May I Interest You In Something? Anything?!?

5/9/07 – I’m at the drive thru at Taco Bell and I get dismayed and angry at the voice on the other end of the terminal. No life in the voice. Not the least bit of enthusiasm. I have heard robots speak with more emotion.

It doesn’t get any better when I am handed my food. An outstretched arm. No smile. No thank you. No have a great day. NOTHING. Just a kid whose picture would be found next to the word “indifferent” in the dictionary.

One could easily blame the job. How many times can you hand someone a taco combo meal without losing your mind with boredom, right?

WRONG.

How would you then explain how countless other cashiers have been peppy and friendly and ALIVE?

Easily. It’s attitude. ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING. Remember that!

Even if that cashier was having the LOUSIEST of days, he has to learn to leave that in his car with his CD collection. There are times when I am having a bad day, and guess what? The show must go on. How fair would it be to YOU the listeners of my show if I let a bad day ruin YOUR experience?

I worked at a movie theater in high school and I was the only employee the managers could recall who would be offered TIPS by customers. Why? Because I offered them fast, friendly, and courteous service. I remember a guy used to come in only for the frozen yogurts I would make. Why? Because I actually took a few moments to make the swirls look nice and professional, unlike my impatient and unhappy co-workers who would stuff the yogurt into the cup so that it looked like it had fallen from an airplane.

I have had other jobs that weren’t exactly what I wanted to do for a living. But you know what? My days never dragged because I put EVERYTHING into them. If I was selling someone a Playstation 2, I acted as if that was the most important thing I could ever do. And for a few moments, it WAS the most important thing I could ever do. And the customers could feel it. And again, I had return customers who Christmas after Christmas, came to ME for service instead of the dozen other people who could have helped them.

There is no excuse. Whatever you do in life…whatever you are about to do after you finish the last few sentences of this blog…do it with EVERYTHING IN YOU. If you are only going to put 50% or 80% into it, don’t bother. Step aside and let someone else do it. You wouldn’t swing at a baseball with only half a bat, right? Well, why would you approach LIFE that way?

Attitude…is…everything. Who knows? With practice, maybe you can make a killer frozen yogurt too!