A Smile Makes All the Difference
Lost, lonely and scared
Frightened, alone and clueless
Puzzled, distraught and stranded
These three word mantras (among many other similar ones) would repeat incessantly in my head as I paced to and fro. Even though I had just started working, I was already left to my own devices. I had only "trained" for two days. In reality, I didn't do much training in any regard. All I had accomplished was muttering a string of generic responses as I shadowed some other new hires.
"Yes." "Alright" "Understood."
"I see." "Okay." "Gotcha."
"Yeah." "Mmhm." "Oh."
At the moment, I felt as if I could comprehend their actions. But now all the information they had given me had evaporated from my brain.
"One pump for the mop, one pump for the rag, and one that's broken"
"Coffee on the left, tea in the middle, soda to the right."
"Wipe down surfaces, vacuum the carpet, mop the tiles."
It seemed so simple at the time. However, the sneers of customers passing by told me otherwise. The disdain from their eyes was radiating so immensely that I could feel it in the air. It was almost a tangible chill.
And the glares weren't the worst of it. The entitlement was.
"Hey. I spilled something. Wipe it down!"
"Hello cutie! Throw my trash out. Bye."
"What's this? It's unacceptable. Let me talk to your manager."
Sticks and stones can break one's bones. Arduous cleaning has certainly threatened to break mine. But words truly hurt. They've grated me to the last nerve.
On the flip side though, they can be a source of serendipity. It's like finding a coin beneath the rubble.
An earnest smile, a nod of gratitude and acknowledgement for what I do
"Hello dear!"
"Thank you so much."
"You're very sweet."
When one customer showed all of that one day, I was finally impelled to keep going.
Kind words make all the difference.