Anyone who knows me may find this to be a strange topic for me to write about as I have a bit of a reputation for being impatient with…

Anyone who knows me may find this to be a strange topic for me to write about as I have a bit of a reputation for being impatient with people at times. While I prefer to think I am patient when patience is required or desired, I cannot argue their point as to having slipped into “hurry mode” more than once. There is one time I do pride myself on being patient and I recommend others do it as well…patience when dealing with people in the service industries.

As a young man I did my time in the retail world, from cashier through management, even through loss prevention detective. One thing I took away from all that was, those jobs can be some of the most difficult jobs out there. Not because the work is exceptionally hard (sometimes it is, but not always) but that the people you interact with can be exceptionally difficult.

We’ve all seen sites such as http://www.notalwaysright.com where horror stories of bad customer behavior are shared to a knowing laugh and wink from others in the business. What concerns me is the number of customers now who wear being belligerent as a badge of honor. The people who wish to penalize for an honest mistake and who’s first words aren’t, “don’t worry about it, it was an honest mistake” but rather are, “so what are you going to do for me then?”

Where did this sense of entitlement come from when dealing with people who’s jobs are specifically to help us? Why the attitude, lack of understanding, and downright attitude of superiority? When dealing with any one in any profession, we should treat them as we expect to be treated, not expect and then treat poorly if expectations are not met.

Yes, I know, there are people out there who you try to be nice to but they just make it so damn difficult. They act like they’re doing you a favor doing their job and you’re nothing but a bother to them. For those, why would you give them the benefit of bad behavior on your own part to give them an excuse (no matter how faulty) for their own poor attitude?

As we approach the shopping season keep this thought in mind: look at the line you’re standing in waiting to check out. Look at the people in that line; odds are good they are just as impatient. Now look at the person working the register. Would you want to be them, dealing with all those miserable, impatient people all day for a wage just a bit above minimum? Don’t like the sound of that? Then be the one that breaks the chain. Be nice.