Thursday, January 15, 2009

Can I do this?

"Yes?"

"The bill was $2200 and I paid $4000. How can that not be paying it in full?"

"Well, when is the new company going to take over? Because you guys are doing an awful job. Is there someone I can call and complain to?"

"And your name?"

"Okay, you all could stand to work on your customer service as well, because your attitude really stinks. Bye."

*~*~*~*~*

I'm just wondering. Can I say this and be Christ-like? (In a nicer tone, of course.)

Where exactly does "turn the other cheek" come in? My first instinct is to say, "That's for when I am being persecuted for my faith." But the context in Matthew 5:38-42 seems to be anyone taking advantage of you or being mean to you.

Put it back in the business world. As my friend points out, if you never "complained" to the manager, the disagreeable person could go on being disagreeable and making things worse for the company. Now I think if there is any room to "complain", it should be for the employee's sake just as much the company, or the manager, or the general public, or myself, or anyone.

Looking forward to having everyone respond and answer this for me. So nice of you.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

A truly Christlike person would call the service rep a "whitewashed tomb" and a "tosser."

Ma Hoyt said...

"Whitewashed tomb," sounds a little too nice, to me.

If speaking with a representative of a company that's been around for more than 50 years, I think "O generation of vipers," might be appropriate.

If it's a smaller, newer company, "a bunch of vipers," could be adequate, though possibly confusing, in the sense that, are we talking about a group of vipers, put together in a bunch with a rubber band? Or do we refer to something more mythological in scope, like...say...one tail from which a large lot of viper heads extend?

And does anyone under the age of 21 really know what a viper IS, these days?

Seriously though, with the right mix of kind tenacity and non-offensive language conveying your disagreement, the messages in your blog can be spoken, with slightly different wording.

Sharon said...

Well, if that's the kind of help I'm going to get with deep questions of life...

"Tosser." May need two nights to sleep on that one.

I think you're right, Mommy, that the message can be spoken in a good way. Even more, I think it should be conveyed somehow, for the other person's sake - and doing it the right way for their sake takes discernment. There are probably times where just being nice enough for two is enough. I can imagine situations where being told in-your-face "Your customer service really stinks" is the best thing to say. At least, it would sure get my attention. But I think I'll leave that one to more righteous people. It would be more effective.

Ma Hoyt said...

Two more things:

1) I think you're terribly righteous, and,

2) Were those comments what you wanted to say? Or what was said to you?

Anonymous said...

I was also wondering your mom's last question, and her statement about vipers being "put together in a bunch with a rubber band" struck me funny. =)

Sharon said...

Mommy! How can you ask those questions?

Do you think I could ever say "You're awful" to anyone's face?

Do you think anyone could ever say that to me?

Ma Hoyt said...

Oops...sorry :/

"No," and and "Possibly, but not likely."