Sometimes when I don't have a scheduled job I get out and beat the streets for more business. I leave fliers on houses or I go from business to business talking to owners or managers. I don't care much about what kind of business somebody owns, most of the time the glass needs to be cleaned. I even visited the local Taco Bell that I have been boycotting for several years after the manager and I had a dispute. The new manager there was very friendly and helpful.
Here's the part I don't understand and it is twofold. When I enter a business I understand that the owners, managers and employees are busy running their own business so I am polite and brief. No high-pressure sales pitch or lengthy discussions on the benefits of clean windows. Just who I am and what I do and if they are interested I give them a quoted price. Not interested? I leave quietly and quickly. No problem, I understand. My question to my 3 blog readers is this: what have I done that justifies rudeness or disdain and why is that rudeness coming from nearly all foreigners?
I'm not the least bit prejudiced. In fact, I'm glad to see the "melting pot" that is America work this way. We are the greatest nation on the planet and I don't blame you for coming here and starting a business just like I'm doing. I don't treat you any differently than I do folks that are born here. Is it a cultural thing? I understand I might catch somebody on a bad day but it seems to be fairly consistent that if the owner or manager is not from around here I'm going to be treated with a curt word and a surly attitude. It's also not just one nationality. North, south, east, west. Some folks just have a chip on their shoulder. What's up with that? I don't understand. You tell me.
7 comments:
different cultures, heck, different parts of the U.S. have different acceptable levels of rudeness. I don't think someone in your position should take it personally because its the business owner/manager who has a poor way of expressing themself. The only excuse hey could have is if the "window cleaner" person was balding and suffering from Graves, then that is something to freak out about.
Dew
See, Dew, your only half-Mexican and you're rude.
I don't know. Here's my take on Dew - half of the time he's halfway not rude.
Amiright?
"Please pull up to the first window..."
Looks like someone made a run for the border.
"For here or to go?"
"Yes."
The reason he didn't need your services is that the current window cleaner gets them so clear that the driver of the truck didn't even know the glass was there. But I'm sure you could produce better results with a more attractive price.
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