After a few weeks in the harshness of New York City where I discovered that Seinfeld's Soup Nazi was not a one off exaggeration, a brief encounter with a Restroom Attendant showed me that you can love your work whatever it is that you do.
With an 11 hour flight behind us, a seven hour transit stop and facing another 12 hours on a plane, we decided that the entry fee to the Business Lounge would be money well spent. On arrival, I went straight to the Ladies, as you do. I was greeted by a cheerful lady who could speak very little English and as my Arabic is limited to one word, most of our interaction was via gestures and smiles. During my four visits (okay it was a long flight and these were very palatial toilets) I went from thinking how awful it would be to work in a toilet all day to realising that any job could be enjoyable if you made it that way.
How to enjoy your work:
Be pleasant to everyone who enters your workplace
From the moment I walked in the lady was happy, pleasant and helpful. When dealing with the public your previous encounter may not have been a good one, but sometimes you just have to say in your head "NEXT!", then put it behind you and move on with a smile.
Become an expert on everything and gladly share this expertise with visitors
As we all know, using a toilet and shower is not that complicated, I would have eventually worked out that the door needed to be pushed not pulled DOH!. Along with how to turn the lock, wave my hand across the sensor to turn the tap on and know where to put the hand towels, but she was there at every point, reveling in being the expert.
Be proud of your workplace
On my second encounter I enquired about the showers, the lady proudly informed me that yes there is a shower and showed me that it comes with towels, soap etc. After one of the best showers of my life, the lady beamed with pride when I thanked her and remarked on how beautifully clean it was.
Go the extra mile
The Attendant could have just sat on her stool, read a book and cleaned in between visitors, instead she chose to take ownership of her work space and make all visitors feel welcome. The approach to your work can be the same no matter what role your role. Take control, enjoy the job and demonstrate your ability.
Money is not your only reward
On my final visit I turned to her, nodded and said "Shukran" (Thankyou), yes my one and only Arabic word! It was only a small gesture but she seemed to genuinely appreciate my effort.
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| Vacant or Engaged? You get to choose... |
Sue Whittaker
Online Marketer and Fulltime Traveller Wannabe
