I Don't Care About You

I’m startng to realize that I’m just not important. Yup. Businesses… no… people… are telling me that they don’t care about me. I mean they don’t actually come right out and say, “Hey I don’t care about you. (Or do they?).” But if the axiom “Actions speak louder than words” is true (and I believe it is)… then these businesses… these people representing their places of business… couldn’t shout, “I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU!!” any louder.

Sunday morning tradition at our house consists of Dunkin Donuts before church. Mmmm. So in pajama bottoms and flip-flops I drive to Dunkin, pull into the drive-thru line (I’m about third) and wait my turn. When I reach the menu board, I start to order, “Hi. I would like a dozen donuts please. FourBoston Crème… three glazed…”

“I’m sorry sir,” a mystery voice from the speaker interrupts. “To better serve you we no longer accept custom orders for dozens at the drive-thru. We only offer pre-packaged dozens as indicated by the sign on the menu board. For custom orders you have to come inside.” What?

I locate the sign the mystery voice through the speaker was talking about. (Please see the picture above. Cell phone cameras are cool, aren’t they? BTW... nice grammar!)

So I park, go inside (did I mention I was wearing pajama bottoms and flip-flops?) and I’m like TWELFTH in line! And I wasn’t the only one wearing pajama bottoms. Lots of upset customers (myself included) who had the same experience at the drive-thru!

I did actually feel bad for the staff behind the counter… dealing with irate customers… and apologizing about the inconvenience. (See the picture again… it was someone named “management” who made the decision. Coward! Why not post your name and phone number?!).

Their message: I don’t care about you.

My message: I don’t care about you either… I’ll find someplace else for our Sunday morning tradition.

It’s not just Dunkin Donuts. Unfortunately there are many businesses today that just don’t seem to care about me… about YOU.

It’s the Golden China Chinese takeout down the street that is always out of chopsticks (A Chinese restaurant without chopsticks is like… well… I don’t know what it’s like because it’s not supposed to happen!) and which recently shorted me several dollars in change.

Their message: I don’t care about you.

My message: I don’t care about you either. I’ll go to one of the fifty other Chinese takeouts within a five-mile radius from my house!

It’s the Wendy’s my kids and I went to for baked potatoes. Only we didn’t eat any because… THEY WERE ALL OUT! Excuse me? We went back a week later and… I kid you not… the “order-taker-person-behind-the-counter” shouted, “DO WE HAVE ANY POTATOES? They did… two (there were three of us). And this time there was a sign on the counter that said they were out of tomatoes because of frost damage to the crops TWO WEEKS AGO!

I’m sorry… I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed… but if I was the manager, I’d walk over to the ADJACENT Winn Dixie grocery store and purchase some potatoes and tomatoes. I’d be willing to bet the change I lost at the Chinese restaurant, that they’d have some for sale. I’m just saying.

Their message: I don’t care about you.

My message: I don’t care about you either. I’m not coming back. Next time my family and I crave baked potatoes, we’ll make our own and they will be WAY BETTER because we would use real cheese, not the squirty stuff out of a can that reads, “Intentionally inhaling the contents of this can may be hazardous to your health.”

It’s people too… the ones that don’t REALLY listen to you, or cut you off mid-sentence, or call you only when they need a favor, or take credit for the project you and the team successfully completed.

I think this “stuff” happens because caring takes effort. It takes effort to have two people work the drive-thru window to expedite “custom” orders. It takes effort to walk to the grocery store to buy tomatoes, potatoes, and CHOPSTICKS! It takes effort to be fully engaged and listen to others, build relationships, and share “kudos” with co-workers.

Yes… it takes effort to communicate… “I DO care about YOU.” But I guarantee… Yes G-U-A-R-A-N-T-E-E… it’s worth it.

Hey… it’s your white room (translated: life and maybe business)… make it remarkable!