees to coexist in peace as long as they both remember to respect the other no matter what. The customer may always be right, but in the end, human decency trumps all.