The Value of Decency

Here is a thing about me: I have never worked in retail or customer service or foodservice, and I don't think I'd be very good at a job like that, and I have enormous respect for the people who do it.

I say please and thank-you to people helping me, I am a generous tipper, I tell random people being assholes to polite service workers to knock it off, and if I am really fucking annoyed at being jerked around by an insurance company or a utility company or whatever kind of company and some very nice and professional customer service person has to deal with my really fucking annoyed ass, I tell them, "I am really annoyed at the moment, and I am so sorry, because I don't want to make your day miserable, especially since I am not annoyed at you, so I'm sorry if I sound annoyed and I'm really going to try not to."

And I am a champion recommender.

I like getting recommendations from people who have used a service or been to a store and had a good experience. They're useful! And I like giving recommendations (when solicited), too, because I want to be good back to a business that's been good to me.

Are you looking for a plumber? Let me tell you about our awesome plumber who is SO GREAT! Are you looking for a special dessert? Let me tell you about this local baker whose pies are THE BEST PIES you will ever eat! Are you looking for a cat groomer? Let me tell you about this awesome groomer who will COME TO YOUR HOUSE so you don't even need to stress out your cat! Are you looking for a new restaurant? Let me tell you about our favorite places which is owned by this AMAZING FAMILY and they are all so nice and the food is so good and this one time they did this special thing for us just because we go there all the time and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH and you should definitely go there. Etc.

The point is, if someone asks me if I know of a guy or a gal or a place, I probably do, and I will be VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about recommending people who have been good to me.

By "good to me," I don't mean kissing my ass or treating me like I'm important or whatever asshole things people sometimes mean by that. I mean giving me a fair price and doing good work and talking to me like I'm a human being.

Which isn't something I always get, that last one, being a fat woman.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that we have an awesome mechanic, where they do excellent work for a fair price and have a ridiculously adorable office dog and never do work without asking you first and are always honest about what can wait. I was there this morning, just for an oil change and to have them check the brakes on my car, and I noticed, again, how every guy in that place looks me in the eye and talks to me like I am an intelligent person, which is HA HA NOT HOW EVERY DUDE TREATS LADIES IN CAR SHOPS.

I have never taken my car anywhere else. I have probably recommended them dozens of times, and many of the people to whom I've recommended them have reported back with the same experience, and then recommended them to people they know.

I am a loyal customer and a great recommender, because they are good to me. It costs them nothing. That's a pretty good investment.