Bitter or Better...

"Jill...A customer wants to talk to the manager."

Translation. 

"Jill...A customer is really mad and they plan on telling you about it."

Ughh. 

I used to want to run and hide when I heard that first line.  I do not like confrontations at all but I especially don't like them when it involves my family business.  My entire family puts our blood, sweat, and tears into producing and selling wonderful goods to consumers so when I get to listen to someone say how terrible my family, staff, or products are I am less than thrilled. 

In the last twelve years since I "officially" became the manager of the Pecan Shed I have been called just about every name in the book.  I have been cussed out, accused of being a thief, threatened to be sued, threatened to be harmed, and even almost run over by a customer's car in the parking lot one night. 

When people tell me how lucky I am to be the "boss" at the Pecan Shed I often want to tell them the truth...but I just smile and nod.  The truth is I am very lucky.

For every mean and nasty customer, vendor, or random person I have had to deal with over the years there are at least one hundred wonderful, amazing, sweet, and loyal customers who make my job a joy to go to every day.  The difficult part is remembering where to focus. 

So often we let ourselves focus on the little bit of bad that happens to us and we let it overshadow all the good.  If I am not careful I can let the small percentage of negativity I deal with at work make my job seem hard when it reality it isn't.  The truth is I am told many more times how good my products and team members are than I am ever told anything negative. 

I believe many times in life God will give us opportunities to face difficult events, situations, and people in an effort to mold us.  We can either allow these challenges to make us bitter or make us better. 

Now when I get the pleasure of talking to someone who is unhappy with a product or service we provide I take it as an chance to see if there really is room for improvement or at the very least I use the moment to educate the person who is upset as well as let them know that they have been heard.  Sometimes that is all people want in life is to be heard. 

When the truly hateful individuals show up, as they still do on rare occasions, I simply encourage them to shop elsewhere and remind my team we should all be glad we don't have to sit by that particular person at holiday meals.  Some people in life will never be happy and that is okay.  However I will not let them turn me bitter.  I will be better for having learned how to show them the door with grace, kindness, and possibly a little bit of humor thrown in for good measure.