My wife had a package to mail and went to our neighborhood post office to do so. There were three clerks working and Carol had time to observe them while she waited her turn in line.
The clerks on the left and right of the middle clerk did their jobs efficiently but without smiling or any outward show of emotion. They were polite, patient, clearly knew their jobs and were able to handle the complex tasks that some of the customers needed in order to mail multiple packages requiring various postages and insurances and special handling.
Carol noticed that the clerk in the middle, in contrast with the other two clerks, was smiling broadly and carrying on animated conversations with each of the people he served. He seemed to be enjoying himself and Carol noticed that each person he served left with a smile on his or her face.
The luck of the draw allowed Carol to be served by this middle clerk. Carol told him that she noticed how happy he seemed. Beaming, the clerk handed Carol a piece of paper on which was printed, in at least 24 point type, the following:
"You can either be happy or act happy. Pick one because your customers & coworkers deserve it."
The clerk explained to Carol that his wife had created that for him to remind him to be great with people even when they weren't so great with him.
Carol complimented him on how well he was exhibiting the behavior represented by what was written.
Carol shared this story with me and I recalled all the times I had received friendly, exceptional service from people who had served me at McDonalds, the coffee bar in the library I frequent, at various food courts in airports around the country where I have traveled as well as at post offices. I marvel at their competence, their concern for making sure I get what I'm paying for and their invariably pleasant demeanor (not always ebullient, but always pleasant) no matter how long the line or how impatient the customers.
Even that postal clerk might have been less than friendly given how often the post office is the butt of jokes and the recent attempts to do away with it by some. "Going postal" has entered the lexicon as an example of random violence even though violence occurs far more often outside the post office than in it. For me, "going postal" means interacting with professionals who know what they are doing.
On the other hand, I'm sure you can relate experiences of frustration with poor service. So can I. But maybe we're in a dance with the people who serve us. Maybe we receive poor service when we don't appreciate the people who are serving us. I don't know. I can only tell you my experience.
After all, the postal clerk could have handed Carol a piece of paper on which was written the words of W.C. Fields: "Start every day with a smile and get it over with." Maybe some of us reflect that remark in our behavior and that is reflected by the kind of service we receive.
