I've been thinking a lot lately about service and "the public". This came after a number of particularly odd occurances. Recently I saw a sign on an establishment, "starting next week we'll be closed on Saturdays - to serve you better." I remember having one of those "huh?" moments. They're closing on Saturdays to serve you better. How exactly does that work?? There was no notice of staying open later to make up the difference, nor was there any indication anything was changing except they had another day off from work. Now, far be it for me to mind anyone time off from work, but in what way is this serving "me" better?? Were they promising to work ever harder once they are there?? Are they promising to be nicer, more efficient, or are they intending to lower their prices??? Not that I saw. Just makes you wonder sometimes. It harkens back to one of my favorite moments from the movie, "Back to the Future". The movie was shot in 1985, and by then we were smack in the "self service" craze of all things. In the film, Marty is in the past and sees a car pull into a filling station. Close to 3, emaculately dressed attendants rush out (wearing clean white uniforms with little bow ties firmly in place), to give this car the once over. One was checking tires, one filling the gas and the other was checking under the hood. Even then, this caused the audience I was with to gasp and laugh in unison. It was as foreign to all of us, as if they'd been in walking upside down. The idea of that kind of service is just a long memory away.
Now, to the public.....whoever said they loved working with the public, was either kidding themselves or they were filling out a job application. I can say this, because I've done it for many years. Don't get me wrong.....I like the public, the public are great....but they can be a royal pain in the b***, too. Somewhere (I think it harkens back to the 80's again), people started "looking out for Numero Uno", and it stuck. Boy, did it stick! Now, everyone has road rage, taps their foot in irritation if they have to wait, cut in line, grab, crab and jab! The amount of irritation in the most minor inconvenience and you'd think they had to cross the Grand Canyon down one side and up the other dragging a canoe behind them. Enough with the complaining when you happen to be 3rd in line. Just get over yourself!
I feel better already, thank you very much.
