It's More than a Transaction

When you make a sale, you’re not just selling to a customer. You’re selling to a person. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook their humanness and just think of them as another click, or another number. The truth is, they are so much more than that. They have a life, a story, a family, and a past. We often only get to see a glimpse of who a person is when we interact with them. Every interaction will either leave a person better or worse, but never the same.

In my previous job, I worked in customer service. I had the privilege of interacting with people every single day. Not all interactions were ideal, but just when I needed it, someone would remind me why I was doing what I was doing. Sure I had to deal with plenty of unkind people, but sometimes all it took was one person to assure me that I was in the right place. I have always wanted to help others in any way that I can, and I still strive to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

At my previous job, I had to make reminder calls. There was this man that I spoke to every few weeks, but I never actually met him. He had a kind voice, and he never got annoyed when I called. I had people hang up on me left and right, yell at me, curse at me, etc., but never him. He was gentle. One day when I called, he told me that he was having surgery and wasn’t sure if he would make it through it. The next few times I called, there was no answer. I had hoped he was just busy or didn’t want to pick up the phone. I recently discovered that he did pass away shortly after that last phone call I had with him. I still remember his voice. How can you mourn someone that you have never met?

I find myself sitting here, reading stories about his life and about what a standup guy he was. I only knew him from our conversations on the phone, but he was the kind of person that leaves people better off than they were before.

There were times in my job that I did not want to speak to another person. I didn’t want to make the phone calls that week. I did not want to feel beaten down by the other voice on the line. In the same way that we sometimes forget that customers are people too, customers often forget that workers are people. We all have a story to tell and a life to live outside of that setting. We need to remember to be kind to one another and to recognize that we are all just trying to live our lives. Sometimes we have bad days and don’t mean to take it out on others. The next time that you are interacting with someone, whether in business or in your personal life, take a moment to acknowledge our humanness. Try to leave someone better off than they were, and remember that every interaction will have an impact. Make the most of it.

-Meghan Slaughter