By Osarennoma Ogbeide
Should gratitude be taken for granted? The quick answer is no right? The real question is how often do we show gratitude to people, even those below us? We shouldn’t exclude service providers from this as well. I hear many people go “isn’t it their job?” or “isn’t that what they’re paid for?” Haba! They may be underpaid or given just the right amount for remuneration, but a simple and honest ‘thank you’ might just be the encouragement they need to keep doing what they’re doing.
Through my journey in school, I’ve had to correct this mentality and I can say it has paved ways for me, after all these people are humans too. There are cab drivers who ordinarily should be retired but to make ends meet they have to drive people around. A nice thank you after your trip would be nice. We are privileged to troop in and out of restaurants or cafeterias, with people serving you and attending to your needs. We may hate the queues at the bank tellers but we often forget the people attending to the multitude might also need some encouragement as well. A smile and a “well done, you’re doing great” would be helpful. The supermarkets and malls have attendants on almost every isle to assist when you need, don’t forget to say “I appreciate your assistance” before departing.
Once they see that you actually value their work and see them past just being a cleaner, driver, secretary or market seller, there is value. Start up conversations with them once in a while, that won’t be bad either. A little banter here and there could benefit both parties, it’ll take sweat off them and even better service delivery for you. It’s a win win.
The emotional labour these service providers sometimes experience can be overwhelming, being an overbearing customer wouldn’t help the situation either. If you’re not satisfied with the service, there are subtle but precise ways to present your case. If there’s no problem with the service whatsoever, be kind enough to appreciate their time and effort. Gratitude and appreciation go a long way in emotional stability and motivation towards better performance.
