The Everyday Mystic: Good Customer Service as a Spiritual Practice

I don’t know his name. I however, have boarded his Muni bus every couple of days and have for months now. I board it in good and inclement weather both. I board it when the bus is crowded and when it isn’t. I imagine I board it when he is and when he isn't having such a good day. His demeanor is always the same no matter what. He is always the model of kindness, friendliness and warmth--always. He smiles at every rider and says “hello” to most. He lets riders off at unofficial stops and waits for people who are running a block back schlepping four bags of groceries.

Across the bridge and over in Oakland I have found myself in Herman’s check out line at the Pleasant Valley Safeway numerous times. At this point, I go to his line even if there are other lines that are much shorter and even if I have just a few items. I don't even see the other lines. I just look for Herman. Why would I do this? Because going through Herman’s line reminds me of all the reasons I enjoy life. I go to Herman’s line because he always makes me smile and often makes me laugh uproariously. He jokes. He makes funny and endearing comments about the things people buy. I go to his check out line because I always leave with a smile on my face and never feel like I’ve had another brusque, impersonal experience with yet another individual who provides customer service to me and billions of people all over the planet. I go to Herman’s line because it is overwhelmingly clear that this man understands the art of providing good customer service as a spiritual practice.

It saddens me that these two men, in my overall experience of being provided all manner of customer service, are wonderful yet glaring exceptions to the norm. Much more typical are the waiters who give off the strong vibe that they believe they are actually doing you a favor by simply waiting on you. Even worse--and hopefully this is a form of insanity not found too many places other than San Francisco or other large metropolitan areas—are the ones who are aggressively flirting with some other customer two tables away while barely pretending to take your order. In fact, this article was primarily inspired by that exact experience with countless waiters over the years in various restaurants in and around The Castro district in San Francisco. There are also the ubiquitous retail shop owners, managers and workers who actively discriminate against ethnic peoples or people they somehow decide have little or no money or people who have obvious physical, emotional or other challenges, etc.

I believe it is important to bring to light these sometimes serious transgressions in the world of customer service. I believe it’s important primarily because I know its beneficial to shed the light of day on something needing transformation before it can effectively be addressed much less transformed. My main objective here however, is to highlight a few of the qualities I have observed that let me know someone, whether they ever frame it this way or nor, has mastered the art of approaching the provision of customer service as a spiritual practice.

The customer is always right.

There was a time, many years ago, in my rebellious youth, when I thought this maxim was unfair, outrageous and unnecessarily oppressive to workers who provided customer service. Now, with the wisdom that has come with middle age and the experience that comes with it as well, I have repented, done the requisite mea culpa and have abandoned such youth inspired beliefs. The truth is, the customer is always right--beginning and end of story. And it is this core understanding that forms the foundation of qualities that informs those who understand the spiritual practice of customer service. This however, is not the same as saying, the customer can abuse the employee. That is a different matter entirely and is not acceptable and adds just as much negativity to the world as poor customer service.

There is something however, that is even more fundamental than the understanding that the customer is always right. This understanding is that providing good customer service is not only an art, it is also a calling. Not everyone is good at the art. Even fewer have the calling it seems. If one does not have the skill nor the calling, and cannot somehow develop it, one should probably choose a different occupation. Otherwise, one will likely cause unnecessary pain and aggravation for people who simply wanted a good meal and good service; their car fixed; their roof properly patched or a cup of coffee without the accompanying attitude, angst and aggression. Those things have everything to do with the servers personal life and degree of maturity and ability to have good boundaries and nothing to do with the customer.

Providing good customer service is a spiritual practice. That is worth repeating—providing good customer service is a spiritual practice.

I have crafted a life for myself where I consistently attract very amazing people to me. I don’t have many spiritually nor psychologically immature people in my circles. I look around me and almost always see a preponderance of goodness. A lot of that is due to my 20+ year Buddhist influenced meditation practice. So I see goodness almost everywhere. I feel supported by life. Life, even with all its inevitable pain and challenge, is not a burden for me. With all of this going for me, when I find myself in Herman’s check out line or on this one Muni drivers bus, I am still transformed into a kid again. I am transformed into a kid who can so easily be excited and encouraged by the most simple of things. I can feel my spirits lift. I can feel the excitement rising within me. If I’m feeling sort of down, a perceptible shift occurs. This, I submit, is the power and beauty of someone who understands good customer service as a valid spiritual practice. And it feels so good to be on the receiving end of such beauty.

sage mahosadha

© Raven/Sage Mahosadha

Share |