I was in a hairdressers in Melbourne. I was 18. it was the first time I’d ever been to a hairdressers to get my hair cut in my life! It was at a very posh salon, so I was very excited! I chatted with the staff and told them where I was from, told them what I was studying, told them it was my first time in a salon for a haircut, and looked on admiringly at everything they were doing. Ten months later, I went back to the same hairdressers for my second hair cut in my life. I’d completely forgotten who they were, but they remembered me!

 

My bank card bounced due to suspected fraud. I knew it wasn’t fraud though, as I’d spent the day before trying to make 20 transactions over the internet that never went through due to my forgetting of my passwords. Instead of getting angry at the person on the other end of the phone though, that I wouldn’t have a bank card to use for the next two weeks while a new one was sent to me. I thanked him. I thanked him for doing his job and ensuring that my card was protected against fraud, and that I really appreciated his concern for customers like me and his company’s policy against fraud. I got a new card two days later.

 

I’m not always good though.

 

I was in a bank once to get a bank statement printed. I thought that it would be done on nice paper, like the quarterly statements that are mailed to me. Instead, what I got was a printout of the website. I was fuming! I had to pay $2.50 for that! I could have printed it for free on my friend’s printer! I couldn’t believe they ripped me off for that! I stated my views pointedly and left. It didn’t make me feel great afterwards, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t leave the teller in the best of moods either. Two weeks later, I was in the bank again. Same teller. So I apologised to him. I told him, “you might not remember, but I was in here about two weeks ago. I was really rude to you. I get that you were just doing your job, and that you really have no control over what your bank policy is and how you charge people. I’m sorry I was so rude the other day.” He couldn’t remember me, but he appreciated it nevertheless.

 

As an customer, you are a big part of the transaction too. There is no need for you to be rude or ungracious. Just by being great, acknowledging there is a procedure to be followed, and following that procedure, you are making a difference.

 

If you’ve ever been in retail and had customers being great with you, you’ll know what I mean. While customers who are rude can take you aback, those who are lovely really can make your day.

 

But it’s not just a retail world I’m talking about here. It’s more importantly, your family and friends. You are a customer to the love and friendship they provide for you.

 

People just want to feel like others know what they’re going through - they just want to be gotten, to feel connected to other human beings, and to feel less alone in the universe. The universe feels so big when no one gets you, but so small after you’ve just invested a whole afternoon with your friends and family, connecting with people and sharing experiences.

 

Take your time to acknowledge people. Acknowledge them for the time they’ve spent with you, acknowledge them for their contribution to you, acknowledge the person behind the counter who doesn’t smile at you, acknowledge the public service men who are there to transport you from one place to another, acknowledge your family for being there for you when they have been and acknowledge your teachers who spend so much time preparing lessons.

 

People just don’t get their impact sometimes. The impact you can make on the world, and especially one person, is phenomenal. You seriously don’t know how your being gracious could make a person’s day, or even change a person’s steadfast opinion about people.

 

Be a great customer to your family, friends and companies. Be gracious and acknowledge. They’re doing their best, and so can you.