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Receiving Service-Supplying Service Relationship

Did you know that receiving service is a privilege? Did you know that supplying service is a privilege? My Lorrieism is that both are privileges and have their own individual perks. So, let us chat about this!

The privileges of receiving service:

  1. Having the task completed by someone else. Whether the person receiving the service do not know how to do the service, or do not want to perform the service from themselves. Being able to relinquish this task into qualified hands is a relief.
  2. Accomplishing a goal on your to- do list. When a to-do item becomes a to-done item with minimal effort of your own it is always a plus.
  3. Responsibility for completing the task is totally on someone else. Not only is someone else completing the task but you are the final authority. You inspect, critique, approve, or deny the results.

The privileges of providing a service:

  1. You provide a service for a customer’s need. There is an opportunity to solve an issue and deliver comfort.
  2. Accomplishing a task for a customer invokes feelings of personal satisfaction. Taking pride in your work is acceptable and needed.
  3. Providing a service is resourceful for you in the form of a paycheck.

Since receiving a service and providing a service is beneficial to both. There are some steps that can be taken to make the experience pleasurable.

Helpful Tips When Receiving Service:

  1. Do your due diligence by researching. Know what you want and express your desires in detail. Be specific about your expectations and opinions about alternative ideas. It is helpful to know that there is more than one way to please you.
  2. Monitor your expectations. Do not set unattainable expectations for the service.

Rule of thumb: Think about how you would feel providing service to you.

  1. Acknowledge the experience. When expectations are met show your appreciation in your tip. If tips are not allowed, extend kudos to the manager, write a letter to executives, complete a survey, or anything applicable to express gratitude.

Helpful Tips When Providing Service:

  1. Good service starts before you report to work. The number one priority is to serve the customer. Mentally block all distractions, put on your best behavior, and proceed in excellence.
  2. Set a standard of performance to serve everyone well. There will be challenging customers and you must serve them anyway. Their integrity is their problem as well as your integrity is yours. Do a great service because it is who you are.
  3. Recognition is appreciated but not required. After a customer expresses delight in the service it is okay to reference options for recognitions, but do not become overbearing. Understandably good service often goes unmentioned, but recognition will come if you stay the course.

In conclusion, receiving a service and providing a service are beneficial for both parties. Each has a responsibility to treat the other well. This is achieved by being mindful that these roles are interchangeable. Therefore, treat the person you are looking at as you would like to be treated.

 

 

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Celebrating 23 Years of Employment

I will celebrate 23 yrs. of employment in a few days. I have endured three name changes, five locations, and numerous employees.  The once handwritten request with no instruction is now flowing through computers with written procedures. The manually entered codes are replaced with pointing and clicking my way through the day. (trading carpel tunnel for tendonitis of the elbow… lol). Once one of the most stable jobs in town filed for bankruptcy in 2020. But good, bad, or indifferent I have remained employed.

So, I ask myself, “Are you happy with your job?” Honestly, I am not happy with my job, but I am satisfied. Allow me to explain. I do not wake up every morning in ecstasy about going to work. It is a job. I show up, work, and in two weeks I am paid for my efforts. I do not care for a few of my coworkers. I do not like the condition of the building, the temperature, or the lack of windows. I do not like many of the rules, procedures, nor formats for training. I do not like that I will soon be employed for 23 yrs. and have never received Thanksgiving or Christmas Holiday Vacation Weeks. But that same Seniority List that does not allow me the vacations of choice, also do not lay me off when jobs are lost( job cuts are from the bottom up). Although I am not happy with my job, there are some things that I am:

I am grateful.  For every bad thing I could conjure up about my place of employment, it is all overshadow with the fact that I am employed. I have had a consistent paycheck and insurance to assist with my family obligations. I have purchased a home, cars, vacations, paid college tuition, and have a retirement package. I am satisfied. I am by no means rich; but I have everything I need and can supply many of my wants.

I am committed.  When there is a call into my office, it is for a solution.  The complaining caller does not want excuses, blaming, or the problem to go unresolved. They expect me to fix it and I do my best to deliver. Regardless of me not being happy with my job; I am a good employee and that is because I am a woman of integrity. And integrity comes with responsibilities:

    • I work diligently. I learned that those who do their jobs stay out of trouble. Management begins to see you as an asset and spend less time monitoring you. They trust you to independently resolve issues, return calls, accomplish deadlines, and remain in compliance with company regulations. Being diligent does have a downside of harder task being assigned or “hot issues”. But it is productive for business to place the important issues in the most capable hands.
    • I am disciplined. In 23yrs I have missed less than five days of work (and none were for leisure). I am considered an essential employee which means there are no sick days or inclement weather days. I am expected to carefully report to work and complete my shift daily. But when it is time to go home, I leave. Not only the premises but everything that has to do with the job. (I am working at home during COVID-19. When I take about five steps from the desk to the couch, I do not return until the next business day.)

