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The Thank You Experiment

So anyone who knows me, or really anything about me is aware that I have a small Starbucks problem. It’s just that, now I live really close to one, and I like to think it’s an office that I pay a couple dollars a visit to use several times a week…. I have met the staff, all very sweet people who as a general rule go out of their way to be good at their jobs.  Which makes it even nicer to go there. Yesterday, I heard someone complain about what they felt was bad service. Even though the slight was imagined, after much apologising by the staff and much ignorance by the customer, he eventually left with the managers number.  He then took the time to call immediately after leaving to further berate them for his perceived wronging.  He even returned later to explain the ways he felt he had been inconvenienced.  His over the top actions brought a couple of the girls working to tears. And I realized something. The time that this gentleman took to point out what was a completely fictional wrong that he felt he had been committed, was amazing. And it got me thinking. How often do we go out of our way to take the time to point out ways we have been wronged? When we receive terrible service we are so fast to leave that angry comment card, to ask to speak to a supervisor, to demand that our grievances are heard.   Sometimes we are justified.  Sometimes we are just in a bad mood. But what about those times when a waitress, barrista, cab driver, doctor, retail, gives a little bit more than expected? What about when you are tired and…