The moment I stepped in line behind her, I could see her glance back at me in my peripheral vision. I avoided eye contact initially, because I figured she was going to make some comment about slow service. I shuffled my items around in my hands as she impatiently shifted her weight from foot to foot. When the associate had to go ask the manager for assistance, the lady in front of me turned around again and said something like, "Guess we're not in a hurry this morning." I tried to look sympathetic as I sheepishly replied, "It happens." That was the best thing I could come up with in the moment, and I don't imagine she particularly appreciated my passive refusal to acknowledge how inconvenienced she was by all this waiting.
This isn't me bashing on an impatient customer, by the way. I'm sure she has a multitude of stuff going on in her day, and I'm not one to say someone's time isn't as valuable as another person's time. What I wish I would see more of, is mutual understanding and human empathy. The customers in front of us had equally important things to send out, and the associate was doing his best to make sure everything ended up where it was supposed to. Stressing out about wait time isn't going to get your box shipped out any faster.
I worked in retail for 6 years and I've seen the good, bad, and ugly of customer service. Any time I'm tempted to feel impatient in situations where I'm the customer, I have to stop and remind myself that I'm not that far removed from the other side of the counter. I also have to remember what a difference it made for me when I had a customer who was kind, patient, and understanding. Sometimes it's hard to be patient and go with the flow, but it makes a huge difference in how you perceive your day. Not to mention the difference it can make to an overworked associate behind the counter.
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