I am preparing for retirement.  I am preparing to retire at either 25 or 30 years. Whichever I choose, I will be under 60 years of age. I think that is a perfect time to start working for myself as a Freelance Writer. (I am using this blog to enhance my writing skills). I also want to volunteer. I submit monetary donations to Meals on Wheels, The Local Food Banks, Housing for New Hope, Domestic Violence, Streets of Hope (abused and sex trafficked in Kenya), and Guardian Ad Litem (mentor for foster children). But I am ready to use some muscle for the organizations that I love.

So, I am not happy with my job. But I am satisfied with the lifestyle achieved with employment. After retirement, I plan to follow my passions for writing and volunteerism. This will make me happy!

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No New Year Resolution

I am not a New Year resolution fan. The failure rate is a turn off to me. And although I do not make resolutions, I admit to trying and failing before deciding not to partake. I had an epiphany that random list of desires does not hold my attention. This evolved into small steps accumulating into long term goals being accomplished.

Example, I used to weigh 420lbs.  I made personal changes, then had the weight loss surgery, and my best weight was 185. Never reaching my initial goal of 175. Will I get there! Who knows but the goal is established?  To attain the goal, I chip away at it 5lbs at a time. When I reach a sustained 5lb or less then I gravitate to the next 5lbs. This keeps me on track and establish a boundary  not allowing weight gain to become an excuse.

Here is How I accomplish my long-term goals:

  • Set a Goal– A goal should not be unattainable, but a challenge. Careful consideration is needed because the goal should never change. All changes leading to the achieved goal are personal ones, but never the goal itself. At 420lbs all I wanted was to lose weight. Realistically losing weight is too broad of a goal, and I set a goal weight of 175lbs. To this day, I have no idea how or why 175lbs became the goal. But once I set the goal, I have never changed it.

 

  • Implement a Plan– At 420lbs walking was a challenge. So, I decided to begin with a food reduction. One week into my plan, I was sitting in a restaurant crying because I could not have the desired meal. I quickly recognized this as a set up for failure and decided to remove two food items loved dearly. My daily large bag of peanut M&M’s and two-liter Pepsi (I have not indulged in dark chocolate or carbonated drinks since). This was a power move that allowed me to eat everything else desired. I replaced the Pepsi with water and loss 20lbs in a month. I then switched fried meats for baked meats, more veggies, and less starch. Later removed bread, started exercising on the Gazelle (showing my age), and a year later I weighed 320lbs.

 

 

  • Revisit and Revise– As I loss weight , I no longer desired the secrecy of my own four walls. I joined the Y for a community of weight loss hopefuls. I received encouragement, exercise  and eating tips enhancing my weight loss journey. My job relocated and so did my gym. Big mistake! I injured my back attempting an inappropriate age and physical ability tactic. Leading to a cycle of pain, healing, and weight gain. 5 years post injury and weighing 220lbs; I began to search for pain management assistance to get myself back on track. I am no longer doing any PX-90 moves, but I am losing weight by dancing.  I am currently 195lbs (which is not a lot of weight loss), but I had to devise a plan that would limit pain. With  slow progression, I now exercise Monday, Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, exercise Thursday, Friday, and rest on weekends. This seems to work and lessen back pain. I will add another day of exercise or strength training later.

 

My 2021 goal is to continue the path to 175lbs. I will celebrate the 10th Anniversary since the weight loss surgery. And would love to begin planning skin removal. I would like to have the surgery this year, but a more realistic date will be decided after a consult. Before consult, I am aiming to weigh 185lbs this year. I am basing this on menopause, arthritis pain, and exercise routines structured around health and previous injuries. It would be a joy to weigh 175lbs by the end of the year, but realistically I have not weighed 185lbs in 8 years and finally under 200lbs in over 5 years. Over the last 6 months I lost about 25lbs. I am encouraged (many are gaining the corona 15)! But I am beginning to stabilize requiring another change in caloric intake and/or exercise adjustment. I will figure it out. What I enjoy most about not having a New Year Resolution is there is no failure only recalculations.

 

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