Thoroughly impressed - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Lak · 12-27-2004, 03:47 PM

Just thought I'd share this.
NB: This is not going to be a bitchy rant despite first appearances. bear with

So I was at work (retail outlet, footwear department) the other day, It was almost christmas so as usual the store was packed mainly with parents accompanied by children. These children are typically loud, usually smell kinda strange and have a habit of walking along my nice tidy isles of shoeboxes and pushing them all to the back of the shelf. They are complanitory things, yelling at thier parents that they are bored, hungry or otherwise wholly unimpressed with the situation in general, while I try to find shoes that fit them with ever-waning patience. This is a typical day. I am used to this and can deal with it.

But on this particular day, I happened across a chap I recognised from a local music store, accompanied by his family - his wife and three children. The children were a girl, roughly 12, a boy roughly 10 and another boy roughly 5 or 6. And to my astonishment, these children were absolutely upstanding fucking citizens.

Not only did they NOT bitch and scream, they were polite, confident, and even articulate (even the littlest one). They payed attention to thier parents, asked politely for my assistance, the older boy even made a friendly joke about his name being the same as mine. These kids even had a mature sense of humour. I LOVE it when customers have even a remote sense of humour, it makes it seem more like I'm dealing with real people. It's amazingly rare, so to find a 10 and a 12 year old with not only a sense of humour, but a great one, was magical.

On the whole, I was extremely impressed and the whole experience really made my day (which was excellent because it was a midnighter). I don't know why it didn't occurr to me to say so at the time, (I guess I was in customer service mode, and I regret not saying something now), but I intend to visit the chap next time I'm in the music store and tell him that his kids are a credit to himself and to his wife.

Fucking brilliant.

Ella · 12-27-2004, 03:53 PM

Excellent. As you say, the kids' behaviour is a credit to their parents, and I'm sure the guy will be more than chuffed to hear this feedback from you. That kind of stuff can really make both your days.

ledsam · 12-27-2004, 04:16 PM

One good customer can make your day. I work in the toy department at Sears, so you can imagine how busy it got in the week before Christmas. LOTS of screaming kids and generally stressed out parents, but every once in a while you'll get a really nice customer with a funny/cute kid that makes it bearable.

I usually try to give these people some sort of compliment, or just simply say they've made my day. One good comment can go a long way.

thingstodo · 12-27-2004, 04:23 PM

Oh, man....tell the dude. He will be sooooo happy. And you will feel good as well. It just goes too prove that kids - at least when they are young - can be raised right.

Just today I was at the gym (a nice place with couches, etc near the front. I dropped my bag and coat on a chair to get a shake. When I returned a few mintes later, an unsupervised kid (about 10) was sitting on my coat.

anleja · 12-27-2004, 07:19 PM

I used to work at a portrait studio, and would often be surprised by how many good kids there are. The percentage of bad kids is actually not as high as it seems... they are just the ones who get noticed more easily. It was actually the kids who made that job so cool. To tell you the truth, the only bad part about that job was the parents.

Vincentt · 12-27-2004, 07:23 PM

Yeah I have a few friends with really good kids, because they are good parents.
I know of many bad parents, and their kids are spoiled.

Tycow · 12-27-2004, 07:44 PM

You're lucky to work where you do. Due to my uni finishing at weird times, all but the crappest jobs are available when I get back. I spent my summer working in a chip shop on a theme park, dealing with knuckle dragging pikeys day in day out... not fun

Oh how I miss my job working in retail.

12-27-2004, 03:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lak Insane Location: New Zealand	Thoroughly impressed Just thought I'd share this. NB: This is not going to be a bitchy rant despite first appearances. bear with So I was at work (retail outlet, footwear department) the other day, It was almost christmas so as usual the store was packed mainly with parents accompanied by children. These children are typically loud, usually smell kinda strange and have a habit of walking along my nice tidy isles of shoeboxes and pushing them all to the back of the shelf. They are complanitory things, yelling at thier parents that they are bored, hungry or otherwise wholly unimpressed with the situation in general, while I try to find shoes that fit them with ever-waning patience. This is a typical day. I am used to this and can deal with it. But on this particular day, I happened across a chap I recognised from a local music store, accompanied by his family - his wife and three children. The children were a girl, roughly 12, a boy roughly 10 and another boy roughly 5 or 6. And to my astonishment, these children were absolutely upstanding fucking citizens. Not only did they NOT bitch and scream, they were polite, confident, and even articulate (even the littlest one). They payed attention to thier parents, asked politely for my assistance, the older boy even made a friendly joke about his name being the same as mine. These kids even had a mature sense of humour. I LOVE it when customers have even a remote sense of humour, it makes it seem more like I'm dealing with real people. It's amazingly rare, so to find a 10 and a 12 year old with not only a sense of humour, but a great one, was magical. On the whole, I was extremely impressed and the whole experience really made my day (which was excellent because it was a midnighter). I don't know why it didn't occurr to me to say so at the time, (I guess I was in customer service mode, and I regret not saying something now), but I intend to visit the chap next time I'm in the music store and tell him that his kids are a credit to himself and to his wife. Fucking brilliant. __________________ ignorance really is bliss.

12-27-2004, 03:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ella Ella Bo Bella Location: Australia	Excellent. As you say, the kids' behaviour is a credit to their parents, and I'm sure the guy will be more than chuffed to hear this feedback from you. That kind of stuff can really make both your days. __________________ "Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure."

12-27-2004, 04:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
ledsam Upright Location: Burnaby, BC	One good customer can make your day. I work in the toy department at Sears, so you can imagine how busy it got in the week before Christmas. LOTS of screaming kids and generally stressed out parents, but every once in a while you'll get a really nice customer with a funny/cute kid that makes it bearable. I usually try to give these people some sort of compliment, or just simply say they've made my day. One good comment can go a long way. __________________ "We are always in our own company." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

12-27-2004, 04:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
thingstodo A Storm Is Coming Location: The Great White North	Oh, man....tell the dude. He will be sooooo happy. And you will feel good as well. It just goes too prove that kids - at least when they are young - can be raised right. Just today I was at the gym (a nice place with couches, etc near the front. I dropped my bag and coat on a chair to get a shake. When I returned a few mintes later, an unsupervised kid (about 10) was sitting on my coat. __________________ If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves. Stangers have the best candy.

12-27-2004, 07:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Tycow Upright	You're lucky to work where you do. Due to my uni finishing at weird times, all but the crappest jobs are available when I get back. I spent my summer working in a chip shop on a theme park, dealing with knuckle dragging pikeys day in day out... not fun Oh how I miss my job working in retail. __________________ 00m

12-27-2004, 07:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
anleja disconnected Location: ignoreland	I used to work at a portrait studio, and would often be surprised by how many good kids there are. The percentage of bad kids is actually not as high as it seems... they are just the ones who get noticed more easily. It was actually the kids who made that job so cool. To tell you the truth, the only bad part about that job was the parents.

12-27-2004, 07:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Vincentt Addict Location: Tokyo, Japan	Yeah I have a few friends with really good kids, because they are good parents. I know of many bad parents, and their kids are spoiled.