I love Amazon. I really do. I get great deals, free shipping (I hold orders till I qualify), keep wish lists…and I like the 1-click ordering. Until today. I used 1-click, and discovered that this feature didn’t save my settings, and so, I didn’t get the “Super Saver Shipping” I qualified for. And now, of course, it’s too late as the orders have shipped. Hmmmm, I wondered how they were shipping SO FAST! Like, the same day I placed the orders!
Unhappily, I called them. Because, I’m a regular customer, and I don’t think I should be penalized for taking advantage of their convenient 1-click. Turns out, I have to go in and select the Saver shipping option each time I use 1-click. I probably won’t use that again! I selected Saver shipping last time, and forgot to do it this time--or--maybe I subconsciously assumed the settings were saved in my 1-click account options. Whatever the case, I’m having to shell out $10 for shipping. Ugh. But the guy credited my account $5, to make up for it. Technically, however misleading their site may be, it was still my fault, so, that was a nice gesture towards keeping me happy. :D
While I was on the phone, I was tempted to be nasty…to throw a good ol’ American fit, because, I knew that I’d get all the shipping knocked off, if I did. And to make matters worse, I could barely understand the gentleman I was speaking with--because--my call was shipped overseas. I was tempted to disgustedly ask for another person, a supervisor perhaps…have you been there? Felt that way? Because, I am angry that our customer service calls are shipped overseas. For Dell, for Avon, for Amazon, and countless other companies. So when the call began, I wasn’t very friendly. My voice had an edge to it; you know the one “Don’t mess with me because I’m not happy you are answering this call and you can barely speak English and I can’t understand you at all, and I’m not happy with the company you represent anyway…and…” Yeah, you get the idea.
But I realized something. First, he is doing his job; it isn’t his fault the companies ship our calls over there and give American jobs away. I understand why…unions, pay scales, benefits, the list goes on…but still, an American company ought to use American employees, right? Anyway…so, he was doing his job. Trying to speak English as best as he was able. And I was representing America. Do I want his view of Americans to be that we are snotty, rude, self-righteous, and demanding? If that is what he gets, when he answers American customer service calls, then that will be his view of Americans. We, as Americans, should still be respectful, and kind in our dealings with these foreigners. We may be the only Americans they “meet”, if only over the telephone.
Furthermore, in order to determine my order, he read through a few of my book titles. Guess what one of them was? Yep. “The Daily Life of Jesus.” If he thought for an instant, that I was a Christian, then I wouldn’t want to blow it. I don’t want to be rude while I am wearing Christ’s name. I would hate for the guy to think what I’ve often thought, which is “wow, what a way for a Christian to behave. (That person) gives us all a bad name!” Have you ever thought that?
So I calmed down, tried to respectfully ask him to repeat himself to me…thanked him for his time…wished him a nice day. But I regret that I didn’t start off the conversation with a kinder tone of voice. We never know what affect we have on others, but we need to remember the names we wear. Our name in Christ, our name as Americans, and our family name as well. These 3 affect us in our lifetime, but may have eternal significance as well…and certainly, they affect the generation of children we are raising in our homes. What will we leave to them, by leaving them our names--our legacy?
Might not be a bad idea to remember to speak more patiently with that “next generation I’m raising”…while I’m at it. And with the people I come into contact with in my daily interactions at local stores, restaurants, whatever the case. In fact, the same thought occurred to me last time I wore a T-shirt with our church name on it. I was representing our church as I wore it…what did my words and actions say?
Yep, something to think about.
