Hi all

I must admit I am not always the most patient of people and I have been known to lose my rag at the drop of a hat and inefficiency and stupid bureaucracy do drive me up the wall at times.

However the other week, I was in my local Sainsburys to work and for some reason on a Tuesday it was slightly busy, the kids are on holiday so it was full of more mums than usual, they were slightly short staffed I am assuming due to holiday and sickness, but I think that is par for the course this time of year. So I got in a queue and waited. Just in front of me was a pregnant Sloaney Poney and just ahead of her was a chap, who I think must have been a home help of something, as he had about 4 or 5 lots of shopping and had to keep money, goods, receipts and change all separate. This to me made no difference, the guy has a job to do and it is helping people, and to be honest he was no slower than someone with two trolley loads of shopping.

Mrs Pregnant SP however really took umbrage to this guy which resulted in lots of huffing and puffing (not that good for her blood pressure). Meantime the checkout supervisor was running around, so I had a little joke with her about being so short staffed. Now Mr homehelp had finished, so Mrs SP was nearly there, then the belt broke down on the checkout. I thought she was going to blow her top, I offered to help her get her stuff out of the trolley on to the belt and push it forward - she took the help (quite begrudgingly if you ask me) and then demanded from the checkout operator that someone get her another trolley as she only had a small one and that some would need to help her with her shopping to her car. All this is well and good, but there was actually not one please or thank you in this.

All of a sudden I got a tap on my shoulder it was the Supervisor, you have been waiting so long I have opened this checkout for you. Off I trotted and was I was served and packed up whilst Mrs SP was no where near getting out of there, and I just thought, for once a little patience and niceness paid off.

This then upped my mood for the day and I used the same “niceness” when dealing with Tiscalli (who fixed my phone line when they said they would), Sky (who cancelled something on my package without hassle), N Power (who sorted out my direct debits without fuss) and finally Sainsburys Pet Insurance (who although couldn’t decrease my premiums did give me a cash back incentive so I would stay with them). I therefore went home in a really good mood (luckily for the current Mr Bell) unlike I think the Pregnant Mrs SP!

So sometimes it really does pay to be patient and calm and you might even get what you want!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tinks

X

PS - if anyone needs a FAB birthday cake go to Shelly’s cakes in Chistlehurst/Elmstead - she makes the best cakes! (sorry just had to get that in as she made my 40th cake and also the current Mr Bell’s 50th one and they were truly amazing!)