Don’t Ever Allow Someone’s Opinion To Redefine You
Wednesday afternoon, I was totally in a bad mood.
One of the phone calls I had to make was to reschedule a payment with the utility company (so that a paycheck could come in first). The customer service lady was very rude about the entire situation, and she decided that she was going to try and cut down my character over the phone.
If I was not at work, I would have given this person a piece of my mind, but I did not, thankfully.
She tells me that I will have to pay a late charge on the account since I am paying the bill late. She then says, “What you need to do is go out and get you another job, since you have done this before with us, according to your account.”
Girlfriend did NOT just say this over the phone, did she?
Oh yes, she did.
I was so mad about that, and had I not needed to meet with my boss, I would have gone outside and exploded. I thanked her for the information, asked her to put notes on the account, and hung up.
That conversation put me into a situation where I was moody the rest of the afternoon. I was stoic in my meeting with my boss, as well as in my other meetings, where I would normally interact and give feedback. You could hear a pin drop around me - seriously. I even got home that evening and wasn’t my normal self. I let my husband know what had happened, and he calmly said, “Look, she has no clue about our situation. She is just talking from her small mindedness and exerting her little bit of power. Don't let her change your attitude and mood - at all.”
He was right - I did give her that control over my attitude, and that was affecting my behavior for the rest of the day. I drew a line in the sand and stopped all of that nonsense.
We all need to take this lesson to heart and not allow the opinions of others to mess up your day or redefine who you are. If someone who has no idea who you are and what you are capable of has negative things to say about you...then let them keep walking.
You are more than what is going on in your environment...so much more. Never forget that.
Say what? I can’t believe she said that to you! That was WAAAAYYYYYY out of line and not in her job description to make a comment like that. People will try their best to get under our skin but we have the power to not let it. I’m glad you took this as a lesson. That woman has not a clue who you are and knows nothing about your personal life as your husband stated. It’s crazy how we let people we don’t even know get to us. I have to work on this too because I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I let things get to me too. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you are okay now ;)
Exactly!
I am not the only one who has had problems with the utility company. I have heard stories about their behavior when turning on service, turning off service, and paying late from time to time.
True, it is wild how we allow other people who don’t know anything about us to get under our skin.
Thanks so much! 😉
Absolutely! 😉
Perhaps she even thought she was helpful? Sometimes I'm happy I can't see into others heads to learn why they do or say the things they do or say.
On the other hand you never know how the last customers were like that called her. Perhaps they were rude and insulting and that placed her in such a mood that she was rude to you. Having worked in such a job I know how difficult it can be. Now as a customer I try to be extra friendly and polite when I make such calls even if that is difficult when you want to know why the @%&§ they want this money from you when you lready paid some months ago ;)
Very true @muscara - she could have had a rough day before I called her and she decided to take it out on me. We really never know. Appreciate the insight! 😉