Let’s say you’re in a hurry and you decide to stop at your favorite restaurant to pick up some food to go. When you finally order and get your food, you find out that what you’ve been given is not at all what you paid for. A natural reaction might be to yell at the employee for their mistake, but this should never be the case. Sure, it may be someone’s fault for the mix-up, but these types of mistakes aren’t done on purpose. No one went out of their way to mess up your order. People often forget this and let their frustration get the best of them. Therefore, try your best to always stay polite toward employees instead of lashing out at them. Upsetting others will only cause the issue to take longer to fix.
Most employees are just trying to do their best at work and get through their shift without any complications. They may mess up or not know how to do something from time to time, but that’s because they’re only human. We all mess up and make mistakes. It’s just a part of life. So, why do we bring others down when these mistakes are made? Yes, they’re getting paid to do their job, and mix-ups can cause an inconvenience to customers, but that does not give anyone the right to look down on them or make them feel bad. Mistakes happen, and they can be fixed. Therefore, if someone does something wrong while working, just politely bring it to their attention instead of blaming them for it. This will help them to better fix the issue and not get stressed or upset in the process.
Even if a small complaint doesn’t seem like a big issue to you, that may not be the case for whoever you’re getting upset at. Sometimes one bad customer can ruin an employee’s day. They might go throughout the rest of their shift feeling terrible for what they did even if it really wasn’t a huge deal. Your small negative act could ruin an entire day for them. Therefore, whenever you have the urge to raise your voice or argue, think about the consequences. If there’s a nicer way to go about the issue, make sure to do it. Give them time to apologize and fix it before you go straight to blaming them for it. Not only will that make the employee feel better, but it will probably make you feel better about yourself. You don’t want to be known as the customer that’s always complaining and giving bad reviews. You should want to be the customer that helps employees improve and feel encouraged instead of feeling hurt by their minor mistakes.
Another reason it is important to always be kind to employees is that you never know what someone is going through. Someone may have just messed up an order because something bad had happened to them recently, so they don’t feel like themselves. Someone could be unable to help you because they weren’t trained properly for their position. Someone could have been overworked and not given enough breaks, so they’re having a hard time focusing. You really just never know. Everyone has their own life going on outside of work. Just because someone is on the clock at that time does not give you the right to complain about them. They are just trying to do their best to make the day go smoothly.
It is important to keep in mind that mistakes can be fixed. If your order is wrong, they can make you a new one. If your appointment is canceled, it can be rescheduled. If you are unsatisfied with your service, you could get a discount. Always consider these options before deciding to yell at someone and make them miserable. Even if your first instinct is to get angry, try your best not to let it show. You shouldn’t just pick and choose who you are kind to because everyone deserves respect. Always be kind to everyone and try your best to forgive their mistakes, especially those working hard at their jobs. Being polite instead of angry can be much more effective than you’d think. Try to remember this next time something goes wrong so that you can give employees the kindness that they truly deserve.
