A couple of days ago Siri came to my rescue. without expecting anything from me in return. Not knowing the hours that a neighborhood grocery store was open, I checked in with Siri.
Me: “Siri, What are the hours of operation for the Ranch Market in Mountain View?”
Siri: “The Ranch Market is open today from 9:00am to 9:00pm.”
That was it. Siri quickly gave me the information I needed and then she was done. And so was I. Nothing more was said.
More Help Needed
Later that day I emailed an administrative assistant at a church in Scottsdale, Arizona. I needed her help. After speaking a few months before at a marriage prep event that she organized at her church, I had mailed her my expense report for reimbursement. But now I couldn’t remember if I had received the reimbursement check or not. I asked if she would do me a favor and see if she could track down an answer for me. By the next day she had emailed me three times with all the information I needed. She had done her job well.
Once I had my answer I immediately sent her a “thank you so much” email. After all she’s a person, not a program.
A Lesson for Life
Do you remember your mom or dad doing something nice for you, or giving you something and then saying those five famous parenting words – “And what do you say?” My mom used those five words a lot. That’s probably because I treated her as if she was an early Siri prototype; someone whose sole purpose was to serve me. That was her job, right?
As children we need to be taught to appreciate people and the things they do for us instead of just expecting them to serve us because that’s what they’re supposed to do. The difference often comes down to the simple use of two words: “Thank you.” Mom wanted me to learn to use them every time she or someone else did something nice for me. Every time someone helped me out.
A Person or A Program?
Do you find yourself treating people as if they were Siri? Not even thinking of saying thank you because they were simply doing what they were supposed to do for you?
People deserve better than that. Try to intentionally look for opportunities to thank someone for something they have done for you or given you. Recognize what they are doing and then listen to that little voice in your head saying “And what do you say?” And then say it.
By David Gudgel
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