Valued Feedback

Have you ever been through a fast food drive-thru, gotten your food, and seen something like this on the wrapper:

"We value your feedback! Please call 1-800-something reguarding questions or comments. Have a great day!"

Well I'm here to tell you, they might be lying to you. They just might not value your feedback.

When I was seven or eight years old, I took that seriously. I remember that one day, my mom had just gone through a Hardees drive-thru and brough us home some lunch. I had gotten a kids meal with a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink.

Well, on the hamburger wrapper was that same line. So, being seven or eight with nothing else to do but watch TV and torment my little sister, I called in.

I didn't have a problem with the food at all - in fact I was very pleased with it. But the wrapper said that "comments" were welcome as well. So, I decided that it was my duty to call in to tell them how much I apreciated their food.

The conversation went something like this:

Operator (with very little enthusiasm): "Hello, thank you for calling the Hardees customer service line, this is Ted (not his real name), how can I help you?"

Me (with cute little girl voice and all): "Yes, I just wanted to call and say that I really like your cheeseburgers. They taste really good."

Ted (obviously anoyed): "Oh really. Is that all you want to say?"

Me (a little taken aback): "Umm... well... I also really like your fries..."

Ted (really anoyed now): "Is that all."

Me (suddenly feeling stupid for having called in): "Umm... yes."

Ted (anoyed and angry, voice dripping with irony): "Well THANK YOU!"

Click.

I won't lie to you - I was pissed when I hung up the phone. Valued feedback my ass. I mean come on! What's your problem buddy?! A cute little girl calls in to break up the monotany of your day, and you jump down her throat and make her feel like an idiot.

I realize that your day has probably been filled with complaints directed towards you, but you knew what you were doing when you took the job, pal.

Looking back on it, I'm pretty impressed with myself for throwing the fry line in there. Sure, I could have given up after the burger comment, but I pressed on. I gave him the chance to have his day be brightened up and for him to be nice to me, but instead he chose to be a total tool. That bastard...

So, Teddy... wherever you are today, this is my chance to tell you that you did not make me feel like my feedback was valued. So there.

I do it all the time too, though...

I have chances every day to either make someone's day a little better or a little worse. To my shame, I often choose to make it a little worse for people. I want to be the type of person who makes others feel loved and included. I want to love people, and strive for what's best for them and not always for myself.

So, I can take a lesson from Teddy and consciously try to make someone's day better. Because let's face it, when I'm not putting effort into making someone's day better, I'm usually making it worse without even trying.