They Treat Me So Nicely, I'm Embarrassed to Go Back!

[scrivener]

I'm sure you all know what I mean. You are a regular somewhere, or you know the proprietor of some business. You go there because (a) you like it and (b) you really want to support the people who own the business.

They, being smart businesspeople, know how valuable their regular customers are, so they will, on occasion, comp a meal or give an enormous discount on a service.

You like the treatment, of course, but you're getting a little embarrassed. You don't want anyone to think you're going there BECAUSE of the special treatment, but you can't turn it down; nor do you want to stop going there.

How do you deal?

[Pomai]

Re: They Treat Me So Nicely, I'm Embarrassed to Go Back!

This kinda' sounds like a reflection of how you're treated here at Hawaii Threads!

Not only do you know the Sys-Op personally, but all the members here (including myself) enjoys Scrivener's thoughtful and intelligent posts and reminds you so accordingly, that sometimes it seems you shy away from the thread.

To the question at hand, what I DON'T want the staff to do is make the customer they're immediately supposed to serve have to wait because suddenly they see me, and pass them up to service my needs. That doesn't happen often, but it has happened on a few occasions, and really I don't like that.

[lavagal]

Re: They Treat Me So Nicely, I'm Embarrassed to Go Back!

Reciprocate! Pass it on! I make a point of learning the names of the people who have committed to memory my grande fat free green tea latte with sugar free vanilla, lite whipped. Then I walk out and try to smile at whomever I pass on my way up Merchant Street to Nuuanu Street. I think it is a gracious thing to be kind to those who are ringing up my funky finds at PriceBusters or Ross; and I feel like the people who work at Costco HIKAI and Safeway are my friends.

I think you are in a very good spot and my advice is to let it flavor your interactions with the rest of the world.

I must say, though, that when a homeless man latched onto me Friday morning and ranted at me as I was walking up Merchant, I was terrified, didn't turn around, and mouthed the words "HELP ME" when I thought someone could see me. He looked like he belonged to me the way he was talking so close to the back of my head.

A man from my building was going up the sidewalk toward our door at the same time as me, we get inside and he says, "You sure now how to pick them!" and I told him, "I PICKED YOU!" as I was quite grateful to get in the locked building and to have a familiar face to connect with.

I'd want to be kind, I'd want to pass it on, but I was scared.