At age thirteen, I worked at a butcher shop every day after school. Al, the butcher, became a great mentor and friend of mine. Initially, while my job was to scrape the blocks, wash the machines and scrub the cabinets, I learned many skills and lessons that I’d never have gotten elsewhere.
Day in and day out, I watched Al treat his customers with respect and a smile. He accommodated them whenever possible, even when it was inconvenient. There are two customers I remember distinctly if for no other reason they were so different.
One was very wealthy and spent a lot of money in the shop every week; the other was someone who was obviously doing all she could to stretch pennies. The wealthy customer was very demanding and, in my mind, not particularly nice. The other was difficult in her own way but typically left with just a pound of chopped meat and chicken pieces.
One day, I asked Al why he tolerated the latter’s demanding nature. Especially in light of the fact that her financial contribution to his family’s well-being was so slight.
He told me, “Treat everyone, no matter who they are, with respect, a willingness to help and kindness.” He lived this advice consistently, even with tough demanding people.
Hmmm….respect, willingness to help, kindness…yeah, good advice.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
