“Hello, welcome! How are you?”
”Fine, thank you, and you?”
”Me not as good.”
”Something wrong?”
”Well, I’m at work! It’s Sunday and I’m at work!”
This is the short conversation I had at a terrace in Herăstrău with the waiter.
I was left bouche-bee, as they say.
Maybe I was wrong to answer the first question with “fine, thank you, and you?” A gesture of politeness turned into a feeling of unease at that terrace. A man who was in his early 30’s, appeared healthy, chose to act like a victim and demonstrate frustration, displeasure, to customers. Perhaps some will say he is not treated well by his employer, not motivated, the boss is to blame. Not relevant to the customer.
Dissatisfaction should be dealt with behind the curtain, not on the stage where we do our jobs. If the man has chosen to stay, in a market where there are plenty of jobs for a young man, it is desirable that he takes ownership of his decision and behaves himself. With courtesy, with professionalism, with integrity.
I think there are many people who behave similarly to the waiter. They stay at a job and complain all the time about the boss, their colleagues, their pay, how unappreciated they are, how hard they have to work. You’re too trenchant, you may say. But isn’t it true that in a relationship, whether personal or professional, the responsibility is on both sides?