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A customer told me to stop apologizing for the wait and it stuck with me
I was working a busy Friday night, we were slammed and tickets were backing up. A regular, this older guy named Frank, was waiting on his steak. I ran it out, said 'sorry for the delay' like I always do. He looked at me and said, 'Kid, you're cooking, not apologizing. Just tell me it's hot off the grill.' That simple line hit me hard. I realized I was saying sorry for things out of my control, making myself seem unsure. Now, I just say 'Here you go, fresh off the fire' or something like that. It changed how I talk to people, not just at work. I feel more confident just stating the fact instead of starting with a weak spot. Has anyone else had a small comment from a customer or client totally shift how you act?
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lewis.finley17h ago
My wife has a tally sheet on the fridge for my unnecessary apologies. I think I said sorry to a door I walked into last week. Frank's advice is solid, it really is about owning the situation. I'm trying to replace my automatic "sorry I'm late" with "thanks for waiting", and it does feel different. That small word choice makes you feel less like you're already starting from behind.
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bennett.evan18h ago
Wow, that's a really good point. Do you find yourself catching that "sorry" habit in other parts of your life now too?
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