The Giving of Thanks, LJ Idol 3
Nov. 21st, 2007 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellenmillionI'm not feeling very thankful right at the moment.
I'm looking at the fourth or fifth printer replacement song and dance in six weeks with one of my major workhorse printers. I can't even print invoices or shipping labels right now. It's the day before thanksgiving, and I'm completely dead in the water in terms of getting orders out. Fiddling with the darn thing made me run late, so instead of a nice lunch watching StarGate, I get a crappy microwaved lasagna cup at my desk at work (is that some mystery meat gristle I just ate, or melted plastic lid parts? Either way, I don't think this thing is very good for me...). And the hotel I just booked for Comic Con ended up being like $500 more than I'd budgeted. Plus, I'm still in kick-myself mode for sending my new favorite DVD back with my returned laptop.
So, yeah, not feeling thankful. More grumpy than anything.
But even near tears on the phone with the Xerox technician, I remembered how important it is to say thank you.
I think a lot of people underestimate the value of those words: thank you.
I don't mean that you have to gush, or send a card every time someone holds open a door for you, but would it kill you to nod and mutter 'thanks' while you went through?
It is amazing how worthwhile and rewarded someone will feel just to receive a heart-felt 'thank you' in return for some effort. It is amazing that, after hours of frustration, getting a very simple 'thanks for your help' in exchange for some minor direction makes me smile, and I feel better.
I don't think it has to be fancy, or formal, to give thanks. I am awful about sending thank-you cards (but then, I didn't even send out wedding announcements...). But a brief email, a quick phone call, just a smile and a thrown 'thanks!' to a stranger - it makes all the difference.
And remembering that it is your printer that you want to throw out the window, not the poor technician on the phone, and saying 'thank you so much for your help' can make the difference between an endless run-around and a friendly 'we'll ship you a new one.'
Even if dropping the %$#*& screw into the paper feed while installing replacement parts could be considered your own damn fault.
Maybe I'm feeling more thankful today than I thought... and that guy totally deserves a card. Thank you, Mr. Xerox Guy.
I'm looking at the fourth or fifth printer replacement song and dance in six weeks with one of my major workhorse printers. I can't even print invoices or shipping labels right now. It's the day before thanksgiving, and I'm completely dead in the water in terms of getting orders out. Fiddling with the darn thing made me run late, so instead of a nice lunch watching StarGate, I get a crappy microwaved lasagna cup at my desk at work (is that some mystery meat gristle I just ate, or melted plastic lid parts? Either way, I don't think this thing is very good for me...). And the hotel I just booked for Comic Con ended up being like $500 more than I'd budgeted. Plus, I'm still in kick-myself mode for sending my new favorite DVD back with my returned laptop.
So, yeah, not feeling thankful. More grumpy than anything.
But even near tears on the phone with the Xerox technician, I remembered how important it is to say thank you.
I think a lot of people underestimate the value of those words: thank you.
I don't mean that you have to gush, or send a card every time someone holds open a door for you, but would it kill you to nod and mutter 'thanks' while you went through?
It is amazing how worthwhile and rewarded someone will feel just to receive a heart-felt 'thank you' in return for some effort. It is amazing that, after hours of frustration, getting a very simple 'thanks for your help' in exchange for some minor direction makes me smile, and I feel better.
I don't think it has to be fancy, or formal, to give thanks. I am awful about sending thank-you cards (but then, I didn't even send out wedding announcements...). But a brief email, a quick phone call, just a smile and a thrown 'thanks!' to a stranger - it makes all the difference.
And remembering that it is your printer that you want to throw out the window, not the poor technician on the phone, and saying 'thank you so much for your help' can make the difference between an endless run-around and a friendly 'we'll ship you a new one.'
Even if dropping the %$#*& screw into the paper feed while installing replacement parts could be considered your own damn fault.
Maybe I'm feeling more thankful today than I thought... and that guy totally deserves a card. Thank you, Mr. Xerox Guy.
