How to accept failure

I can’t seem to figure out if being a keener is from nature or nurture. In high school I was the big fish in the small pond and then university turned that around and made me the regular size fish in a super intense pond. The pressure I put on myself is high and it’s not from my parents. If anything they were very laissez faire about my life and the decisions I made. They didn’t force me to do anything which allowed me to pick my true passion. Perhaps it’s the lack of their pressure that pushes me to pressure myself. It’s fine for a while until a small slip up happens and then guilt and pressure comes crumbling down like a house of cards. Okay, so that’s a bit dramatic. I suppose it’s a learning lesson and it allows me to become a better and stronger person. The glass is full – half of air and half of water.

Don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from succeeding.

The importance of customer service

The way I understand customer service is that I pay someone to provide me with a service or product in exchange for money. I give them my hard-earned money in good faith that the person or company will fulfill their end of the bargain and provide me with a product or service with friendly customer service in a timely manner. If I do not receive this then I try to make it known my displeasure and take my hard-earned money elsewhere. My expectations are not *that* high that people can’t achieve them. It’s just a standard expectation.

Sadly I’ve been disappointed recently. In a Canadian chain coffee shop I often frequent, I ordered a strawberry lemonade smoothie. I was being served by a lady who I wasn’t a huge fan of before because she isn’t the friendliest of servers. She took my order and started making me a drink. Another lady ran my order through the cash register and I was handed a drink. I was offered an Italian soda. I politely informed the lady who made my drink that it wasn’t what I ordered. She argued that it was and when the lady at the cash told her it wasn’t she gave me a dirty look and took the order from the person behind me.  It’s sad because that one server who may or may not have had a bad day just turned me off from the entire company as a whole. The front line staff of any company represents the brand. Poor operations can kill any marketing program and can kill a business. Hiring the right people with the right attitude is key.