Innocently I posted an image on my hilariously honest customer service group on facebook@suitea$$service and my author page on facebook@tammymayhewauthor. Naively I was trying to lighten the mood and remind people to just BE NICE! Wow never thought I would get the political backlash that I did.
The image is of a simple laminated sign that basically says: yes customers have the right to refuse to wear a mask while reminding the public that private businesses have the right to require one to enter their business. It then goes on to say that no matter what we each have the right to decide for ourselves and live with the consequences. The most important message and purpose of the sign was when it asked for folks to please not yell at the employees regarding the need to mask or not. It reminded them it was not the employee’s decision. My favorite part of the sign was where it states that if you yell at them, are rude to them or mistreat them for enforcing the policy they did not create then you are not being patriotic, rather you are just being an asshole.
I absolutely and unequivocally love the true point of the sign. After all it is the repeated theme in my book My Suite A$$. The theme being “If you can’t be nice, at least don’t be a dick”. The purpose of the sign was not to further the debate over mandating masks. WOW, mind blown! All of this is NOT that complicated, the true purpose of the sign was to just BE NICE!
Look we don’t have to agree on things. We can choose to wear a mask or not. We can choose to patronize a business or not. We can choose any side of a political issue. These are our rights.
What you can do (besides yelling or cursing at the poor person serving you).
- You want to make a difference or change a mind?
Talk to the owner
Write a strongly worded letter to corporate
Shop somewhere else (Exercise your rights)
Attend a government meeting (let your voice be heard)
I fail to see how anyone’s angry or foul mouthed rant directed towards a cashier, clerk, wait staff, service team, sales person or security guard accomplishes anything constructive.
To the contrary it serves to just further the disrespect, the intolerance, the acceptance of bad behavior, and it might just get your childish outburst posted on you tube or social media. Personally that is not how I want to become famous. BEING NICE, seems like such a small thing, and it takes such little effort, but it has a BIG impact. I had to remind folks on almost every site I shared it with that it was not a political statement, rather a lesson in how to treat people. So please, please, please remember these hard and fast rules when faced with this conundrum:
1. BE NICE
2. BE NICE
3. BE NICE
Would love to read your thoughts on this blog at www.tammymayhew.com (non political) or experiences with this.