Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Echoes



Before I moved into my current job, I thought I was OK at Customer Service. I built relationships with my clients, thought I was helpful most of the time, but was really happy to leave them, and all of their dramas.

This morning I was sitting at my desk, when the receptionist started walking towards me with a big box of flowers. I thought they were for the office behind me until she stopped at my desk. I thought that my boy had finally succumbed and sent me flowers (he has been teasing me about them and much prefers to bring me individual ones in person) until she handed me a 700 ml bottle of Absolut Vodka and a letter. Intensely curious, I opened it to find a long letter on letterhead from one of my former clients with the first line "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT YOU". He wrote the most beautiful letter, said that I could use it as a reference and offered himself or anyone in his company to be an additional referee if the letter wasn't enough. Not in the least surprisingly, I burst into tears, again. It is more than 2 years since I looked after him and his account, and to be remembered like that was just beautiful.

I think sometimes that I forget that the impact of my words and actions can have an echo over the years. Today just served to remind me that anything I do can have an effect for years afterwards. I really hope that most of what I do have a positive effect, and that I'm not the cause of harm or negativity in others.

On a lighter note, my boy asked if that meant he didn't have to send me flowers now? Of course it doesn't :)

3 comments:

Jellyhead said...

It must have been great to get feedback like that. You have made quite an impact on that client, and probably many others.

Sounds like you thoroughly deserved such stunning flowers!

Franny said...

Wow, that is so moving. You forget the impact you have on people sometimes, don't you? And then something like this...whoa...wow.

Seems like you've built up a bit of good karma. Oh and yeah, b/f is not of the hook yet!

Jarod said...

Well, I do not really imagine this is likely to work.
Cheese-Spinich-Sausage Pie