Comments on: Principles In Action #1 : Treat Others Like They Have Value

By: Principles in Action : Accountability and Friends Can Save Your Finances | The Happy Rock

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:38:16 +0000

[...] This is the second post in the principles in action series that will illuminate a practical application of a positive life principal. The first in the series addressed treating others like they have value. [...]

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:10:33 +0000

@Nancy – Thanks for the kind comments. It isn’t an easy lesson to learn or teach, but all need to learn that it isn’t about us.

By: Nancy Baer

Nancy Baer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:17:30 +0000

I’m happy to have stumbled upon this site, and will certainly be back. We are all together on this planet,
we are all one. We are all equal. If we treat one another
with the love, respect, and compassion that is our TRUE
legacy on this earth..we wouldn’t have a need for blogs
promoting the same. These things are inside..and reinforced if we are very, very blessed..by our parents.
Wishing all of you a wonder~filled dayO:)

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:09:55 +0000

@matthew burnham – I think your point is well taken that part of respecting someone means taking into account their situation and goals. If I try to force an action on someone, I most likely more interested in how it makes me feel than providing something positive for the other person. The latter is the goal, whatever form it may need to take.

@Rob – I like the point that a wait staff probably can use being friendly to affect their job satisfaction. As you mentioned the wait staff will benefit from treating the customer with respect, hopefully both financially and emotionally.

By: Rob O.

Rob O. — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:07:40 +0000

…the waitress with five other tables does not want to hear about your weekend, she would rather have you eat, leave, and tip, rinse and repeat. You making small talk takes away from the tips she won’t pay her taxes on.

Respectfully, I disagree, Matt. That she took the time to make smalltalk and take some interest is likely to net that waitress a substantially better tip from me. It may not equate to more money every time, but there is a payoff for going the extra mile to make a customer feel valued.

And to a certain degree, the payoff can also come in the form of improved job satisfaction – if I know I’ve done not just a good job today, but actually made people feel good in the process, I’ll probably have a much better outlook when thinking back on those hours spent at work. And it may make tomorrow’s work day something I can look forward to instead of dread.

By: matthew burnham

matthew burnham — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:07:59 +0000

this is all well and good, but it should be mentioned that not all service workers are operating on this theory, and may not recognise the value in the customer apart from the fraction of a minute they add to their weekly paycheck. I try to communicate with people who are working only if it won’t take away from their bottom line. Case in point…. the waitress with five other tables does not want to hear about your weekend, she would rather have you eat, leave, and tip, rinse and repeat. You making small talk takes away from the tips she won’t pay her taxes on.

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:24:16 +0000

Rob – Thanks for the perspective. Like you said, you don’t notice most of the companies that don’t make you feel valued, but you certainly will notice the few that do.

By: Rob O.

Rob O. — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:28:27 +0000

This is an especially important lesson if you’re a small business owner or employee. For example, my wife & I take our dry cleaning to a nearby shop that we’re fiercely loyal to. This shop is not the most competitive on pricing and while they do exactly the kind of job we expect with our items to be laundered, that’s not why we give them our business time and again. No, we remain loyal to that dry cleaning shop because the staff makes us feel welcome – by remembering our names and taking an interest in us. It may be mindless smalltalk, but it makes me feel like less of a customer and more like a valued friend.

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:36:52 +0000

@Gordana – As I wrote this piece I had a feeling that this type of comment might come in. I agree with you that the word “like” doesn’t clearly express the goal that we all should be striving for. Even at this time I am still searching for the right language to relay the idea clearly. The goal is to value others. To do that we need to manifest that value with actions.

With that said, sometimes I don’t treat people like they have value. I’ll will be the first to admit it. That is not the person I want to be though.

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:17:49 +0000

@Thecpa and Nantahala – Thanks. Integrity is vitally important. And as you both mentioned it is important to carry these affirming beliefs to even the mundane and trivial parts of our life.