Tis the Season to Show Gratitude for Essential Workers
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
Tis the season for holiday shopping. 2020 has been a difficult year for many people. Some people particularly hard hit are retail, restaurant, and other service industry essential workers. From concerns for their own health and welfare to decreased customer foot traffic, some of these businesses are suffering, and I’ve made it a point to do whatever I can think of to ease that suffering in small ways.
First of all, I set my intention before every errand outing. I have the luxury of working from home at this time in my life. There was a time in my life when I worked a retail job, and there wouldn’t have been a way for me to work remotely during a global pandemic at that job. I know that being an essential worker that has to go to a physical location in order to do my job would cause anxiety in me during a pandemic, so I want to make sure that every interaction that I have with an essential worker (in other words, someone who can’t work from home) is full of only positive energy from my end.
If I’m going to a store, the dentist, the doctor, a restaurant, etc.; I’m on the hunt for things to compliment. If someone helps me find something, I profusely thank them with a smile. I’m looking at the employees to find the things that impress me about them, and then I’ll let them know what I notice. The other day a restaurant worker was wearing long eyelashes. Those take some time to apply, so I let her know that I noticed them and she looked nice. Sometimes people’s hair is a striking color. Sometimes the way their eyes convey a smile when I can’t see their mouth is what I notice first. Sometimes it’s a positive or helpful energy that they convey. There’s always something that I can find to tell them. I give them my compliment with my most sincere smile (we can see smiles in others’ eyes even if we can’t see others’ mouths due to a mask), expecting nothing in return. However, the positive energy that I give out always comes right back to me. My helper invariably brightens up and gives me a dazzling smile right back.
If lines are long, I keep my social distance from others in the line and don’t allow myself to be impatient. I take the time in the line to notice the people around me and mentally give them my best wishes.
My family doesn’t eat out at restaurants these days, but we do order takeout from our local restaurants at least once a week. I love our community, and I want to continue to support the local restaurants as much as I can. When I’m picking up our takeout orders, I hunt and deliver my compliment to the restaurant employee that is helping me, and we leave a tip as if we were dining in the restaurant. Tipped employees have to be struggling right now, and if a tip here and there from takeout customers can help them, then I want to do that.
I’ve also taken the time to post positive reviews on Google for local restaurants, shops, and venues that I love. I only post 5-star reviews. If an establishment is not my favorite and wouldn’t get a 5-star review from me, then I don’t post a review at all. I’ve posted reviews for places in my hometown, my college town, and my current place of residence. Anywhere that I check and utilize reviews, I post reviews for businesses and products that I like. So if you look at reviews on Google, Yelp, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, wherever – consider posting your own reviews for businesses that you enjoy as a way to help them out and drive traffic to them.
If anyone helps me in a way that is more than a normal interaction of ringing me up at a register, then I’ll ask them if there’s a way I can email their manager to let them know what a great job they did. I’ve emailed managers because employees have given me really thorough instructions. I’ve emailed managers when employees have been really speedy in helping me. I’ve emailed managers when an employee is a pleasure to work with. If someone makes my life easier, I’m telling their manager. We have a culture where we sometimes jump at the chance to talk to a manager when something doesn’t go exactly right. I prefer to live in a culture where we jump at the chance to talk to a manger to give accolades for employees who do a great job.
None of the above acts are difficult or time consuming for me. But I know if I owned a small local business or was an essential employee that I would appreciate these displays of gratitude, and I hope they do some good. If you’re looking to spread some cheer this holiday season, consider showing your appreciation to the essential workers in your sphere. It won’t require a lot from you, but you never know the ripple effects that your positive energy will produce.
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Productively Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team