It Doesn't Cost A Thing

Over the past few weeks I have had a few issues.  Not the kind of life threatening issues that seem to plague a large portion of our culture today.  Just the kind of issues that make life a bit more complicated for me than I am used to.  This particular entry is dedicated to those people who I have had to deal with to resolve my issues. 

Cable people solved one of most concerning problems.  While doing some gardening for my wife in the dusk of the evening, I realized too late that I had cut my cable/internet line in half while getting a good sharp edge on the garden before the winter arrives in full fury.  The woman on the phone was delightful and very helpful.  The appointment was set up for the next morning between 8-12 and my specialist was there and ready to go at 7:45.  He did a great job, was fun to talk to and he he even upgraded my cable box and got me up and running before The View!  He was terrific and it did not cost me a cent!!  The funny thing is that my edging led to yet another buried cable that belonged to my neighbor.  They were there within 24 hours and took care of business with a smile on their face and some pleasant conversation.  I love my cable people!!

I needed some financial information and had to call the financial powers that be.  He was very helpful, informative, and more than willing to answer each and every question I had.  I did not have to get passed around from person to person and it was all resolved in just a few short, but very pleasant minutes. 

Today is my once a week visit to the local diner where I get a bowl of oatmeal and some hot chocolate after my trip to the gym.  I have been going here for at least six months and the same woman waits on me each time.  The oatmeal here is terrific, but most of all I appreciate the attention to detail that my waitress gives to my $4 visit each time.  She always knows what I want and she delivers it with a smile and some causal chat which makes my day.  Today they were all out of oatmeal when I arrived, but she took the time to make some fresh oatmeal for me so I could have “my usual.”  She did not have to do this......I would have been disappointed but not mad.  She did it anyhow and I made sure to let her know how much I appreciated going out of her way to do this for me.  Customer service at its very best!!

I cleaned my basement and ended up with a ton of crap and close to 30 garbage bags filled with stuff that needed to go.  I apologized to my trash collectors, but they merely smiled, said it was all in a days work, and they hauled it all away happily.

Recently I decided I needed to get a real haircut......from a professional.  I have not had one for at least 8 years and it was time to hang up my clippers and give my hair a chance to grow again.  I texted my haircut wizard at 5:00 in the afternoon.  By 7 PM I was in the chair and she was performing her magic while her husband and son waited for her to cook them dinner.  My hair looks like a million bucks and I had the chance to send some quality time with one of my best friends while getting a great haircut.  

I ordered something online the other day and the young man who took care of me was very nice.  He was quick to help me with my selection and with questions that I had about the product.  He even shot me a quick email when we were done.  He made the purchase easy and I was very confident that his help and support helped me to get just what I wanted.  

The bottom line is that it does not cost a thing to be nice!!!  Customer service is something that I value greatly and time and time again I am drawn to those stores or providers with whom I have had a positive experience.  They were nice to me, helpful, supportive, and gave me the impression that they cared about me.  That feels awesome, and you can be sure that I will tell my friends and continue to do business with these kinds of people.

Customer service is hard because so many people are terribly demanding and ready to blame the first person that they get on the phone.  I respect and admire these folks and appreciate what they do for me every day!

And it did not cost them a thing to be nice!  

In Your Debt! Thanks!

Later next week the school where I used to teach is going to kick off another school year.  I spent thirty three years teaching and I remember fondly getting my class lists for the year, getting my room ready, and getting excited to try the new activities that I had worked on over the summer with my students.  Most of all I always looked forward to reacquainting myself with teaching colleagues, both new and old.

Teaching was something that was part of my DNA I think.  From the time I was in fourth grade I was committed to the idea of being a teacher.  My father had been a teacher and I really enjoyed watching him do his work and getting ready to do his thing in the classroom.  He loved it, and so did I.

I guess that I get really tired of reading or hearing about how bad the education system is in the USA.  As soon as the experts start commenting it is not long before they start to hammer away on how bad many teacher are.  They spend little or no time discussing all the time spent by teachers preparing lessons and activities, both during the summer and during the school year. They seem to ignore the fact that even with five years of higher education that teachers pay does not even scratch the surface of what people in the business word make.  Most of the teachers that I knew and worked with were extremely dedicated and cared deeply about the students in the charge.  They worked hard and for the most part I would say that their impact on the students was both immediate and long lasting.  Kids in the country are bright, plugged in, and ready to find their way and to make a difference….no matter what the media experts say!  I know this to be true because I taught lots of great kids who I was amazed by every day.

I had a lot of teachers that I remember from when I was a student.  Some of them were tough on me and demanded more of me than I ever would have demanded of myself, while others were sensitive and made a sincere effort to get to know me all the while providing me with the perfect learning environment.  Like all professions I had a few teachers that I did not feel were very good at their job.  Some were inexperienced while others maybe were not confident in their skills and teaching practices.  In spite of this I can say that just about every one of them worked hard.  ALL of them are stuck in my memory bank and I will be forever indebted to them for all that they gave me from September through June each and every year.  I will be in your debt until the day I die.

I honor teachers everywhere with this blog!  The job they do is an honorable profession and one that has a lifelong impact on hundreds of thousands of students every year.  I am in awe of their creativity, their sensitivity, their willingness to make many sacrifices, and their ability to be teacher, social worker, guidance counselor, coach, and mentor to those people who will be taking care of me in my old age…..I am almost there. 

I have no fear of young people taking care of me!  They will learn, grow, share, and find their way just the way that I did.  And this is at least partly to do with everything that they learned and observed from their teachers.

My hat is off and my heart is thankful for teachers everywhere.  And a special shout out to the ACS faculty and staff!  Have an amazing and memorable year!