I don’t know if it’s my need to stay independent or just a generalized feeling of anxiety, but asking for help has always been a difficult thing for me. I realized this was a problem when I didn’t even want to bother the front desk at a hotel for a toothbrush. I mean, it’s literally their job to answer the phone and ask what a guest wants, but somehow I thought I was being a pain in the ass.
I’ve observed pains-in-the-asses and I guess I didn’t want to be like them. You know these people, the ones who think the world revolves around them and everyone else is put here to serve them. They’re not gracious, kind, or grateful at all.
Finally I made a distinction between those people and myself. Even though we might ask for the same things, I was gracious, kind, and grateful, so in essence I was a guest the front desk people were happy to help. I wasn’t being an inconvenience. I was being a breath of fresh air. Nobody was going to look over to their co-worker and mouth, “What an asshole!” when I was asking for something.
I have noticed this trait in a lot of my family and friends. There’s a certain mix of graciousness and politeness that not everyone has, but I’ve always been surrounded by it. In some cases, this can be taken advantage of. However, with customer service situations it’s a necessary part of the interaction as far as I am concerned. Respect is important.
Be nice, be direct, be grateful
Here’s how I operate, whether it’s with a hotel front desk person, an airline check-in agent, or someone on the phone.
- Smile and ask how the person is.
- Engage in banter if it feels natural.
- Ask specifically for what you want.
- Be grateful they consider your request.
- Thank them for doing what they can.
- Be gracious if they cannot accommodate.
- Be thankful if they are able to help you.
For example, this is me checking into a hotel when I am there way before my check-in time.
“Hi, How are you?”
“I know I am here early, but I was wondering if I could check in or leave my bags here?” (Handing them my ID and credit card.)
“Also, I hope this is already in the system, but if you could make sure I have an accessible room with a roll-in shower, that would be great. Thank you for checking.”
Banter here while they type and click and type and click and type and click and type and click. Hawaii. Wisconsin. Price of milk. Family. Blah, blah, blah.
“If you have a room on a high floor, I wouldn’t be against that.”
“Oh that’s okay. Thank you so much for checking.”
“Great! I wasn’t expecting to be able to check-in so early, but this is awesome. I really appreciate it. Is there someone who can help me get my suitcase situated up there?”
Being a decent person isn’t that difficult. If you are already a decent person, then asking for help shouldn’t be difficult and you shouldn’t feel like you’re being a burden.
You Should Go Anyway 