Recognizing Good Work
A single register was open and at least six people were in line waiting to make their purchases. The cashier was standing aside as the woman who appeared to be a manager helped a customer. She was checking out and the card reader was acting wonky.
The cashier reset the reader and instructed the woman to do a series of events, including swiping her card three times, as though it was a secret handshake to a covert society group. The customer exclaimed the same thing happened to another customer at the grocery store the day before, as she apologized to the rest of us in line watching this magic dance come to a conclusion.
The manager thanked the woman, let the cashier return to checking out others in line, and the manager jumped to another register and opened it for customers to use.
I got in her line and as I was the last to leave, I commended her on her patience with the customers and how well she handled the problem. She said, “I try...I’m patient if they are patient. But sometimes…”
I get it. Retail work is HARD. I thanked her and left.
I wound up in the emergency room for a pretty bad case of vertigo, and as I waited, I watched all the people checking in and the staff that came to call names for various tests, triage, and treatment. Some patients were with family members; some weren’t. Some seemed distressed; one pregnant woman was in tears. There were children, people who seemed mentally or developmentally challenged, older folks, and young adults.
I may have said it before, but it’s worth repeating… If you think you want to work in the medical field, walk through Walmart and imagine everyone you encounter being a patient. If that doesn’t scare you, you are qualified.
The hospital staff, nurses, techs, and others were continually on the move. They’d call a person, verify their name, check their wristband, and lead the way to the back hall. Sometimes, the medical personnel grabbed a wheelchair if needed, or found a patient already in a wheelchair and would navigate the waiting room to move them to the treatment area.
The personnel were nice to everyone and adjusted for each patient. One knelt down to eye level of a child and introduced himself before asking to see the child’s wristband. Each person explained to the patient where they were going and what they were going to do. There were no harsh orders being barked; everyone was pleasant and cooperative.
Family members were advised when to wait (“We’re just drawing blood, we’ll be right back.”) or when to come along, (“We’re taking him to one of the ER rooms now. If it’s okay with him, you can come, too”).
When stopped, the staff patiently answered questions. I was even greeted by a nice security guard who guided me to walk through the scanner before checking in. When I beeped, she said, “Oops, I’m afraid I have to check your purse.” I happily handed it to her because she was just so nice. As she searched, she asked if I had a pocketknife in there, which I didn’t. When she couldn’t get the purse to zip right—things have to be organized just right to close it up—she apologized. I told her not to worry.
After the discharge nurse finished his routine checking me out, I told him how nice he had been.
“As busy as everyone is here, it’s amazing to see everyone be so nice. Y’all do a great job. Thank you!”
He seemed to appreciate it and said that he wished he had seen me more than just the last few minutes.
People are not used to taking compliments, and more importantly, they are not used to getting compliments. When is the last time you recognized someone for a job well done? Even if they are “just doing their job,” they might could use a pat on the back.