Being nice is easy, don’t make it hard

Viewpoint by Haneen Khatib/nw news editor

At times, I have ended up annoyed with waiters or some  salespeople for being slow or not getting something right.

I am sure everyone has.

But after working in retail for a few years, I came to have an understanding and a soft spot for the people who work in these positions.

It is not the easiest thing having to wait on so many different people with so many different standards.

On top of cleaning and making sure everything is organized, they have to help more than one person at a time.

Just walking through the dressing room asking if they’re all right will get you many responses you dread hearing.

“Can you get me a size small and medium to try?” or my least favorite, “Can you go around the store and grab anything you think I will like?”

So you come back with 50 items, and they leave not liking anything. 

At least we tried.

The worst part is when you walk into the can-barely-see-the-floor dressing room, and nothing is hung up on the racks.

Could they not take time to hang half of the items?

The sad thing is, I used to do this, too, before working in retail.

Working has changed the way I treat others.

I always make sure I greet them in the nicest way, and I always hang my clothes or get my own shirt in a different size.

You never know what people are going through when you treat them in a rude or disrespectful way.

If they were running a little bit behind, it might be because they are helping 10 other customers or they were just having a bad day because something at their home had gone wrong.

We all know it’s hard to hold in feelings when upset.

If the food isn’t cooked well, blame the chef — not necessarily the waiter.

A smile goes a long way.

Make someone’s day by being nice or by picking up the pile of clothes left inside-out for them on the floor.