Patience and Love

Today, I'd like to share with you a little lesson that I learned (or was at least reminded of) last week. Hope it helps you as much as it helped me.

***

Last week I ordered a phone for my son. I ordered it in enough time for it to arrive and be his Christmas gift. Notice, that was GIFT (singular). I was only able to get one gift per child this year, but that's alright. It's not about the gifts anyway...I digress.

So I order the phone and it was scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday, 12/21 by 3:00.
I wait at home all day. 3:00 rolls around and the driver is not here. I call the shipping company to find out what's going on. I'm told that due to the holiday rush deliveries were delayed and the driver would arrive by 6:00. Okay.

I waited until 5:00 and then had to leave. I left a note on the door for the driver letting him know that I waited until 5:00 and asked that he make another attempt the next day.

Thursday comes and again, I spend most of the day waiting for the driver. According to the company's website, the package would be delivered by 3:00.

At 2:52, I decided to call as the driver had not yet shown up. I'm told again that due to delays the driver had until 6:00 to show up. Okay. Not happy, but ok.

So I wait.

5:00 rolls around again, and I decide to call. The agent who I spoke with this time told me that my package never left the shipping center and that I could go and pick it up.

Are you kidding me?!?

So my package had been there ALL day and I could've picked it up that morning?!?

Not happy, but ok. I got in the car and drove over. I got there at 5:45.

I get to the shipping center and the woman at the counter says, "If you're here to pick up a package you have to wait until 6:30 when the drivers are back and have unloaded their trucks."

I tell the woman that I had been advised that my package was already there and asked if I could just pick it up instead of waiting.

She takes my door tag, punches my info into the system and says {wait for it...wait for it...}, "Ma'am, your package is out on the truck for delivery".

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!

I had just been advised on the phone that the package never went out for delivery and was available for pickup at the shipping center. Can you tell...I was NOT happy.

The woman then advises me that I'd have to wait for the driver to return and unload the truck. I could pick up my package at 6:30.

Can you guess what happened next?

You're pretty smart, so I'm sure that you can.

6:30 rolled around and there was no package. My driver had not returned yet.
Then 7:30 came and went.
As did 8:30.

At 8:45 the woman calls me over and tells me that "the manager" would be out shortly to speak to me about my package. This can't be good.

So I wait, and out comes the manager who tells me that the driver has not made it back yet and that the shipping center was about to close. My options at that point were to either let the driver attempt delivery again the following day, or I could have them place the package on "hold" and pick it up the following morning.

I opted for the "hold" and decided to come back the following morning. With smoke coming out of my ears I headed back to my car.

Fast forward to the next morning.

I get to the shipping center at 9:00 when they open.

I give the kind woman at the counter my door tag, she punches in my info but doesn't say much. Uh-oh.

I wait about 10 minutes and then ask if my package is there for pick-up since it had been placed on hold.

In chimes the young whipper-snapper at the next counter who says (with much attitude), "The system does not show that your package was placed on hold, so we can't guarantee that it's on hold. You just have to wait while we research this".

Okay...the smoke alarm is about to go off now.

I respond with, "Wait a minute. I was here for over 2.5 hours last night and was told by the manager that my package would be placed on hold for pick-up this morning."

"Well, it does not show "on hold" in the system".

"I don't care what it says "in the system". I saw the manager place a sticker on my paperwork last night so that the item would be placed on hold."

"Well it's NOT on hold in the system."

This could not be happening...it just could NOT be happening. At that point, I was about to go off.

I have been in sales for too many years to know that her attitude was foul and unacceptable and she needed to be dealt with. I had already decided that I was going to go home and write an unsavory letter to the President of the company explaining my dis-satisfaction. This was all while I waited for "the manager" to come out and explain the latest issue.

As I produced one more heavy huff, my phone rang. It was a call that I didn't want to miss but by the time I got to it, I missed it. Urgh!

It rang again. In my frustration, I answered it in a very abrupt and sharp manner.

"Hello!"

"Whoa, whoa. What's goin' on? What did I do?"

"You didnt' do anything. I'm just at the "shipping center" getting the run around, trying to pick up a package that should be here but I've been told that it's not, and I'm frustrated. And I want to reach over and clobber the rudeness at the counter."

"Wait a minute. What else is going on? This is not like you, and it's not cute. Surely you are not this frustrated over a box?

"It's not about the box. It's about the mis-communication and poor service that I'm getting"

"No. There's got to be more. What's wrong? I need you to get away from where you are and go someplace where you can talk to me."

So I get in my car and for the next 41 minutes I listen to "the voice of reason" calm me down & "talk me off of the ledge".

He says, "You know that all of this anger is not you. What you need to do is go back in there with patience and love on your tongue, because that it who you are. If they have your package, fine. If they don't, just find out when it's expected to be delivered, or maybe you can meet the driver on his route and get the package that way. But with patience and love on your tongue is how you need to go back in there."

I said, "I know. This really is ridiculous that I've allowed myself to get so worked up over a box. Somebody is waiting for their medicine to be delivered so that they can LIVE. I'm just waiting for a phone."

"That's right. Now get back in there You can do this...the right way."

He was right, and knows me so well.

So I go back in...and guess what...

I walk in and the one with the previously nasty attitude greeted me with a smile...AND MY BOX.

While I was outside having some sense talked back into me, they were searching for, and had found...my box.

And in the process, I learned a grand lesson.

In all that we do, we must do it with Patience and Love on our tongues. After all...love WINS...all the time.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time that you wanted to "go off" on someone? What kept you from doing it?

Talk to me!

Til next time...