This morning,I asked a barista at a coffee shop to turn down the music a bit.
Before, I would have just dealt with it, thinking that I didn’t want to be a bother. I’d figure that it’s easier to put up with the inconvenience then go through the awkwardness that is asking for a change in service, then talk about my poor experience with a friend.
What changed? The longer I’ve been in business, the more I’ve come to appreciate when someone approaches me about something that doesn’t serve them well in the way we do things.
I also came to realize that it’s not about me. It’s about serving those around me. Let me explain: Asking the barista to turn down the music served her by helping her to provide a better atmosphere for others. The reality was the music was too loud for the space, and she didn’t realize it. Now instead of talking to a friend about how loud the music was there and complaining that I couldn’t do any focused work, I can tell my friend how the barista was super happy that I said something and we made a nice, little connection.
While we are all individuals with individual needs and preferences, we are actually not all that different from each other. If you find an experience at a place of business to not serve you or to be unpleasant, you are likely not the only one who finds it so. By mentioning it to the appropriate person, ultimately serves them and the business by giving them the opportunity to change before posting a poor review, telling others about the less than excellent experience, or someone else having a similar experience.
I am not encouraging you to be unreasonable or complain about everything. I am, however, urging you to consider a mindset shift surrounding speaking up if you tend to put up with something because you “don’t want to complain”.
I’d love to hear from you. What is your perspective on this subject?
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