There are times that no matter what you do, you’ll be

treated like the most important person in the world, and there are those times

when no matter how pleasant you are, you’ll get miserable service. You can’t

control the person behind the desk, on the phone, or behind the counter.

But there are those times when your attitude can make a big

difference. Here are some suggestions on how to provide good customer behavior.

• Show empathy and consider that everyone has a bad day once

in awhile.

I recently had lunch with a colleague and was appalled when

she started yelling at the woman taking our order. The restaurant was very

busy, and the server was doing the best she could. I wanted to either yell back

at my colleague, or fall under the table. Instead, I said to the server, “I see

you’re really busy. This must be very stressful.” She smiled with relief, and

told me that two people had called in sick. I told her that I understood and

asked what we could do to make her work easier. “Please, be a little patient. I

know you’ve been waiting awhile.”

My colleague declared that she had no time to wait and got

up and left. I stayed, had a great lunch, and as soon as I was done, the server

came to the table with a big piece of apple pie and said, “You were so nice and

understanding, and I saw that you ended up by yourself. Please accept this pie

in appreciation of your wonderful attitude.”

• Speak to the person who has the power to help you, and

tell them what you want.